At Belvedere Plantation in Fredericksburg, Va., mixed in with the corn stalks, pumpkins and hay was a healthy dose of space.

Belvedere is one of seven farms across the U.S. taking part in a project called Space Farm - a collaboration between NASA and members of MAiZE Inc., A Utah-based company that helps farmers design and create mazes. The organization creates mazes each year, and this time decided to spotlight NASA.

At Belvedere, a vast crop of corn stalks was transformed into an 8-acre (32,375 square meter) maze in the shape of NASA's Mercury rocket. Though the rocket design is only visible from the sky, it was clear that the farm had been transformed into something out of this world. An astronaut made out of bales of hay welcomed families into the maze and Star Wars-themed music and scarecrows dressed in flight suits rounded out the "spacey" corn maze experience.

Staffers from NASA's Langley Research Center, the National Institute of Aerospace and from NASA Johnson brought the educational component. Families could visit the NASA tent where there were interactive exhibits, games, get their picture taken with an astronaut, make a corn rocket, touch a moon rock and explore the Drive to Explore, trailer - which offered visitors the full NASA story experience via multimedia.

NASA staffers entertained and educated hundreds the weekend of October 15-16.

Credit: NASA/Sean Smith