Visit a Corn Palace in South Dakota

In 1892, the fledgling town of Mitchell, South Dakota wanted to showcase its fertile soil. In an effort to attract visitors and permeant residents, the powers that be in Mitchell constructed a small wooden Corn Palace to highlight the region’s corn production. In the Great Plains, grain palaces were all the rage in the late 19th and early 20th century. In the early 1900s, over 30 grain palaces were constructed across Iowa and South Dakota. Mitchell’s stately Corn Palace is the only grain palace that has survived well into the 21st century.

Mitchell’s Corn Palace was expanded a handful of times before it became the sprawling Moorish Revival building that it is today. The grand highlight of the Corn Palace has always been its carefully constructed corn murals which change on a yearly basis. The corn murals—which are displayed on the exterior of the Corn Palace— are stripped in August and completed kernel by kernel in early October. Visitors are welcome to watch every step of the mural process. Artists use pieces of corn and native grasses to create colorful works of art. Past murals have featured animals, scenes of the Old West, and depictions of space exploration.

The corn palace also serves as a venue for sporting events such as high school basketball tournaments, festivals, and concerts. Country music legend Willie Nelson, rocker Pat Benatar, and beloved musical satirist “Weird Al” Yankovic have all graced the Corn Palace stage. Every year in late August, the Corn Palace Festival celebrates the stripping of the Corn Palace’s mural. The festival features food, carnival rides, and corn-themed vendors. South Dakota residents take great pride in the produce judging competition. It is a high honor to be the proud grower of the most celebrated corncob at the festival.

No trip to the Corn Palace is complete without posing for a photo with Cornelius—a smiley yellow ear of corn who is part of the Corn Palace sign. Admiring the exterior of the Corn Palace is certainly worthwhile, as the colors and textures of the corn and grasses used in the murals really pop when viewed up-close. The Corn Palace’s distinctive domes will make you feel as though you have traveled to a faraway land where magic red, blue, and black corn kernels have the ability to grant wishes.

South Dakota is brimming with quaint American charm. Few destinations will fill you with wholesome joy quite like the all-American Corn Palace.