State Capitols 1-10: A Round Up

 

I am on a mission to spend at least one night in every state and to tour all of the State Capitol buildings.  Now that I've been to 10 of the 50, it's time for the state flags post to move over.  Let's do a round up and ranking!

Tell us how you got into this weird hobby

It started so innocently, I swear.  I just happened to go to Columbus, Ohio, and touring the state capitol was on the list of things that people do there.  Six months later I went to Indianapolis, and naturally ended up going to their capitol.  A few months after that I just happened to go to St. Paul and Madison, and after that I think it was a given that I was going to all of the Capitols.

Part of the credit/blame for this post is an article that Julie sent me from the Knight Life website that ranks all 50 US State Capitols.

How do you set up a tour of a Capitol?

You google it!  Some states have public tours seven days a week, and others have a limited schedule.  Some are drop in and some require reservations.  Nine of the 10 Capitol tours that I've done were free.  State Capitols are public buildings that anyone can visit, but there is generally some level of security in place.

Is it Capital or Capitol?

English is such a strange language isn't it?  A capital is a city, and a capitol is a building.  Each US state has a Capital, which is the city that is the official seat of the state government, and the Capitol is the building where the government meets.  I am uncertain of whether Capital and Capitol should be capitalized.  I think the answer is mostly yes but sometimes it feels weird so I don't do it.

I expect that I will tour the US Capitol at some point, but right now I'm more interested in states.  Also for my friends in the north, my travel plans include going to every province, and I am sure that stopping by all of the Parliamentary buildings will make the list.

What are you going to tell us about these buildings?

Ima give you a few pictures including the exterior of the building and an interior shot of the dome.  Then I will answer these questions

• Overall impressions
• Quality of the tour and if I was the only one taking it
• Did the tour include roof access?
• Does the Capitol have a spirit animal?
• Did the tour guide point out any fossils in the building?  The only reason that I now see fossils every time that I look at old stonework is because a Capitol tour guide pointed them out.  It's definitely been a theme of many of the tours.
• Was the government in session while I was there?
• Were there any protests at the Capitol while I was there?
• Did I buy the t-shirt?  For context, I don't want to have 50 of anything, let alone t-shirts, so if I bought a shirt it was because the capitol really left an impression on me.
• Did I take a goofy photo while I was there?  Although I've posted photos on my Instagram and allowed others to put my face on their blogs, this is the first time that you're seeing me in this space.  I just can't say that I took a goofy photo without showing you that I took a goofy photo.
• Would I live in the capital city and where did I stay
• Where does it rate in the Knight Life rankings?

For the grand finale I'll do some kind of rating and ranking of the Capitols.  Spoiler: there are some that are more impressive than others, but I like them all.

Capitol #1: Columbus, Ohio

Visited October 2023, post here

Let's see it:

Show me the dome!

The other thing that I would like you to know about Ohio's Capitol is that pink is a prominent interior color.  Back in the 1800's pink was considered to be a power color.

Overall: Ohio's Capitol is on the small side, or as I like to say, efficient.  It's my home state and the first Capitol that I ever toured, so it holds a special place in my heart.  In spite of my bias, I would argue that it is impressive and can hold its own with the larger, more ornate capitols.

Quality of the tour: 10/10.  I was the only one on it.

Roof access: no

Spirit animal: not really.  There is a stuffed pigeon from olden days perched on the supreme court building which adjoins the Capitol.

Were any fossils pointed out on the tour: no

Was the government in session: no.  I was there on a Sunday

Were there any protests: no.  The building was practically deserted when I was there.

Did I buy the t-shirt: no

Did I take a goofy photo while I was there: no

Would I live in the Capital City? In a heartbeat!  I've been to CBUS many times and it's a great city.  I stayed in a section of town called German Village in a swanky Airbnb.

Where does it rate in the Knight Life rankings? #30

Capitol # 2: Indianapolis, Indiana

Visited March 2024, post here

Let's see it:

Show me the dome!

