Minnesota State Capitol

Another architectural and artistic treasure located in the Midwest in St. Paul, Minnesota, the twin city of Minneapolis. I think the pictures speak for themselves while also not doing justice to the sights inside and around this state Capitol. Gorgeous and (nearly) breathtaking! I wish we had more time for a tour and were able to learn some history about the building. Next time we're here, we will. This is a must-see!

I was recently waiting for the light to change in Saint Paul. I was admiring the Minnesota State Capitol from afar. Frankly, I have been doing a lot of it within the last two years, either from the Cathedral of Saint Paul or the Minnesota Historical Center. When I moved to Rochester, MN, I made the drive up to Saint Paul to check out the Minnesota State Capitol. I did a self-guided tour. Sort of. I was with a friend who was knowledgeable about U.S. politics and the country's history.You also have the option of joining a guided tour that starts at the top of each hour and takes roughly 45 minutes to complete. I feel that I need to do a guided tour and get a refresher session down.It's free admission. Tours are free. However, it is helpful to donate some money towards the upkeep of this gorgeous structure.I remember this building having the second-largest self-supported marble dome in the world. It went through a bunch of renovations over the years, so I'm curious to see how things have changed since I was last here.I recall seeing and admiring a number of busts on the main floor. The Hubert H. Humphrey's bust was the first one that stood out. He was a Senator before becoming the Vice-President of the U.S. The old Metrodome where the Minnesota Twins played was named after him.The other bust that stood out was Reverend Martin Luther King Junior's. He was a civil rights leader for the people. It was nice to see that the busts at this State Capitol weren't strictly of past leaders who were from or worked in Minnesota.Back then, I remember parking steps away from the Capitol building. These days, there is a lot of construction and parking lots in the vicinity that are closed. There is street parking and parking ramps in the area, but I don't know how much they cost these days.I do need to revisit this building. I had a good experience the first time that I hope that my next visit is equally as nice.(401)

The Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul is a stunning structure. Majestically resting on a hill and just blocks away from the St. Paul Cathedral. Both are connected by parkland and boulevards that gives the area a grandeur that any major city would be envious of.The interior is even more stunning than the facade, with a giant rotunda that is covered in murals and gold leaf patterns and natural lighting that is truly awe inspiring. The interiors of the Senate, House and Supreme Court chambers are also impressive. I currently have a co-worker in Kansas City that is a cousin of State Senator Fong Hawj, the highest ranking elected Hmong-American in the nation. Finding his desk in the Senate chamber and getting a photo was a great pleasure that I could share with my coworker. The visit to the Governor's reception area is very cool for a photo op and just knowing that Governor Walz is currently campaigning for vice-president adds to the allure for me. A must see in the Twin Cities for any history, political or architectural junkies. I am sorry that I couldn't convince my wife to take the guided tour which allowed access to higher levels and the roof, next time she gets dropped off at a shopping center when visiting historical sites.

We were visiting from California and Minnesota State Capitol was on our list to visit and explore and wow is a historical building since the 1900 and inside it's breathtaking.We got the tour and learned about it and we were able to see some rooms, decors and also the gold horses on the top of the building. It's so beautiful inside with so much history that I recommend it to everyone if you visit Minnesota. Parking was cheap I think we paid $2.00 for 2hrs in the parking meters, very easy to use.

Beautiful state capitol - highly recommend visit. Built in 1905 with recent $310M renovation. Here's a few highlights: the quadriga a chariot pulled by four horses sculpture. The rotunda floor large marble star representing the North Star State on the first floor. Civil war paintings. Senate and House chambers. Rathskeller basement. Public spaces and exhibits on the third floor. Tours are offered for free weekdays and Saturdays - visit online to confirm hours. There's a visitors parking lot located within two blocks.

It's definitely one of the more elaborate and ornate capitals in the country complete with gold painted ceilings. I do wonder if that is the best use of my tax dollars. It's open to the public free of charge with the exception of a couple of rooms. I happened to arrive on a day where the House Clerk was giving tours which was fun. The Clerk was friendly and welcoming.

