The Corn Palace

One of the best-publicized museums in South Dakota is the Corn Palace in Mitchell. Whenever my husband and I have talked about going to South Dakota, someone invariably asks if we saw the Corn Palace? We did stop on our way to Deadwood for an author-reader event and to do research for my Western novel, Beckett's Brides, which is set in Deadwood. In fact, around half a million people go to the Corn Palace each year.

Built in 1892, the building was meant to be a place where area residents could gather, especially for a harvest festival in the fall. There they could celebrate, meet with friends, and enjoy some entertainment. New palaces were built over the years with the last one being completed in 1921. The Corn Palace Festival is still held in late August of each year to carry on the tradition. Similar ideas made it into my book, Lily, as her family moves to Iowa, a neighboring agricultural state.

Today, the building is used for purposes other than being a tourist attraction and home for the area's fall festival. Events, such as dances, proms, graduations, banquets, meetings, dramas, and basketball tournaments, are also held there. The edifice has been called "a folk-art wonder," and corn murals done by Dakota Wesleyan students help substantiate the claim.

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