Minnesota State Capitol

Stand at the foot of the long lawn and look up. White marble catches the northern light and turns it soft, almost silver. Above the columns, a figure of gold flashes in the sun. If the wind is moving, you may hear flags snapping on their poles and the low hum of traffic on the streets below. This is the Minnesota State Capitol, and it was built to be seen from far away.

Welcome to Saint Paul. This building is the seat of Minnesota's government. The state legislature meets here, the governor keeps an office here, and the state's highest court has its historic chamber inside. But the building is more than an office. It was designed as a statement. At the turn of the twentieth century, Minnesota was a young state with growing wealth from wheat, timber, and iron. Its leaders wanted a capitol that looked as serious as any in the nation.

Here is the first surprise. This is not Minnesota's first capitol. It is the third. The first building burned in 1881. A second capitol went up quickly, but it soon felt too small for a fast-growing state. So the legislature decided to start again, on higher ground, with far bigger ambitions. Work on this building began in the late 1890s, and it opened in 1905.

The architect was Cass Gilbert, a young designer from Saint Paul itself. At the time, he was not yet famous. This building helped make his name. Later in his career, he designed the Woolworth Building in New York and the United States Supreme Court Building in Washington. When you look at this capitol, you are looking at one of his earliest major works, the place where his grand style first took shape.

Now look at the dome. Gilbert took inspiration from Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome, the great church of the Vatican. You can see the family resemblance in the ring of paired columns and the smooth, rising curve. The dome is clad in white marble from Georgia, in the American South. That choice caused real anger at the time. Many Minnesotans wanted local stone. In the end, a compromise came: Minnesota granite was used for the base and the steps, and much of the interior uses stone from the state.

Lift your eyes to the golden sculpture above the main entrance. Four horses pull a chariot, with figures standing inside and beside it. A group of horses like this is called a quadriga — an ancient Roman form, often used to celebrate triumph. Here, it is known as "The Progress of the State." The sculptors were Daniel Chester French, who later made the seated Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial, and Edward Clark Potter, who was known for his horses. The gold leaf has been renewed over the years, so the group still shines across the city.

Step inside, and the temperature of the light changes. The rotunda rises above you, and the space feels cool and quiet. Gilbert used many different kinds of stone in the interior — marbles, granites, and limestones in creams, greens, reds, and greys. Run your eyes over the walls and columns and you will see the colours shift from one surface to the next. Sound carries here. A footstep, a laugh, or a tour guide's voice can drift a long way up toward the dome.

Look down at the floor in the centre of the rotunda. You will find a star set into the stone. It refers to the state motto, "L'Étoile du Nord," which is French for "The Star of the North." The motto is in French because French explorers and fur traders were among the first Europeans in this region. It is a small detail, and many visitors walk straight across it without noticing. Stand beside it and look straight up — the view into the dome is one of the best in the building.

The walls and ceilings carry large painted murals. Gilbert brought in some of the leading American painters of his day, artists who had worked on major public buildings across the country. Their paintings show allegories of law, justice, and civilization, along with scenes from the state's history. Some of these images show Native American people in ways that many people today find one-sided and painful. During the restoration of the 2010s, the state held a public debate about them. Some paintings were moved to other rooms, where they can be shown with more context.

That restoration is the second big story here. By the early twenty-first century, the building needed serious work. Stone was cracking, systems were old, and some spaces had been divided up over the decades. A major restoration ran for several years and finished in 2017. Workers repaired the marble, cleaned the art, updated the building's systems, and brought back many original details. What you see now is closer to Gilbert's original vision than it was for much of the last century.

One of the most charming rooms sits on the lower level. It is the Rathskeller, a café space decorated in the style of a German beer hall. Painted mottos in German run along the walls and ceiling — cheerful sayings about food, drink, and good company. During the First World War, anti-German feeling ran high in the United States, and these mottos were painted over. Decades later, they were uncovered and restored. If the café is open during your visit, it is a pleasant place to pause.

Back outside, turn around and look away from the building. The lawn and the mall stretch toward downtown Saint Paul. Across the way, on its own hill, you can see the large dome of the Cathedral of Saint Paul. The two domes face each other like old neighbours — one for the state, one for the church. Around the grounds, you will find memorials to veterans and to Minnesotans who served in many conflicts. Walking among them, the mood becomes quieter.

Before you go, take one more look at the façade. Notice how the white stone looks different now than it did when you arrived. On a bright day, it can look almost blinding. Under cloud, it turns pale grey. At dusk, the lights come on and the dome glows against the sky. As you walk down the steps, listen for the wind across the open lawn, and look back once at the golden horses. They have been driving toward the city for more than a century.