About Corn Palace
The Corn Palace is not actually built from corn, which is probably for the best. Instead, Mitchell’s enormous public arena is covered in decorative murals made from real ears of corn, grains, and native grasses. The result is a building that looks like civic architecture collided with agricultural folk art and decided to make the arrangement permanent.
Mitchell’s first Corn Palace was established in 1892 as a way to advertise the productivity of the region’s farmland. The current building became the latest version of the idea, but the most remarkable tradition is not simply that the palace survived. It is that crews continue redecorating it. Naturally colored corn is nailed to the exterior ear by ear, while grains and grasses add texture and detail to large themed murals.
The designs change regularly, which means the building is intentionally temporary even though the structure itself is permanent. Weather and crop conditions can affect the decorating schedule, and some mural themes have remained longer than planned during poor growing years. The official history says the palace uses multiple natural shades of corn, including red, brown, black, blue, white, orange, yellow, calico, and green.
The Corn Palace remains a functioning venue as well as a roadside attraction, hosting events inside while wearing crop art outside. Admission for ordinary visits is free, and the building is open year-round with seasonal hours. It may be one of the few public arenas where the exterior decoration has a harvest schedule.