The original Corn Palace dates back to 1892, built to celebrate the region’s rich agricultural roots and attract settlers to the area. The light hits those colorful corn murals differently in the morning, and the whole scene feels quieter and more personal. The Annual Corn Mural Tradition That Never Gets OldEvery year, the Corn Palace gets a complete makeover. A Full-On August CelebrationLate August in Mitchell means one thing above all else: the Corn Palace Festival is on. South Dakota is full of dramatic landscapes and bold landmarks, but the Corn Palace occupies a category entirely its own.