CORN PALACE, MITCHELL, SD

In 2006 when we were planning our trip north a friend of our son’s, Heather, said we absolutely had to go see the Corn Palace, and so we did.  We were fascinated by the art work on the building both then and now.

The art work is unique for two reasons:

11.     It changes from year to year with a different theme.

22.     It is all done with corn, grasses and grains that are individually placed on the murals.

So naturally we had to go back to see what the 2016 theme was and how they had interpreted it.  “Rock of Ages” was the theme.  When you view the photos I think you will be able to recognize all the artists they saluted.

The very first salute was an unexpected one when we went to park in a parking lot nearby.  We have never seen such a parking spot in all our travels, but felt honored for Gary to be able to park there in a choice parking spot due to his Viet Nam service.

The inside of the Corn Palace also has corn, grass and grain murals, as well as a lot of historical information with photos of all the murals from days gone by.  Even the pillars in the lobby are tiled to look like corn.

The Corn Palace is not just a showplace for the unique artwork it possesses, it is an arena where live performances and basketball take place.  I am not a sports fan so I can’t tell you the exact name of the team that was playing that night, but I did like their spirit equipment.  I’m thinking it is probably the Vikings, but then what do I know.

I do know they had several big name stars scheduled to do live performances throughout the remaining part of the year.

A little research on my part shows that the 2017 theme for the Corn Palace is not changing from 2016.  They will replace the grasses used, but not the full murals.  This was decided in May of 2016.

So if you wanted to see Willie and Elvis last year you still have the opportunity to.