I was born in South Dakota and it is a rite of passage for a Dakotan to make a pilgrimage to the Corn Palace. The exterior is colored with individual kernels of dyed corn. I do not remember much of the interior since I was 4 when I went but the outside left a lasting impression. The size of the building really comes through and it amazes me that it is entirely dedicated to the growing, promotion, and education of corn or maize.
The Corn Palace went through 3 rebuilds, the last one being in 1921. The architecture firm of Rapp and Rapp in Chicago designed the building you see in the picture. The Russian influenced onion shaped domes and Moorish style minarets were added in the 1930s, though I am not sure if by the same architecture firm or someone else. The outside murals are made of corn and the theme of the murals changes from year to year. Apparently in the mid-2000s there was a controversy due to funds awarded to the Corn Palace to upgrade security cameras in preparation for the new, incoming winner of the presidential election of 2008.
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