We stopped to visit the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota on our way to the Badlands. It appears on all the lists of interesting places to stop; it is billed as the world’s only corn palace.
Two local women told me the building was on the National Register of Historic Places. The exterior of the building is covered entirely in corn cobs, which are grown specifically for this purpose. Each year they put up new panels of murals made from different colored corn cobs. This year’s theme honors famous South Dakotans.
The Palace is more than a tourist trap. The local colleges play their basketball games at the Corn Palace. In September, for example, the Palace will host ,the Mitchell High School Cheer and Dance Invitational, a South Dakota Democratic Party Rally, a Community Access Resources Rally, and a variety of other events.
The Corn Palace draws a lot of tourists, but for me, it was all about the community it continues to serve. I am so glad we made the stop.
Thanks for tuning in.
Margaret
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