Corn Palace | Mitchell

The Corn Palace, located in Mitchell, South Dakota, is one of America’s most distinctive roadside landmarks - a whimsical, ever-changing tribute to the state’s agricultural heritage and community spirit. Known as “The World’s Only Corn Palace,” this building stands as both a functioning civic center and a remarkable work of folk art, where walls and towers are literally covered with murals made entirely of corn and other grains.

Origins and History

The Corn Palace was first built in 1892, during a time when many Great Plains towns used “corn festivals” to promote settlement and celebrate the success of regional farming. Mitchell’s original Corn Palace was a simple wooden structure intended to demonstrate the fertility of the soil and attract new residents. The idea struck a chord, and the event grew each year.

The current version - the third Corn Palace, completed in 1921 - became a permanent landmark. Over the decades, it evolved from a local exhibition hall into a national curiosity, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. In the 1930s, Moorish-style turrets, domes, and onion-shaped spires were added, giving the building its distinctive fairytale silhouette.

The Corn Murals

What makes the Corn Palace truly extraordinary is its annual redesign. Each year, the exterior is completely redecorated with new murals made entirely from corn, grains, and native grasses, following a unique theme chosen by the city.

Every mural is designed by a local artist - often representing scenes from South Dakota’s history, culture, or wildlife - and brought to life by a team of workers who painstakingly attach between 275,000 and 300,000 ears of corn to the building’s surface. Twelve different shades of corn are grown specifically for the murals, ranging from natural yellows and browns to deep reds, purples, and blacks. Rye, oats, and barley are also used to create intricate borders and patterns.

The transformation takes months to complete, and the process itself has become a local tradition. By late summer, the Corn Palace gleams with color - a living mosaic that changes with the season and tells a new story every year.

Inside the Palace

Beyond the dazzling exterior, the Corn Palace serves as Mitchell’s civic auditorium and community hub. Inside, it hosts concerts, high school basketball games, graduations, and trade shows throughout the year. The main hall can seat over 3,200 people, and the atmosphere combines small-town pride with a sense of spectacle - you might walk in for a basketball game and find yourself surrounded by murals made from corn cobs.

Upstairs, the Corn Palace Museum and Gift Shop display exhibits on the building’s history, agricultural art, and South Dakota farming traditions. Visitors can see historical photos of past mural designs, vintage tools, and artifacts from early harvest festivals. The gift shop, naturally, sells every kind of corn-themed souvenir imaginable - from popcorn treats to corn-shaped candles.

Festivals and Events

The Corn Palace comes alive each August during the annual Corn Palace Festival, a week-long celebration featuring parades, live music, carnival rides, and food vendors. The festival continues the spirit of the original 1890s harvest fairs, drawing both locals and travelers to enjoy a lively showcase of community pride and regional flavor.

Architecture and Ambiance

Standing on Mitchell’s Main Street, the Corn Palace glows with a warm, rustic charm - golden panels shimmering under the sun, framed by whimsical towers and flags fluttering above. At night, soft lighting illuminates the murals, giving the building a storybook quality against the prairie sky. There’s an unmistakable sense of joy and creativity about it - a reminder that artistry doesn’t always require marble or steel; sometimes it grows right out of the land itself.

Cultural Significance

Beyond its playful exterior, the Corn Palace holds deep symbolic meaning. It represents the enduring relationship between the people of South Dakota and the land that sustains them. For over a century, it has stood as a beacon of optimism, creativity, and community pride - proof that even in the heart of the prairie, art and agriculture can meet in the most imaginative way.

Visiting the Mitchell Corn Palace feels a bit like stepping into a living postcard - a place where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, and where every ear of corn tells a small part of South Dakota’s story.