I don't know the story behind the Indiana Pork pig, but I like it.

Overall:  Indiana's Capitol building is large and in charge.  I really, really liked it.

Quality of the tour: yeah, there wasn't one.  The way that the website lists the tour times is confusing, and I was not the only one there that day who thought they would be getting a guided tour.

Roof access: no

Spirit animal: no official ones that I know of, but Bison statues are prominent in Indiana.  They are meant to commemorate Indiana's BISON-tennial in 2017.

Were any fossils pointed out on the tour: there was no tour, so no

Was the government in session: no.  I was there on a Saturday.

Were there any protests: no

Did I buy the t-shirt: no

Did I take a goofy photo while I was there: no

Would I live in the Capital City? In a heartbeat!  I spent a decent amount of time in Indianapolis as a young 'un and I adored every minute of my time there in 2024.  I stayed in a hotel downtown within walking distance of the Capitol.

Where does it rate in the Knight Life rankings? #10

Capitol #3: St. Paul, Minnesota

Visited June 2024, post here

Let's see it: 

Show me the dome!

The philosophy behind Minnesota's Capitol is just because we're in Minnesota doesn't mean that we can't have nice things.  The architect was in high demand as a Capitol designer and also gave us the Arkansas and West Virginia buildings.  Minnesota was his home state, and I got a strong sense of home pride.

Overall: not to skew the rankings this early on, but Minnesota is on the short list for Best Capitol ever.

Quality of the tour: 10/10

Roof access: yes!

Spirit animal: it's a bit hard to see in the picture, but there are foxes guarding the roof

 

Let's do a ridiculous zoom in:

Were any fossils pointed out on the tour: no

Was the government in session: no

Were there any protests: no

Did I buy the t-shirt: yes!

Did I take a goofy photo while I was there: yes!  The tour guide offered to take everyone's photos on the roof.

Would I live in the Capital City? Yes!  I'm not as familiar with Minneapolis/St Paul as I am with CBUS and Indianapolis, but I dearly loved it.  I stayed in a fun Airbnb that was a very short walk to the Capitol.

Where does it rate in the Knight Life rankings? #3!!!

Capitol #4: Madison, Wisconsin

Visited June 2024, post here

Let's see it:

Show me the dome!

Wisconsin knows how to do Capitols.

Overall:  Wisconsin really blew me away.  The building is spectacular and the tour was excellent.

Quality of the tour: 100/10.  The tour guide gave the tour almost entirely in dad jokes.

Spirit animal: the badger!  You can't miss him, because he is everywhere.

Roof access: yes

Were any fossils pointed out on the tour: yes!  Wisconsin was the first but not the last state to show off their rocks.

Was the government in session: no

Were there any protests: yes.  There were a few people in the lower rotunda, and the protest was about Israel/Palestine.

Did I buy the t-shirt: no but I never had a chance because the state museum was closed.  

Did I take a goofy photo while I was there: no

Would I live in the Capital City?  Hmm, I'm not necessarily opposed but it wouldn't be my first choice.  Madison is the only Capital that I've visited so far that I did not spend the night in.  Lodging was very expensive, so I stayed at a fantastic Airbnb out in the boonies about 20 minutes away.  Traffic was difficult.  With that said there is a lot of great stuff in Wisconsin and I have friends there, so I would have a good time if I lived there.

Where does it rate in the Knight Life rankings? #20.  I feel that it should rate higher, but I need to see more of the top 19 Capitols to know what should be bumped.

Capitol #5: Charleston, West Virginia

Visited November 2024, post here

Let's see it:

Show me the dome!

For all of its grandeur outside, the WV capitol is a bit plain inside.  The reason is that construction started in the boom of the 20's and finished in entirely different economic times in the 30's.  The interior murals were being painted when I was there in 2024.

Overall: if you've ever driven though WV on I-77, which I have many times, you've seen WV's Capitol.  The gold dome really stands out.  To me this is the definition of what a Capitol building is.

