CJ

I haven't heard anybod mention the Corn Palace -- but I've heard of it. Yes, it's supposed to be really bad, tacky, etc. In fact, that's why my husband wants to go. He does not "like" these places, but we've developed a thing for them. We've been to nearly every one of the spots mentioned in this thread -- and get a huge laugh from them. We go for a "tour of tacky" kind of thing, NOT because we're expecting to be impressed.

So, anyway...one more item we want to add to our quirky list is the Corn Palace. Can any of you upper Mid-westerners, or travelers to the area, chime in on it's glories/horrors????

sharon

I was there on a family trip almost 20 years ago (wow! Where did the years go?).

I was a teenager, so I cannot say I enjoyed the corn palace. But it did make my sister and me laugh for a good day or more. To this day, we can get a good belly laugh going when we talk about this part of the trip.

We were very well traveled - Thailand, Honduras, Ethiopia... and the Corn Palace. You get the idea...

I guess what I am saying is that, yes, I think it will fit your description of what you are looking for.

Hope this helps.

Patrick

I almost hate to admit it, but yes, I went. We were driving near by so why not. Actually I thought it was interesting. It only takes a few moments to see the front of the entire building done as a mosaic in corn -- and it was sort of amazing -- like a giant Junior High School art project! Just a little diversion on a long and boring road -- and isn't Wall Drug on that same boring route?

bj

I have not been there in several years but it was ALWAYS a stop on the way to the Black Hills for us. Its really kind of interesting, the exterior decorated only with seeds, grasses etc. Tacky is probably not the term I'd use to describe the corn palace although they put up a tourist mall across the street that IS tacky.
Real tacky is Wall Drugs but we always used to stop there too. Its a testiment to advertising but did have an excellent selection of western art.

John

I've stopped there a couple of times, one of them in the company of some visiting English friends on their first trip to the US. I love the place, and they thought it was a highlight of their cross-country driving tour (Chicago to Seattle.) It followed our passing the Jolly Green Giant (all 150' or so of him) in Minnesota. The Corn Palace is a hoot - it reminds me of the Rose Parade, where all the floats must be covered exclusively with organic materials. The Corn Palace would be the granddaddy of Rose Parade floats, if it only had wheels and could fit down Colorado Blvd.

Crossing South Dakota is my favorite part of cross country drives - the prairie and Corn Palace, the jaw-dropping first view of the Missouri River, Badlands NP (most under-rated national park IMO), Mt. Rushmore, Deadwood and the Black Hills, especially the cemetery in Deadwood with Wild Bill and Calamity Jane buried next to each other, and the "Chaput" mortuary (say it like "k") at the bottom... what's not to love?

I also think Wall Drug is a hoot; my 12 year old kept looking for jackalopes for hours after stopping there.

CF

Wow! You guys really opened up the old memory vault today! I had almost forgotten all about the Corn Palace. I visited there when I was about 12 years old. At the time I thought it was way cool, but then anything that got my dad to stop driving was way cool...(He was one of those 600 miles a day or bust kind of travelers.)

the see you

The only Corn Palace I've seen is my toilet, after a night of buttered popcorn.

cornpone

choco baby.

jpm

Going to Yellowstone a few years back with my mother. She insisted we stop at the Corn Palace as she had been there in the early sixties. I'm glad we did as it is a real piece of Americana.

Stop, walk around, snap a picture, and go on your way. It only takes a few minutes.