How do you make the mazes?
It has taken lots of practice... 16 years of it to be exact! Our very first maze was created with a modified weed whacker that took us three weeks to complete. Thanks goodness it doesn't take nearly that long anymore. Our process starts with a concept, which we plan out path-by-path on a computer. We plant the field of corn as usual and, with a lot of head-scratching and elbow-grease, we cut out the pathways-preferably when the corn is still fairly short. Our particular process is an art form we've tried to perfect over the years, but it primarily comes down to using simple geometry, measurements, and intuition to create the finished image with the pathways. By placing and connecting points in the field that match points on our computer design, we are essentially creating the maze in a way that is similar to a dot-to-dot game on the back of a cereal box!
What happens to the corn after you close?
In most cases, the mazes are created from either field corn or sorghum, rather than the sweet corn most folks eat at their dinner table! Once a farm closes, the crop - what little is often left of it - is typically harvested for cattle or just tilled back into the ground.
How big is the average maze?
There is quite a bit of variety amongst the 260+ mazes we designed around the world this year, with some being as small as 4 acres and some as large as 40! On average, however, the majority of the mazes tend to fall between 8 and 12 acres.
How long does it take to get through the maze?
It all depends on which MAiZE you are visiting and how many wrong turns you take! The average person will finish the maze within one hour, though some have taken a lot longer and a few a bit quicker. For those who are afraid about the time it will take to finish the maze, most farms in our MAiZE family do have helpful maps, interactive games that offer clues on which way to turn once in the maze, or even Corn Cops (a.k.a. friendly staff members) in the maze who can help you find an exit.
Will I get lost?
We hope so! It's designed to be that way. While everyone does get lost to different degrees, we have designed the maze to be an interactive activity that makes a trip inside the maze more than just a walk through some corn. In many cases, our mazes are designed into multiple phases so that you'll have the option at one or two points to exit early or continue on for the full challenge!
How do you make the mazes?