Quality of the tour: mid.  It was very brief, and I was the only one on it.

Roof access: no

Spirit animal: Babydog!  Babydog was the then-first dog of WV, and is represented in the murals.  Her daddy had just been elected to the US Senate, and I wonder if her statue is still in the press room or if she ever comes back to visit.

Were any fossils pointed out on the tour: no

Was the government in session: no

Were there any protests: no

Did I buy the t-shirt: of course!

Did I take a goofy photo while I was there: yep!

Would I live in the Capital City?  Yes!  Charleston is a small town, but I enjoyed my time there.  I was not expecting to like WV at all, and after being there I can't wait to go back.  I stayed in an Airbnb that was a short walk away.

Where does it rate in the Knight Life rankings? #4

Capitol #6: Frankfort, Kentucky

Visited March 2025, post here

Let's see it:

Show me the dome!

Overall: Kentucky was another favorite in the list of favorite Capitols.

Quality of the tour: 10/10.

Roof access: no

Spirit animal? no

Were any fossils pointed out on the tour: no

Was the government in session: yes!

Were there any protests:  yes.  It was to do with cuts to Veteran's benefits.

Did I buy the t-shirt: no

Did I take a goofy photo while I was there: yes

Would I live in the Capital City?  I think so!  Frankfort is a very small town, but it was pleasant to be there.  I stayed about a mile away in an Airbnb in the heart of downtown.

Where does it rate in the Knight Life rankings? #14

Capitol #7: Harrisburg, Pennslyvannia

Visited April 2025, oops did not get around to writing a post

Let's see it:

Show me the dome!

Overall:  PA was lavish upon lavish.  Capitol buildings are not subtle in general but PA really went the extra mile in ornate.

Quality of the tour: I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but if I had to pick a least favorite tour, PA would be it.  The tour was very rushed and I didn't feel that I learned a lot.

Roof access: no

Spirit animal: none that I know of, but this seems like a good place to point out the bawdy statues out front.

Were any fossils pointed out on the tour: no

Was the government in session: no

Were there any protests: no, but there was a prominent display against the governor in a building across the street.  The day after I was there the governor's mansion was burned in an arson attack.

Did I buy the t-shirt: no

Did I take a goofy photo while I was there: no

Would I live in the Capital City?  Nah.  I have nothing specifically against Harrisburg, but my spidey senses made me feel that something was off.  I stayed in an Airbnb across the street from the Capitol and parked my car on the Capitol grounds (in a top secret section of free parking that the Airbnb host told me about).

Where does it rate in the Knight Life rankings? #29

Capitol #8: Annapolis, Maryland

Visited April 2025, oops did not get around to writing a post

Let's see it:

Show me the dome!

Overall: Annapolis gets a special shoutout because it is the oldest continuously operating Capitol building.  It's been in use since 1772, and if you're up to speed on your US history you might remember that we officially became a country in 1776.  It took a while to get the US Government up and running in DC, and while they were looking for their forever home, they often stopped by Maryland to do business.

Quality of the tour: good but not a knock out.  Maryland is the only tour that I've been on so far that wasn't free.  It was $20, which was fine, but on the high side for my typical road trip activities.

Roof access: no

Spirit animal: no.  In its place we'll sub in the acorn at the top of the dome (the thing with a gold top) which is meant to symbolize wisdom.

Were any fossils pointed out on the tour: yes!

Was the government in session: no, I was there on a Saturday.

Were there any protests: no

Did I buy the t-shirt: no

Did I take a goofy photo while I was there: no

Would I live in the Capital City?  Maybe?  I liked Annapolis and enjoyed my visit, but it didn't scream "home".  I stayed in an Airbnb that was pretty close.

Where does it rate in the Knight Life rankings? #39

Capitol #9: Sacramento, California

Visited May 2025, post here

Let's see it: 

Show me the dome!

But wait there's more!  Capitol buildings tend to have nice green spaces outside, but California goes the extra mile with Capitol Park.  40 acres, 800 trees, and there is a separate tour of the park.

