I visited during their evening ghost tour. The building was lighted with the old lighting, the guides pointed out the imported stone, the Minnesota stone, the photos, changes, carvings, etc in the Capitol. Was great fun and very spooky.
While I love the Minnesota capitol - my most recent visit during the renovation left something to be desired but the tour and tour guide were wonderful.
it's beautiful and grand, I think most of the State capital is similar, yet it's worthwhile to go and take a look, it's free, it seems has guided tour, but need to check the time on it's webpage. think senate chamber is the most beautiful one among the 3 chambers (other 2 are house and court chamber)
The building itself is beautiful. See the legislative chambers and the supreme court. The tours give you a sense of how state government operates.
State capitol buildings are some of the best examples of public architecture we have in this country, and Minnesota's is prettier and more interesting than most. It bears more than a passing resemblance to the U.S. Capitol and to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and when it was built in the early 1900s, it was considered an architectural masterpiece. A public building this impressive would never be built today. The Capitol sits on a hill overlooking downtown St. Paul in one direction, with a view down John Ireland Boulevard to the Cathedral of St. Paul about a half mile away. The attention to artistic detail carries through to the building's interior.The Capitol is under restoration right now, so there are construction barriers all around and many of the interior rooms are closed off. But, you should go anyway. To get the most out of your visit, take one of the free tours. The volunteer guides are excellent.Parking is a little hard to come buy in the Capitol area. On the weekend you can probably find on-street parking nearby, but through the week it will be a little more challenging.
The capitol is under renovation, but it's still worth taking the time for the guided tour. They run every hour.
We are so grateful we arrived too early for a docent led tour and instead self guided. Outside is covered in scaffolding and the electricity on the 2nd floor was out so my husband held the bathroom door ajar so I could see. If you have been to other state capitol you will find this one quite modest with little to see. Plan 1/2 hour and head over to the nearby cathedral.
We loved the architecture of the building and the elegance of the rooms visible to visitors. Unfortunately, the building is under renovation, so there were areas we could not see. I'd advise those interested to check in advance to see whether it's all done. Once finished, it's going to be eye-popping.The staff at the visitor's desk was very helpful in directing us to those areas we could visit. Of special note was the rathskellar on the lower level with its hand-painted German folk sayings The story of those paintings is interesting all by itself.
Every Minnesotan should visit the State Capitol to see its beautiful interiors and Marble facade. Quite an architectural treasure that even out-of-state travelers should not miss.
This has been somewhat of a disappointment showing out of state visitors as we drive around the twin cities. With all the work from the unsightly "light rail" traveling too close and too much construction and building. Now with the new office building going to be built nearby, it's going to make this once beautiful and historic area an eyesore and embarrassment to those of us that use to take our outstate visitors to see. We just drove someone from Texas and a former St. Paul (30 years ago) and were very disappointed in the dirt and mess. It's been going on for too long and will continue to ruin the once beautiful capital approach I knew growing up. So sad