While many state capitols have this basic exterior shape, it's what's on the inside that usually differentiates the top half from the bottom half of state Capitol buildings. There is an impressive collection of busts, painted murals and even a domed ceiling that really seals the deal.

I sent them a bunch of mail recently. I called them The Capitol Letters.A truly spectacular Capitol Building towering over St Paul Minnesota and one of my favourites actually. Looks great from any angle (like my d***) and kind of looks brand-new in some ways. Has some gold around the white, which gives it a little distinctive flavour from some of the others. After all, the famous son Prince had an album and song called Gold. And all that glitters is definitely not Gary.

Beautiful historic capital with rally's and events daily. Lots going on in every corner, democracy at it's finest.Art and hand sculpted stone and wood at every corner and history everywhere you look.Go for a day, meet your legislators or take a tour it's not to miss!

While visiting St. Paul last month, my husband and I visited the state capitol on a Thursday. We arrived around 12:40 pm and waited for the 1 pm tour (tours begin right in front of the guest services). If you come early for your tour, consider walking around and taking a few photos in the rotunda. Tours are available every hour (until 2 pm Monday- Saturday and until 3 pm on Sundays) and last about 45 minutes. I would highly encourage checking out one of the free tours (although donations are graciously accepted) because not only do you get to learn some brief history of the capitol, but you also get the opportunity to see The Quadriga (the chariot with the 4 horses on top of the capitol that is covered in gold). It is only on a tour that you would be able to see it. During our tour, I want to highlight a few interesting things in this review. In the Governor's Reception Room, there are 2 paintings that are missing and placed in another place in the capitol (upstairs on the 3rd floor in room 321). These paintings have been removed due to the controversy that they are causing. One of the paintings (Father Hennepin Discovering The Falls Of St Anthony) is of a priest with a group of Native Americans. There is a woman who is wearing a garment only covering the lower half of her body, exposing her breast. The other painting (Treaty of Traverse des Sioux) is of a treaty signing that is supposed to signify harmony and unity. However many Native Americans view this as promoting the theft of their ancestral land. Also in this room is a special painting (The Battle Of Nashville by Howard Pyle) in which it is the one and only painting showing a shredded American flag during battle time. This particular painter tried to replicate the exact battle field through photos and interviews of actual soldiers on that day. Many people were upset to see the American flag shredded instead of a full size flag, waving in all of its glory. But the painter had argued that he painted the flag like that to honor the 300 soldiers that fought on that battle field that day, as that was how the flag was described to look like and did not want to dishonor those brave men (as that was one of the deadliest day for the Minnesota soldiers fighting in the Civil War). On this tour, we were led to the senate and house chambers (or supreme court), from the 2nd floor. From here, this is where the public is actually invited to come for meetings (when they occur). The artwork is just gorgeous, especially with all of the gold coloring. At the end of tour, we were taken up to the top, at the bottom of the state capitol dome outside to get a closer view of The Quadriga. The 4 horses are supposed to represent the 4 elements of nature of earth, wind, fire and water. The 2 female figures are supposed to be the ones to control the forces of nature. One is supposed to be agriculture and the other is supposed to be industry. Together, the 2 ladies represent civilization. The charioteer is supposed to be prosperity. The pineapple on the hub of the chariot wheels are supposed to be represent hospitality. Being that the chariot is facing forward, it is supposed to depict the future progress of Minnesota, thus this sculpture is called "Progress of the State". History is pretty cool isn't it? There are other interesting facts shared on this tour and wished there were more, but 45 minutes just barely scratches the surface. I thoroughly enjoyed this tour but do want to mention that part of the tour does require a good amount of walking. But there are elevators in case you have trouble walking flights of stairs. However, there is no elevator available to view the golden Quadriaga sculpture. After our tour, we headed down to the basement because our tour guide suggested checking out the vaulted ceilings and original limestone on the walls. There is a dining hall in the basement, however it was closed during our visit. Overall, I really enjoyed our visit, especially the history of Minnesota and what was unique specifically to the capitol.