1890 Corn Palace

The biggest palace yet, the 1890 Corn Palace featured a 200-foot main tower and six 100-foot towers. A huge dome, built as part of the largest tower, formed a giant globe with various countries mapped with grains of corn. Of course, Iowa faced front and center with Sioux City most prominently displayed.

One of the inside highlights, according to the Sioux City Journal, was a miniature valley, "and from far distant mountains clothed in pines came a stream of water, leaping over rocks, winding across a meadow, and falling into a lake below where palmettos were growing." The palace also had an auditorium that seated 1,200 people.

The Festival of 1890 had all of the usual parades, bands, balls, fireworks and celebrations. Now there was even a "Corn Palace Hymn".

Arise! Proud palace of the western plain.
Clad in thy gilded garbs of golden grain.
A fairer temple than the king of old,
Arrayed in precious pearls and gems of gold.