The Corn Palace
In Mitchell, South Dakota, stands a building covered entirely in corn. The Corn Palace is a multipurpose arena whose exterior is decorated with elaborate murals made from thousands of ears of colored corn, grain, and grasses. The murals are stripped and redesigned every year around a new theme - recent years have featured wildlife, history, and agricultural celebration. The current building, constructed in 1921 with Moorish-inspired domes and minarets, is the third Corn Palace; the tradition began in 1892 when Mitchell's businessmen built the first corn-decorated building to promote the region's agricultural productivity. The Corn Palace hosts basketball games, concerts, and events year-round, but its primary purpose is civic promotion - proving that South Dakota grows really good corn, and lots of it.
The Tradition
The Corn Palace tradition began in 1892, when Mitchell was competing with other towns to become the commercial center of the region. Building a corn-decorated palace was a promotional strategy - come see what we can grow here. The first two palaces were temporary; the current building opened in 1921. Every year, local artists design new murals based on a theme. Workers then nail thousands of ears of corn - red, orange, yellow, white, and calico - to the building's panels, creating intricate images. The process takes months and uses approximately 275,000 ears of corn. When completed, the murals transform the building into a folk-art monument to agriculture.
The Architecture
The current Corn Palace was designed by Rapp and Rapp, the theater architecture firm that created many of America's grandest movie palaces. The building is exuberantly exotic - onion domes, minarets, Moorish arches, and ornate trim. It looks like it belongs in Istanbul, not the Great Plains. The theatrical architecture was intentional: the Corn Palace was always as much spectacle as civic building. The interior seats 3,250 and hosts events throughout the year. But the architecture is always secondary to the corn - the building exists primarily as a framework for the annual murals.
The Murals
Creating the Corn Palace murals is a community endeavor. Each year, a local artist designs murals around a chosen theme. Workers then attach corn and grain to large panels using nails - ears are cut in half lengthwise and nailed flat side down. Different corn varieties provide the color palette: red, orange, yellow, white, blue, and calico. Grasses, rye, oats, and wheat provide additional textures. The panels are installed on the building's exterior, transforming it entirely. The murals last one year, then are stripped and replaced. Birds love the Corn Palace; the building feeds local populations throughout the winter. By spring, the murals are well-pecked, and the cycle begins again.
The Festival
The annual Corn Palace Festival, held each August/September, celebrates the unveiling of the new murals. The festival has featured entertainment since its earliest days - John Philip Sousa played the Corn Palace in 1904. Over the years, performers have included Lawrence Welk, Andy Williams, Willie Nelson, and various contemporary acts. The festival includes carnival rides, parades, and corn-themed events. Attendance has varied over the decades; the festival draws tens of thousands to Mitchell each year. The Corn Palace Festival is the climax of a year-long process - months of design, weeks of construction, all leading to the reveal of new agricultural art.
Visiting the Corn Palace
The Corn Palace is located at 604 North Main Street in Mitchell, South Dakota. The exterior can be viewed 24/7. Interior tours are available daily; admission is free. The gift shop sells corn-themed souvenirs. The Corn Palace Festival is typically held in late August or early September. Mitchell is located on Interstate 90, approximately 70 miles west of Sioux Falls and 290 miles east of Rapid City. Sioux Falls Regional Airport provides the closest commercial service. The Corn Palace is a standard stop on I-90 road trips; allow 30 minutes to an hour for exterior viewing and a quick interior tour. The murals are best viewed after installation in late summer and before birds significantly reduce them over winter.
From the Air
Located at 43.71°N, 98.03°W in Mitchell, South Dakota. From altitude, the Corn Palace is visible as a distinctive building with domes and minarets in downtown Mitchell. The building's exterior decoration isn't visible from flight altitude, but the architectural silhouette is unmistakable - Moorish fantasy on the Great Plains. Mitchell is at the intersection of I-90 and Highway 37. The James River flows nearby. The surrounding terrain is agricultural - the corn and grain fields that supply the palace's decoration stretch in every direction. Sioux Falls is 70 miles east. The isolation of the Great Plains is apparent - small towns, vast farms, enormous sky.