Corn mazes

Visitors trek through a corn maze at Richardson Farm in Spring Grove, Illinois. Every year about 65,000 people visit the maze, which the owners say is the most detailed and complicated pedestrian puzzle in the world.

By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan

For the past 13 years the Richardson family has created mazes on their 28-acre corn farm. The family comes up with a theme, and it's passed along to a maze expert from Idaho, Shawn Stolworthy, who comes to town with a tractor, a GPS, and a vision.

A tractor cuts through rows of sterile corn, which is softer than normal corn -- a good thing, because the Richardsons say some patrons like to throw ears at each other.

Referring to the pattern on a computer as a guide, a tractor driver cuts the corn maze in the spring, when the corn stalks are short and stubby.

By the fall the un-felled corn stalks have risen as high as an elephant's eye -- making navigation of the maze difficult for anyone under NBA height.

An aerial view of the Richardsons' 2013 corn maze.

Every season has a theme, and this year it's The Beatles ... John, Paul, George and Ringo embedded in the field 50 years after their American debut.

Visitors are provided with a map (left). We're told by informed sources that navigating Paul's ear can be especially tricky.

One dad points the way while navigating the Richardson Farm corn maze.

Aerial Shots by Lee/Courtesy of Richardson's Adventure Farm

Left: Aerial views of past corn mazes at the Richardson Farm. In 2005 and 2007 the maze honored Da Bears of nearby Chicago.

Visitors reach a checkpoint within the Richardson Farm corn maze.

An aerial view of the Richardson Farm's 2001 corn maze.

In 2003, one hundred years after the Wright Brothers took flight, thr Richardson Farm's corn maze celebrated aviation history.

A five-acre maze from 2007, when the University of Illinois decided to retire its Chief logo. "We received permission to use the logo in a maze as a tribute to the long-standing tradition of the Chief," said George Richardson, who (along with four siblings) is a U of I graduate.

A 2008 Election Year corn maze at Richardson Farm.

This corn maze in 2004 honored explorers Lewis & Clark.

Girl Scouts corn maze — Courtesy of Richardson's Adventure Farm

In 2012 the Girls Scouts were paid tribute.

The maze has been here for 13 years, and in all that time the Richardson family says they've never really lost anyone permanently inside here -- at least not yet.

A "Sunday Morning" corn maze pattern.

For more info:
Richardson Farm Experience, Spring Grove, Ill.

By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan

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