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Minnesota State Capitol

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Minnesota State Capitol

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Discover the incredible history, art, and architecture of the Minnesota State Capitol building!
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The Minnesota Historical Society is entrusted with sharing the stories of the Capitol. Designed by Cass Gilbert, who was known for his classical style and pioneering skyscrapers, the Capitol features the second-largest self-supporting marble dome in the world, works by important 19th- and 20th-century artists, and battle flags from the Civil and Spanish-American Wars. Home to Minnesota’s Governor, Supreme Court, Senate and House of Representatives, the Capitol building is an active place of business as well as a state historic site. Please note: Messages posted here will not reach lawmakers or state officials. Please direct comments related to legislation or governance to your representatives. Find your representatives here: https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/get-involved/contact-your-elected-representatives/

10/30/2026

Picture of the Past

In this image the lighting and angle make the Minnesota State Capitol look like it came out of a film noir!

It was photographed in the 1920s, printed as a postcard and someone has made a note on the side:

“Minnesota exposure. Fair Week. 10 Oclock PM”

This label may refer to the Minnesota State Fair since, at the time, the fair had a shorter run.

Image:
State Capitol at night. Approximately 1925. Minnesota Historical Society.

10/28/2026

Autumn is a perfect time to visit the State Capitol and make the climb up to the Quadriga before the temperatures plummet and the snow falls.

If you can’t come by in person here is a puzzle for you!
https://mnhs.info/4dZJig5

10/27/2026

Did you know that some Minnesota counties are older than the state itself?

On October 27, 1849, seven months after becoming a territory, the territorial legislature designated the boundaries of nine counties, several that went as far west as the Missouri River, that would make up Minnesota:

Benton County - Tucked into the curve of the Mississippi River northwest of the Twin Cities, this county was named for Thomas Hart Benton, a Missouri senator who worked for westward expansion and the distribution of land to settlers.

Dakota County - This county originally sat under the curve of the Mississippi and stretched west to the Missouri River with Minneapolis and St. Paul in line with its southern boundary. It was named for the Dakota people who call this region home.

Itasca County - The original county to include Minnesota’s Arrowhead! The word “itasca” was penned by Henry Schoolcraft, the man who set out to find the source of the Mississippi River in 1832. It is a combination of the latin words “veritas” (truth) and “caput” (head). The Ojibwe name for what we call Lake Itasca is “Omushkos”, the word for elk.

Ramsey County - If you took present day Ramsey County, gave it some more width to the west and extended it north to include Mille Lacs Lake you would have the original county area. It was named after Alexander Ramsey, the first Territorial Governor.

Wabasha County - Named after several individuals in a line of Dakota leaders that had great influence among the Mississippi bands. This county used to cover the entire bottom portion of Minnesota Territory between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers above the state of Iowa.

Washington County - Unsurprisingly named for our country’s first president, George Washington, this county sat on the eastern edge of the territory. It extended tall and thin from the confluence of the Mississippi and the St. Croix Rivers to a point slightly north of Lake Mille Lacs.

Three other original counties were stacked on top of each other making up the northwestern portion of the territory. These counties have since been divided up, renamed and do not appear on current maps: Wahnahta County named after a leader of the Yankton Dakota; Mahkahta County which got its name from a Dakota phrase meaning “blue earth”; and Pembina County, derived via the French language from the native words for a bush cranberry.

Image:
Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co. Map of the organized counties of Minnesota. 1850. Minnesota Historical Society.

10/18/2026

The beautiful, six foot tall beaded chandelier which hangs from the center of the dome is one of the most magnificent features of the building.

Made by Mitchell, Vance & Company from New York City and installed just days before the capitol building opened in January 1905, the fixture has about 48,000 glass beads strung on wire around its metal frame and 92 light bulbs inside.

In 2010 it was lowered for cleaning and rewiring. This was the first time since 1979. It is pictured here being assessed for the needed maintenance. You can also see how much dust and grime had accumulated on the glass beads all those years. Recently routine maintenance has been done more frequently.

10/14/2026

Beautiful autumn colors around the Capitol!
Here’s a puzzle for you!
https://mnhs.info/4dyHoTx

10/09/2026

Picture of the Past

Here is a historical peek into the room that has served Minnesota’s top executives for 120 years, the Governor’s office!

When this photo was taken in 1907 the current capitol building had been in use for a year and John Johnson had just been reelected. Johnson was the sixteenth state governor and the first to serve a full term in the new capitol.

On the walls of the office you can see portraits of previous state governors Alexander Ramsey (above the door), Cushman Davis (far left), Knute Nelson (second from left), and John Lind (right). (Those portraits are now on display in the 1st floor corridors). Several original leather armchairs provide seating and a revolving bookcase sits in the corner, full of legislative volumes. Today you can find chairs that were in that office in the Cass Gilbert Room on the third floor.

Image:
Governor’s private apartment, State Capitol. Approximately 1907. Minnesota Historical Society.

