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Acorn maze ormaize maze is amaze cut out of acorn field. Corn mazes have become popularagritourism attractions inNorth America, and are a way for farms to generate tourist income. Corn mazes appear in many different designs. Most have a path which goes all around the whole pattern, either to end in the middle or to come back out again, with various false trails diverging from the main path. In the United Kingdom, they are known asmaize mazes, and are especially popular with farms in the east ofEngland.
These mazes are normally combined with other farm attractions of interest to families and day trippers. Some of these attractions includehay rides, apetting zoo, play areas for children, and picnic areas. Each year a few of the mazes are featured in national newspapers and TV.
In the U.S., corn mazes typically are cut down circa the first week of November; in the UK typically in September after children return to school.[citation needed]
Mazes may cover 2–9 acres (0.81–3.64 hectares).[2] Larger mazes can have more design details.[2]
As of January 2023[update], theGuinness World Record for largest temporary corn or crop maze was 65.8 acres (266,000 m2), created by Luc Pelletier inLa Pocatière,Québec,Canada, in October 2022.[3]
In 2012, a maze inLacombe, Alberta, Canada earned the Guinness World Record for the largest scannableQR code on Earth.[2] It was about 29,000 square metres (7.2 acres).[4]
Designs may be simple lines, or they may produce an overall image that can be seen from above. Many are based on artistic designs such as characters frommovies. Some mazes are even created to tell stories or to portray a particular theme. Complex designs include those featuring popular singers,[2] movies,[5] farming themes,[6] patriotic themes,[2] or historical events.[7]
Complex designs may be produced by a specialty company.[2][8]
A large maze may be broken into several sections.[6][2] This allows people to chose a path with the length and complexity that they want.[2][6] For example, a family with small children may want to choose a shorter, simpler portion, and others may want to do multiple sections.[2][6] An unusually large corn maze atStoney Brook Farms in the US, which covers an area of 110 acres (45 ha), has a total of 15 miles (24 km) of pathways.[8]
The designs may be cut earlier in the season, when the corn plants are shorter (about 12 inches (30 cm) tall), or during the summer, when they are taller.[2][9] In other cases, the corn is planted to form the maze, usingGPS mapping technology.[8]
Corn mazes are usually created because they can bring money into a family farm.[6] Some farms also donate a portion of the proceeds to a charity.[5][9]
The first full-size corn maze is believed to have been created inAnnville, Pennsylvania in 1993,[10][unreliable source?] although theLos Angeles Times mentioned the existence of a corn maze at the R&H Ranch, in Lancaster, California, in 1989.[11]
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In order for farmers to create a corn maze they must carefully plan their production, design, and marketing techniques in advance.
