How a corn maze is made

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – It’s something we all have questioned at least once this time of year, how do they cut the maze inside the corn? With the stalks very high it must be difficult, but truthfully it’s more about proper planning than anything else.

Scott Waterman and his mother, Carol, own both Waterman’s Farm off I-465 and Hanna Haunted Acres. October is a big month for them and their corn mazes are known by fans around central Indiana.

The small maze on the Waterman main farm is made for the kids and the big maze is made to scare the pants off the adults at Hanna Haunted Acres. Scott says it’s much easier to make the maze than you would think. He cuts it with a lawnmower when the corn is only a few inches high.

“Try to cut it when its little bitty, it’s a whole lot easier,” said Waterman. “I can see the whole thing. I can see where I’ve cut, I can see where my other paths are, I can see through the whole thing. I have accidentally cut it when it’s this high, not quite this high, but then you got to have other people, so you can see so you don’t cut into other trails and stay out of your other ones.” 

Waterman also says that although they do harvest the corn, they care more about the maze. They also cut it a few times before the end of the summer and at the beginning of fall so it’s ready for guests. 

If you’d like to visit both locations, click here and here for information.