10/07/2026

The days are getting shorter, the air is getting brisk, and we feel some history slipping through the foggy mornings. Our Shadows and Spirits tour is coming!

Join a one-hour guided tour of the restored State Capitol through the shadowy rotunda, corridors, and chambers lit with the original early-1900s lighting as history lingers round every corner. Along the way, visitors will encounter historical "spirits" who tell stories of the Capitol's past.

This program is offered October 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, and 24 at 6:30, 7:00, 7:30 and 8:00 each evening. Purchase tickets at https://mnhs.info/4rMIvoh

10/04/2026

We are combining our post today with an in history event!

On October 4, 1862, the 5th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment fought at the Battle of Corinth. It was 18 months after the war had begun and the Confederate army was attempting to take this important railway hub as well as separate two large Union forces in the area.

On the second day of this two day battle, the Fifth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment was led by Lt. Colonel Lucius Hubbard in a pivotal charge that prevented the Confederate efforts. The moment was captured in brush strokes by Edwin Blashfield in his painting “The Fifth Minnesota at Corinth” which hangs in the Anteroom next to the Governor’s Reception Room.

Leading the charge is Col. Hubbard and on the left, towards the back of the group, you can see John Ireland who served as regimental chaplain. He later became archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and directed the construction of the Cathedral of St. Paul which began in 1907.

10/03/2026

On October 3, 1977, Rosalie Wahl became the first woman to sit on the Minnesota Supreme Court when she was appointed by Governor Rudy Perpich. She went on to serve as a Justice for 17 years before retiring in 1994.

Sara Rosalie Erwin was born in Gordon, Kansas in 1924. She was raised by her grandmother and grew up during the Great Depression, sparking a sense of empathy for those in less fortunate situations. While studying sociology at the University of Kansas her world view was expanded and she was introduced to various social justice issues. She graduated and married Ross Wahl in 1946 and they moved to Minnesota together in 1949.

At the age of 38 Rosalie decided to attend the William Mitchell College of Law. She became a public defender and a professor at the college. This work regularly brought her to argue cases in front of the Minnesota Supreme Court and she established a strong record of criminal defense.

Ten years after the completion of her William Mitchell degree she was appointed to the Supreme Court by Governor Perpich upon the departure of Justice Harry MacLaughlin. During the 17 years that she served she wrote 549 opinions for the court and grounded her judicial philosophy in the belief that the court’s duty was to defend those who were underserved. Her work against racial bias, towards gender fairness, and in support of judicial education was impactful. Since her appointment in 1977, 13 other women have been Minnesota Supreme Court Justices. For the last 16 years women have filled the role of Chief Justice and will continue to do so with Justice Theodora Gaïtas succeeding Justice Natalie Hudson after her retirement earlier this week.

Rosalie Wahl retired from the Minnesota Supreme Court in 1994 at the age of 70 (the mandatory retirement age for all justices) and passed away in 2013 at 88 years old.

Images:
1. Drazen, Kathy (photographer). Rosalie E. Wahl. 1978. MNHS.
2. Rosalie Wahl campaign button. 1977-1978. MNHS.
3. Sturdevant, Lori. “Her Honor-Rosalie Wahl and the Minnesota Women’s Movement.” 2014. Minnesota Historical Society Press.

09/27/2026

Some election history for you as we enter into voting season!

On September 27, 1862, the Minnesota Legislature approved a law for the first time that would make it possible for soldiers actively serving in the military to vote in general elections, creating the state’s first absentee ballot process.

The fact that enlisted men would not be able to reach their polling places became a growing concern among citizens as the Civil War entered its second year. During a special session of the Minnesota Legislature in September of 1862, a bill was proposed by Senator Rufus Baldwin detailing a process by which servicemen could submit their ballots; the soldier’s vote.

Election commissioners brought ballots to the field and distributed them amongst the soldiers. Each man would choose which party’s ballot he preferred, fill it out, put it in an envelope and label it with their name, rank and unit. They then brought their envelope back to the commissioner and swore that they were a registered voter. The commissioner endorsed the envelope and mailed it to the soldier’s home district.

On election day, election judges checked the names on the envelopes against the lists of registered voters and if the soldier’s name was on the list his ballot would be placed into the regular ballot box for counting. This process continued through 1865.

Learn more about the importance of the soldier’s vote in this article from the Minnesota History magazine https://mnhs.info/4dR5itj

Images:
1. 1862, 1st Special Session, General Laws of Minnesota, Chapter 1, Section 1. Office of the Revisor of Statutes.
2. Members of the Third Minnesota Infantry Regiment in Nashville Tennessee, 1862. Minnesota Historical Society.
3. State of Minnesota ballot box lid. Not earlier than 1858. Minnesota Historical Society.

Address

75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Saint Paul, MO
55155

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8am - 4:30pm
Friday	8am - 4:30pm
Saturday	10am - 3pm

Telephone

+16512962881

Website

https://www.mnhs.org/capitol?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=yext

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