Corn Palace facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Corn Palace |
|
|---|---|
The Corn Palace exterior in 2020
|
|
| General information | |
| Type | Multi-purpose arena/facility |
| Address | 604 North Main Street, Mitchell, South Dakota, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 43°42′53″N 98°01′34″W / 43.714644°N 98.026019°W |
| Current tenants | Mitchell HS Kernels (SDHSAA Basketball) Dakota Wesleyan University Tigers (NAIA Basketball) |
| Groundbreaking | 1891-92 |
| Completed | 1921 (dome and minarets added in 1937) |
| Owner | City of Mitchell |
| Management | City of Mitchell |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 26.2 m (86 ft) (flagpole) |
| Roof | 20.7 m (68 ft) (dome) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 2 |
| Floor area | 4,042.2 m2 (43,510 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Rapp & Rapp |
| Other information | |
| Seating capacity | Basketball: 3,200 Concerts: 3,250 |
The Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota, USA, is a special building. It's often called The World's Only Corn Palace because it's so unique! This amazing building looks like something from a fairy tale, with its Moorish style. But the coolest part is its decoration. The outside is covered in crop art, made from different colors of corn and other grains.
Every year, artists create a brand new design for the building. This makes the Corn Palace a very popular place to visit. About 500,000 people come to see it each year! The Corn Palace is also a busy place for the community. It hosts concerts, sports games, and other fun events.
Contents
Fun Events at the Corn Palace
The Corn Palace is a hub for many exciting events.
- The Corn Palace Festival is a big city celebration. It used to happen in September during harvest time. Now, it takes place at the end of August.
- In July, you can catch the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo.
- The Corn Palace Polka Festival happens in September.
- It's also the home court for two basketball teams: the Dakota Wesleyan University Tigers and the Mitchell High School Kernels.
History of the Corn Palace
In the late 1800s, many towns in the Great Plains built "crop palaces." These buildings showed off the rich soil and crops of the area. They helped towns attract new settlers. Many such palaces were built, but only the Mitchell Corn Palace remains today.
Building the First Corn Palace
The first Mitchell Corn Palace was built in 1892. It was called "The Corn Belt Exposition." Its goal was to show how fertile South Dakota's land was. It was a wooden castle on Main Street. The land for it was given by Louis Beckwith.
Changes and Updates Over Time
The Corn Palace has been rebuilt several times.
- In 1905, the city rebuilt it. This was part of an effort to make Mitchell the state capital. However, Pierre remained the capital.
- In 1921, the Corn Palace was rebuilt again. This time, architects Rapp and Rapp from Chicago designed it.
- In 1937, the building got its famous look. Russian-style onion domes and Moorish minarets were added. These gave the Palace its unique appearance.
Modern Updates and Security
In 2004, the Corn Palace received money for security. This funding came from the Department of Homeland Security. It helped pay for a camera system. This system was useful for important visits, like when Barack Obama came in 2008. It also helped protect a new statue of Cornelius, the Corn Palace mascot. This statue sits across from the Palace.
In 2015, the domes of the Palace were fixed. They had shaken in strong winds. The new towers are made of special architectural metals.
How Corn Murals Are Made
The outside of the Corn Palace gets a fresh look every year. Local artists create new designs for the corn murals.
Artists and Their Designs
Many talented artists have designed the murals:
- From 1948 to 1971, Oscar Howe, a Native American artist, created the panels.
- Calvin Schultz designed the murals from 1977 to 2002.
- Cherie Ramsdell was the designer from 2003 to 2017.
- In 2006, no new mural was made due to a very dry year.
- Since 2018, students from Dakota Wesleyan University have created the designs.
It costs about $175,000 each time the Palace is redecorated.
The "Corn-by-Numbers" Technique
Local farmers grow twelve natural shades of corn for the artwork. Artists draw their designs, which are then put onto black tar paper. This paper has codes that match the corn colors. It's like a "corn-by-numbers" pattern! This pattern shows where each colored corn cob should be nailed. Workers split corn cobs in half lengthwise. Then, they nail them to the building. They use about 1.5 million nails and 325,000 ears of corn!
Past Corn Palace Designs
Here are some of the amazing designs that have decorated the Corn Palace over the years:
-
1964 - South Dakota Scenes
-
2000 - Millennium Corn
-
2003 - Scenic South Dakota
-
2004 - Lewis & Clark
-
2005 - Life on the Farm
-
2008 - Everyday Heroes
-
2011 - American Pride
-
2016 - Rock of Ages
-
2020 - South Dakota Home Grown
