Mitchell, South Dakota is home to the only remaining corn palace in America. The building is both a folk art monument to the agricultural heritage of the Great Plains and a functioning civic center for the region. The exterior is covered in dried ears of corn, arranged into thematic designs, and refreshed annually in August. Currently, the walls depict circus scenes and are in great condition having not yet experienced a full winter.

Having been rebuilt several times, the current version of the corn palace is a century old and has hosted premiere entertainers across the generations. Seating no more than several hundred, with a basketball court and a small stage, very little is palatial by current standards even compared to the field house of a small university. But the charm is unmistakable. The interior continues the corn motif, with the stage surrounded by small mosaics depicting community themes. During my visit, the local high school was hosting a team from a visiting town. Slash to the basket, miss, rebound and kick out, hit the three. The contest was well attended for a mid-afternoon tipoff, with flirting teens and beaming grandparents.

A notable difference to Chicago was that nobody was wearing a mask, nobody. The elderly – a large portion of the 100+ person crowd – was unmasked. Moms at the volunteer desk, the concession stand staff, and every person that I saw in the building was unmasked, too Which was starkly different compared to the behaviors required by extensive indoor mask mandates in Chicago at the start of February 2022. Encounters with the unmasked was to be expected, and I had thought about my potential reactions for months prior to the start of my trip, but I was not prepared for the polarity. During the first quarter of the game, I reflected on the situational and behavioral differences in downtown Chicago vs. small town South Dakota. The social standards for masking are so radically different and for causes well beyond the easy answer of politics. The upcoming trip will challenge my habits and opinions in many ways beyond masks. Stay aware, stay open.

Unlike many roadside attractions, the corn palace was not covered in commercial advertisements or merchandise. Shirts and shot glasses are not available. A small concession stand was open, with the attendant recommending the cornball, a local delicacy. 1/3 of the ball as a serving is plenty.

Location: Mitchell Corn Palace, 604 N Main St, Mitchell, SD 57301
Date photographed: 08-Feb-22