How are Corn Mazes Made?

Ramseyer Farms is located in Northeast Ohio between Cleveland, OH and Columbus, OH

Creating a corn maze in Northeast Ohio takes months of careful planning and preparation. The first step for each farmer is to choose the corn mazes' design. Today's technology allows farmers to choose almost any design. Examples of designs include spider webs, hot air balloons, jack-o-lanterns, and those dedicated to important events or anniversaries.

Ramseyer Farms, located between Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, has a tradition of growing two corn mazes each year. The Ohio Corn Maze is a Ramseyer Farms tradition that serves as a tribute to the history of Ohio. The Ohio Corn Maze is designed to be a great family activity and for school children on educational field trips to learn about important and interesting Ohio facts. Ramseyer Farms has made it a priority to be a school field trip friendly activity for teachers by taking the initiative of developing lesson plans and specialized tours for their classes. In addition, Ramseyer Farms has worked with many Northeast Ohio Boy Scout and Girl Scout Clubs to make the corn maze an opportunity to earn new badges. For more information on school field trips, lesson plans and Scout Club activities, click here.

In addition to The Ohio Corn Maze, Ramseyer Farms also designs and creates one Mystery Corn Maize each year. Because Ramseyer Farms focuses on serving Ohio families, school children and both the Boy Scouts and Girl Scout Clubs, the Mystery Corn Maize design is often representative of a current event in Ohio. Past examples include a bee hive, 100 year celebration designs for Wooster and Ohio, and a presidential election design.

Once the Mystery Corn Maize design is selected, it will be drawn out on a graph paper by hand. The farmer will then plant each field with a unique corn variety to maximize the corn mazes' height and stalk strength. Usually, the farmer will plant the corn maze around mid-May in rows going both directions across the field.

Once the corn rows are visible, the farmer will follow the mapped design using twine and stakes in order to cut a precise design into the field. Once the corn is hoed, the farmer only needs to perform basic maintenance on the corn maze to ensure the paths are wide enough and the weeds are under control. When the corn reaches around nine to ten feet, the corn maze is usually opened to the public.