Blog Post

World's First Corn Palace, world record set in Mitchell, South Dakota

April 27, 2024

Mitchell, South Dakota, United States--The Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota, was built as a way to prove to the world that South Dakota had a healthy agricultural climate; during it’s over 100 years of existence, it has become known worldwide and now attracts more than a half a million visitors annually and it sets the world record for being the World's First Corn Palace, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.

"The World’s Only Corn Palace is Mitchell’s premier tourist attraction. Some 500,000 tourists come from around the nation each year to see the uniquely designed corn murals. The city’s first Corn Palace was built as a way to prove to the world that South Dakota had a healthy agricultural climate," the official website says.

"During it’s over 100 years of existence, it has become known worldwide and now attracts more than a half a million visitors annually. The palace was conceived as a gathering place where city residents and their rural neighbors could enjoy a fall festival with extraordinary stage entertainment - a celebration to climax a crop-growing season and harvest. This tradition continues today with the annual Corn Palace Festival held in late August each year.

"By 1905 the success of the Corn Palace had been assured and a new Palace was to be built, but this building soon became too small. In 1919, the decision to build a third Corn Palace was made. This one was to be permanent and more purposeful than its predecessors. The present building was completed in 1921, just in time for the Corn Palace Festivities. That winter Mitchell hosted its first boy’s state basketball tournament. The building was considered to have the finest basketball arena in the upper Midwest area."

"The Palace is redecorated each year with naturally colored corn and other grains and native grasses to make it “the agricultural show-place of the world”. We currently use 12 different colors or shades of corn to decorate the Corn Palace: red, brown, black, blue, white, orange, calico, yellow and now we have green corn!" the Mitchell Corn Palace, SD, says.

"A different theme is chosen each year, and murals are designed to reflect that theme. Ear by ear the corn is nailed to the Corn Palace to create a scene. The decorating process usually starts in late May with the removal of the rye and dock. The corn murals are stripped at the end of August and the new ones are completed by the first of October. Just like South Dakota Agriculture, growing condition can affect production of our decorating materials and may delay the decorating process.

"The Corn Palace is known around the world as a folk-art wonder on the prairie of South Dakota. Mural designs are created by Dakota Wesleyan University students enrolled in Digital Media and Design courses under the guidance of Associate Professor, Kyle Herges. This partnership began with murals designed in 2019."

"The Corn Palace, commonly advertised as The World's Only Corn Palace and the Mitchell Corn Palace, is a multi-purpose arena/facility located in Mitchell, South Dakota, United States. The Moorish Revival building is decorated with crop art; the murals and designs covering the building are made from corn and other grains, and a new design is constructed each year. The Corn Palace is a popular tourist destination, visited by up to 500,000 people each year.

"The Corn Palace serves the community as a venue for concerts, sports events, exhibits and other community events. Each year, the Corn Palace is celebrated with a citywide festival, the Corn Palace Festival. Historically it was held at harvest time in September, but recently it has been held at the end of August. Other popular annual events include the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo in July and the Corn Palace Polka Festival in September. It is also home to the Dakota Wesleyan University Tigers and the Mitchell High School Kernels basketball teams.

"The original Mitchell Corn Palace (known as "The Corn Belt Exposition") was built in 1892 to showcase the rich soil of South Dakota and encourage people to settle in the area. It was a wooden castle structure on Mitchell's Main Street, constructed on land donated by Louis Beckwith, a member of the First Corn Palace Committee." (Wikipedia)

"The World's Only Corn Palace is located just minutes off of Interstate 90 in the heart of Mitchell. Our peak season is Memorial Day through Labor Day (late May through early September)," the Travel South Dakota says.

"When you visit during this time, you see the Corn Palace come to life as it is redecorated annually with new corn, grain and grass to showcase a new theme.

"However, the Corn Palace is never completely bare, so you will always see a building that is truly an American icon. Daily peak season hours are 8 a.m.-9 p.m."

"This one-of-a-kind building has been "a-maize-ing" visitors for almost 100 years. It is a sight to behold, each wall covered in intricate designs made up of natural grasses and 13 different colors & shades of corn," the Travel South Dakota says.

"During the day, visitors are drawn to the folk-art wonder, taking pictures and crossing the street to snap a selfie with a six-foot-tall ear of corn named Cornelius. At night, three color-changing domes and a variety of lights shine in the evening sky, often over the lively sounds of a basketball game or concert erupting from the interior.

"It all makes up a one-of-a-kind attraction that brings more than 500,000 visitors to Mitchell a year—the World’s Only Corn Palace."

"The World’s Only Corn Palace stands as a majestic, uniquely American, folk art icon on the rolling prairies of South Dakota. Today the Corn Palace lives on because it has a story to tell, about a state and a people who have prevailed in a land that writes its own rules about who lives here and what grows here," the Visit Mitchell South Dakota says.

The Corn Palace is decorated annually with 7 murals made out of 12 different colors of corn, each framed with native grasses, straw, milo, and sourdock.

"A local farmer grows all the corn for the Palace, local artist(s) design the murals, and a team of approximately 20 workers change out the murals every year beginning in late-August and working into September (as crops become available). The Palace is never un-decorated, as the murals are not taken down until it is time to replace them in the late summer, when the work is a gradual process."

"The original 1892 Corn Palace building cost $1,500 and took 60 days to build. Today, the building costs the city of Mitchell approximately $130,000 annually to operate," the South Dakota Public Broadcasting says.

"Each year, the people of Mitchell and the surrounding area celebrated the fall harvest with week-long festival called Corn Palace week. There were carnival rides and food and craft booths set up along main street. Big name entertainment was hired to perform inside. The event is still held every August.

"During the summer months the Corn Palace was and still is a major tourist destination. Approximately half a million people visit Mitchell and the Corn Palace every year. Some consider it an essential stop on a grand tour of South Dakota that would include Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, Wall Drug, and other destinations unique to South Dakota."

"World's Only Corn Palace is at jct. Sixth and Main sts. at 604 N. Main St. Established in 1892, this Moorish-style building is accentuated with domes, corn murals and a balcony. An Oscar Howe exhibit, historical timelines, a walk-out balcony and custom designed domes that are lit at night are in the lobby. Portions of the exterior and interior are covered with murals made from ears of corn; local grasses and grains form the outline of the designs," the AAA says.

"The motif is changed each year, and redecorating has become an annual event that begins in early June. Some 375,000 ears of corn and more than 3,000 bushels of native grains and grasses are used during the process. The interior contains wall panels designed by South Dakota artists Oscar Howe and Cal Schultz. The building is illuminated at night.

"The original intent of “The Corn Belt Exposition,” as the building was first known, was for farmers to display the fruits of their harvest, thus showcasing the region's fertile soil and agricultural bounty. Guided 20-minute tours are offered in the summer. The Corn Palace Festival, held in August, features concerts and a carnival."

Photos: Facebook/The World's Only Corn Palace