The first stop on your visit to Mount Rushmore is the Information Center located immediately to the right as you walk onto the grounds of the monument. Park rangers provide maps and basic guidance to the grounds. Schedules for ranger-guided programs are posted, and a park newspaper is stocked at the center.

An audio tour is available for a $5 rental fee at the Information Center during the winter months; in the summer, the audio tour is available at the Audio Tour Building, located directly across the walkway from the Information Center. The award-winning Mount Rushmore Audio Tour: Living Memorial is two hours long. You can listen to the whole recording or listen at only a few of the stops along the guided tour.

The audio includes historic recordings of Gutzon Borglum, Lincoln Borglum, and Mary Borglum Vhay, as well as recordings of some of the original workers on the site. The audio includes an informative narration about the people who envisioned and created the monument.

It also provides information about the presidents selected for the carving, and tells the story of the Lakota people and their history in the Black Hills region, including interviews with Native Americans about their feelings about the monument. The recording is punctuated by music and sound effects. The audio tour is available in English, German, Lakota, and Spanish.