The Arizona State Capitol sits at 1700 West Washington Street in Phoenix and serves as the seat of state government.1Arizona Legislature. Location – Arizona Legislature The original 1901 building is now a free public museum, and the governor’s office and both legislative chambers occupy separate buildings across the surrounding complex. Phoenix has been Arizona’s capital since 1889, and the site remains where laws are written, the governor works, and the public can watch state government up close.
The Original 1901 Capitol Building
The oldest building in the complex is the architectural centerpiece. Its copper dome is topped by Winged Victory, a 17-foot, 600-pound statue that also works as a weathervane, holding a torch in one hand and a wreath in the other.2Arizona State Library. Winged Victory The copper dome itself is a nod to Arizona’s mining heritage; the state was one of the country’s largest copper producers when the building went up.
The building no longer hosts sessions or executive offices. Under Arizona law, the original 1898 statehouse area is formally designated as the state capitol museum, with the Arizona Legislative Council responsible for its maintenance and operation.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 41-1304.05 – Architect of the Capitol; State Capitol Building Areas and Other Facilities; Jurisdiction; Maintenance; Definition Exhibits cover Arizona’s political history, the territorial era, and the path to statehood. Admission is free, and self-guided tours let you set your own pace.4Arizona State Library. Arizona Capitol Museum
The Rest of the Capitol Complex
The complex has grown well beyond the original building, and different structures now handle different branches of government.
The Executive Tower, at the same 1700 West Washington Street address, houses the governor’s office and other executive branch agencies. Members of the public can enter after passing through security and checking in with the lobby receptionist.5Arizona Governor’s Office on Aging and Adult Administration. Capitol Executive Tower Visitors Parking Attached to the original capitol are the 1919 wing and the 1938 justice addition, now jointly called the legislative services wing.
The House of Representatives and the Senate each occupy their own separate wing. State law puts the House wing and its parking under the control of the Speaker of the House, and the Senate wing and its parking under the control of the Senate President, so each chamber manages its own space independently.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 41-1304.05 – Architect of the Capitol; State Capitol Building Areas and Other Facilities; Jurisdiction; Maintenance; Definition
Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza
Directly east of the capitol is Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, an open park with roughly 30 monuments and memorials. It’s named after Wesley Bolin, the Arizona governor who died in office in 1978. Among the most visited features are components from the USS Arizona, including the ship’s anchor, signal mast, and a 14-inch gun, dedicated on December 7, 1976. Other memorials honor veterans of World War I, the Korean War, Desert Storm, and the Battle of the Bulge, along with monuments to the Bill of Rights, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Arizona pioneer women.
The Arizona Legislative Council manages the plaza and handles requests for special events on the grounds. Rallies, demonstrations, and other public assemblies require a request submitted to the Legislative Council by email, and Arizona Administrative Code requires written permission before state buildings or grounds are used for any special event.6Arizona Department of Administration. Special Events
Planning a Visit
The capitol museum is open on weekdays and is free to enter.4Arizona State Library. Arizona Capitol Museum To watch a floor session or committee hearing in person, check the legislature’s online calendar for scheduled times and room assignments before you go. Hearing schedules shift often, especially during the legislative session that typically runs from January into the spring.
Security screening is required at building entrances. Expect metal detectors and bag checks. Arizona state and local government buildings can prohibit firearms on the premises, and visitors asked to leave or secure a weapon must comply or risk a trespassing charge. Visitor parking near the complex has a two-hour time limit unless otherwise posted.7Arizona Legislature. Capitol Mall Parking Map If you’d rather observe than testify, the public galleries in the House and Senate chambers are open during sessions without any advance registration.
Weighing In Without Traveling to Phoenix
You don’t have to be at the capitol to participate. Arizona’s Request to Speak program lets you register your position on a bill and leave written comments for committee members online.8Arizona Legislature. Request to Speak The system replaced the paper sign-in slips people used to fill out at committee hearings.9Arizona Legislature. Arizona Legislature Committee members can see the full list of people who’ve requested to speak on a bill along with any comments submitted.
If you do plan to testify in person at a committee hearing, using the Request to Speak portal ahead of time is the standard way to get on the list. The system is accessible through the legislature’s website, and an online manual is available if you have trouble registering.
How Phoenix Became the Capital
Arizona’s capital moved four times before settling in Phoenix. Tucson briefly served as the Confederate territorial capital in 1862. When the U.S. government organized Arizona as a territory in 1864, it named Prescott the capital, and the legislature relocated to Tucson in 1867, then back to Prescott in 1879. Phoenix won the designation in 1889, when the Territorial Legislature moved there and held sessions at city hall while a permanent capitol was built.
That permanent building opened in 1901.10Arizona State Library. Arizona Capitol Building – History and Architecture Arizona became the 48th state on February 14, 1912, and Governor George W.P. Hunt delivered his inaugural address at the capitol that same day. The building has anchored state government ever since, with the surrounding complex expanding around it.