Overall:  I may be biased since I was born in CA, but I adored the Capitol.

Quality of the tour: 10/10

Roof access: no

Spirit animal: the bear is everywhere

Were any fossils pointed out on the tour: no

Was the government in session: no

Were there any protests: no

Did I buy the t-shirt: no, but only because I couldn't find one that was exactly what I wanted.  In the end I got a sticker and I'm looking at it right now.

Did I take a goofy photo while I was there: no

Would I live in the Capital City?  Yes!  I liked Sacramento a lot.  A review of the stats shows that the cost of living is similar to where I live.  I stayed in an Airbnb in walking distance.

Where does it rate in the Knight Life rankings? #7.

State Capitol #10: Lansing, Michigan

Visited June 2025, wrote this round up instead of writing a post about it

Let's see it:

Show me the dome!

Show me more of the dome!

Overall: Hey there Michigan!  I was not expecting to be so into you.  You inspired me to reach for the stars.  Also I really liked the glasswork of all the states in the ceilings of the house and senate.

Quality of the tour: 100/10.  There was a kindergarten class on the tour, and the guide took special care of them.  She gave the tour in a way that was at their level and also great for the adults.

Roof access: no

Spirit animal: there was an elk on a chandelier

Were any fossils pointed out on the tour: yes!  The kids were delighted and so were the adults.

Was the government in session: no

Were there any protests: no

Did I buy the t-shirt: no

Did I take a goofy photo while I was there: no

Would I live in the Capital City?  Maybe.  The only thing that threw me about Lansing is that it was deserted.  But the people that I encountered were very nice and the food was great.  I stayed in a hotel that was very close to the Capitol.

Where does it rate in the Knight Life rankings? #25.  The author notes that Michigan is their home state, and I would argue that they have "where I live is nowhere special" bias.

Let's Rate the Capitols

In the opinion of me:

10: Maryland.  Don't get me wrong, I liked it but when I stack it up against the other Capitols it's an easy last place of the ten I've seen so far.  We're definitely last place for the interior dome.  I don't regret spending $20 for the tour, but just sayin' that all of the other tours have been free.  Knight Life ranks it at 39, so definitely toward the back of the pack.

9: Indiana.  Again there is nothing "wrong" with the Capitol, but since there was no tour all that I got was a big ol' building, and pig and bison statues.  Knight Life disagrees with me and ranks it at 10.

8: Pennsylvania.  I was all about the gaudy ornateness, but it was definitely the worst tour.  Knight Life ranks it at 29.

7. Kentucky.  I loved it, but I loved the other Capitols just a little more.  Knight Life ranks it at 14.

6. Michigan.  The stars in the dome and the great tour pushed it up on the list.  Knight Life ranks it at 25, and I suspect that there is some anti-home state bias at work here.  Although it's also in the middle of my list so maybe not.

5. West Virginia.  This was the first Capitol building that I ever noticed, and in my mind every Capitol should have a gold dome.  Knight Life ranks it at 4.

4.  California.  Very fabulous, and bonus points for Capitol Park.  Knight Life ranks it at 7.

3. Ohio.  I know, there might be some home state bias here, but it's my Capitol and it was my first.  And it's pink so my ranking stands.  Knight Life ranks it at 30, but that's because they're from Michigan and Michigan hates Ohio.

2. Wisconsin.  This was such a tough call to put it at 2.  It was by far the best tour, and it has all of the bells and whistles that I look for in a Capitol.  All that the number 2 place means is that the number 1 pick was better.  Knight Life ranks it at 20, and I feel that this should be far higher, but I'll reserve judgement until I see all 50 Capitols.

1. Minnesota!  This was a very close race, and Minnesota only beat Wisconsin by a tiny fraction.  The elegance of the building and the architect's love for his home state are what made it for me.  Knight Life ranks it at #3.

Until next time!  Have you been to any of these buildings or any other state Capitols?