Sever’s Corn Maze 2002-2003
Tuesday, 13th September 2005 by James Turnbull
Please note that some or all of the objects mentioned in this post are no longer visible on Google Earth or Google Maps.
Sever's Corn Maze in Shakopee (outside of Minneapolis) is an annual maze which is apparently the largest in the united states. The Google Maps photo was taken sometime in 2002-2003 when the maze depicted an upside-down map of the world, perhaps because opposite magnetic poles attract? (Maze homepage.)
Thanks: byteCoder, Rich Holmes, Brandon & Dan
I’m guessing this maze photo was taken in 2002 or real early 2003. When you look at the arial shot of the complete maze on their website you can see it says Sever’s Corn Maze at the top (bottom) instead of just Sever’s in the google map data.
Not too far away is Valley Fair, the local amusement park. Ahhhh.. Valley Fair, I miss it!
If you look to the east and a hair north you’ll see Canterbury Downs race track. I work about a mile east of there and if conditions are right (ripe), you are blessed with the aroma of horse manure. God help you if it’s hot — it usually is during the racing season — and you leave your car windows down.
I suspect that the maps is “upside down” because the entry to the maze is from the North, and it’s likely oriented to the expectation of the entrant.
They must have used the same design for two successive years – surely it grows in the spring and is harvested in the autumn? So the Google photo is probably taken in the opposite year to the one of their website. There seems to be a temporary building that’s in a different place in each picture.
I have been in that maze often. It is a hard one to find your way out of!
I can do you one better – it’s taken on a weekday between mid-August and the end of September.
A bit southwest of Shakopee just west of 169 and south of 41, you’ll see the Minnesota Renaissance Festival grounds. To the north of the grounds is the campground for the staff and actors – you see trailers and tents, so the Festival is up and running. To the south you see the empty parking area (the grassland), which means it’s not a weekend.
This maze is no longer visible in Maps.