This sweet smell hits you first. Walk into the Corn Palace on a summer afternoon and the air carries hints of dried grain and popcorn. Above your head, turrets rise like something from a fairy tale, but these walls tell a different story. This is America’s only building redecorated annually with food. Every year for 133 years, Mitchell, South Dakota transforms its civic arena into agricultural art using 275,000 ears of corn in 13 different colors.
Why corn decorates this 133-year arena
The Corn Palace started as pure Midwest boosterism in 1892. Settlers needed proof that South Dakota soil could feed families and build fortunes. Local farmers decided to cover a festival hall with their harvest, creating a living advertisement for prairie fertility.
Three buildings have stood here, each larger than the last. The current structure features Moorish turrets and Byzantine domes, an architectural choice that makes perfect sense until you remember this is Great Plains farm country. That contrast defines everything about this place.
Inside the world’s only annually redecorated building
The art changes every fall
Late August brings the redecoration crew. Twenty workers strip last year’s weathered cobs and nail up fresh ones in intricate patterns. Yellow, red, black, blue, brown, white, and calico corn create detailed murals with themes that change annually. Native grasses, straw, and sourdock frame each panel.
A local farmer grows all the corn specifically for the palace. The murals cover the full exterior of this mid-size arena, requiring over $100,000 annually in materials and labor. By June, winter weather has faded the colors slightly, adding a weathered patina that somehow makes the whole thing more authentic.
It’s a working community space
Here’s what surprises visitors most. This isn’t a preserved museum or roadside attraction. The Corn Palace seats 3,250 people for concerts, 2,800 for basketball games. Mitchell High School plays home games beneath corn-decorated walls.
Locals use this space for weddings, business meetings, and family reunions. You might encounter a community gathering where teenagers practice free throws while tourists photograph the exterior murals. That’s the beauty of functional folk art.
Walking through edible architecture
What the corn feels like
The cobs are mounted high above sidewalk level, protected behind railings. Where you can reach them, the texture feels hard and ridged, dried kernels rough under your fingertips. Wind doesn’t rattle these installations. They’re nailed tight to backing boards.
Summer heat intensifies that grain smell, but it’s not overpowering. Think popcorn and dry hay rather than barnyard odors. Winter brings different sensations. Step from 10°F plains wind into the climate-controlled interior and feel that 20-degree temperature jump. The acoustic quality is pure gymnasium, hard surfaces that echo every footstep and conversation.
Small-town proud, not tourist trap
Mitchell residents treat their palace with genuine affection, not embarrassment. During the late-August Corn Palace Festival, Main Street fills with carnival rides and food vendors. Locals emerge for kettle corn and live music, treating visitors like welcome neighbors rather than necessary nuisances.
This authenticity distinguishes the Corn Palace from other roadside attractions. It serves real community functions while celebrating agricultural heritage. Road-trippers often arrive expecting kitsch and discover craftsmanship.
The prairie context matters
Mitchell sits just north of Interstate 90, about 70 miles west of Sioux Falls. The drive takes roughly one hour through rolling farmland that explains everything about this building. Corn grows in every direction. The palace makes visual sense only in this landscape.
Free admission and parking welcome road-trippers exploring the Great Plains. The building anchors downtown Mitchell, surrounded by walkable shops and diners. Nearby attractions include the Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village, extending your stop into a half-day exploration of regional heritage.
Your questions about small historic American towns famous for one unusual architectural oddity answered
When does the new design go up?
Redecoration begins in late August when corn reaches maturity. The 20-worker crew strips old murals gradually, replacing them section by section through September. The palace is never completely bare, maintaining its decorated appearance year-round. Local artists design each year’s theme, commissioned by the city.
Can you go inside year-round?
The Corn Palace offers free daily access with standard photography allowed. Winter visits provide uncrowded exploration, though exterior murals look freshest from September through early summer. High school basketball season brings evening events where tourists can experience the building’s community function.
What’s nearby worth seeing?
The broader I-90 corridor connects multiple Great Plains attractions. Wall Drug lies 280 miles west, Carhenge in Nebraska sits 350 miles southwest. But the Corn Palace differs from pure roadside novelties by maintaining active civic purpose alongside tourist appeal.
Late afternoon light turns the corn mosaics golden while three illuminated domes glow against prairie sky. Main Street quiets except for the distant echo of basketballs bouncing inside America’s most unusual gymnasium.