Now U.S. farmers are adding corn mazes to their farms as a tourist attraction. In celebration of Wisconsin's sesquicentennial in 1998, Andrea Hughes and her brother, Randy, created a 10-acre corn maze on their Janesville family farm. For corn maze expertise, Hughes turned to Adrian Fisher, an Englishman who has created more than 200 mazes worldwide in 17 countries. Fisher partnered with Don Frantz, a designer in the entertainment industry, to launch American Maze Co. in 1993, bringing the commonplace European landscape feature to the United States for the first time.
Corn mazes can be simple or complex.
Hughes now consults with farmers across the country who want to create a corn maze attraction. It's not like exporting grain. She said at least four Wisconsin corn mazes will be running in 2001 in Monroe, Lodi, Pepin and Green Bay. The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay will have a corn maze for the fourth consecutive year, said Frank Madzarevic, director of facilities for the university's athletic department. Baylake Bank of Sturgeon Bay has worked in partnership with UW-GB on the event since 1998.