The Corn Palace is decorated with several 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, a local artist designs 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 honor of designing of the murals has been done by several artists including Oscar Howe, a Yanktonai Sioux Artist who taught school at Dakota Wesleyan University and was Artist Laureate of South Dakota; Cal Schultz, a local artist; and presently Cherie Ramsdell, a local college art teacher.

The re-designing process actually begins several months before the corn crops are ready in late-August.  A Corn Palace Committee meets to decide on the theme, the artist then plans her designs for each mural, and the images are projected and drawn onto black roofing paper that replaces the previous year's murals as they are removed from the building.  The designs are marked with a code as to where each different color of corn should go, and the decorating crew nails the appropriate colors of corn flat-side to the building.  It's kind of like a giant corn-by-number project!

Check out the magnificent view of The World's Only Corn Palace via the Corn Palace webcam!

Admission

Admission into the Corn Palace is free year-round.

Hours

Memorial Day-Labor Day: 8am-9pm, 7 days a week
April, May, September & October: 8am-5pm, 7 days a week
December-March: 8am-5pm, Monday thru Saturday
Hours are subject to change during special events.

Free guided tours run every half hour from Memorial Day-Labor Day.

Contact Information

Website: www.cornpalace.com
Physical Location: 604 N. Main; Mitchell, SD 57301

For visitor information, buses or group tour information, please contact the Mitchell CVB at 866-273-2676 (CORN) or 605-996-6223 or PO Box 1026; Mitchell, SD 57301.

To book the Corn Palace for an event call: 605-995-8427