Minnesota’s state capital is St. Paul, which has held the title since Congress created Minnesota Territory in 1849 and remains the seat of the legislature, the governor’s office, and the Minnesota Supreme Court. The city sits in Ramsey County along the Mississippi River and forms the eastern half of the Twin Cities, with roughly 313,000 residents. Statewide decisions, from bills drafted in the Capitol to appeals heard next door at the Minnesota Judicial Center, run through this one square mile of government buildings.
How St. Paul Became the Capital
The federal Organic Act of 1849 created Minnesota Territory and named St. Paul the temporary seat of government until legislators could settle the question themselves.1MNopedia. Minnesota’s First State Capitol The territorial legislature first met in the Central House Hotel in September 1849 and later debated moving the capital to St. Anthony, now part of Minneapolis, before voting to keep it where it was.
On February 7, 1851, lawmakers passed an act creating a Commission of Public Buildings to oversee a permanent capitol, and that same year directed that the buildings “shall be erected at a central point in the Town of St. Paul.”2Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Minnesota Capitols and Other Legislative Session Locations Minnesota reached statehood in 1858, and St. Paul kept the role it had already been given.
What Happens in St. Paul
All three branches of state government work out of the capital. The Capitol houses both chambers of the Minnesota Legislature, a bicameral body made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives whose members are elected directly by voters.3Minnesota House of Representatives. The Legislature as an Institution of State Government The governor’s office operates from the same building, where the executive branch reviews, signs, or vetoes legislation.
The Minnesota Supreme Court sits a short walk away at the Minnesota Judicial Center, 25 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. It is Minnesota’s court of last resort, with original and appellate jurisdiction under the state constitution, and it acts as the final guardian of rights protected by the state and federal constitutions.4Minnesota Judicial Branch. Minnesota Supreme Court More than 100 state agencies, boards, and councils also work out of the Capitol complex.
The State Capitol Building
The current Capitol is the third building to serve the purpose. Architect Cass Gilbert designed it between 1895 and 1905 in a Beaux-Arts style drawing on the U.S. Capitol, the Library of Congress, and the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.5Cass Gilbert Society. Minnesota State Capitol, Saint Paul, MN The exterior pairs Georgia marble with local Minnesota granite.
Its signature feature is the unsupported marble dome, the second largest of its kind in the world after St. Peter’s. Instead of a steel skeleton, concentric masonry rings hold the dome up. Gilbert worked with Norwegian-born structural engineer Gunvald Aus and Rafael Guastavino, who had introduced the Catalan vault technique to America in the late 1880s.5Cass Gilbert Society. Minnesota State Capitol, Saint Paul, MN
Above the dome’s base sits the gilded bronze sculpture group known as the Quadriga, officially titled “Progress of the State,” designed by Daniel Chester French and Edward C. Potter and dedicated in 1906. On May 7, 2016, a 300-ton crane lifted the entire sculpture off the roof so artisans could re-gild it with 30,000 individual sheets of 23-karat gold leaf from Italy. Minnesota’s weather makes that kind of work necessary about every 20 years.6Minnesota Secretary of State. Capitol Restoration
Inside, the building functions as a working art collection. The Senate chamber holds Edwin Blashfield’s “Minnesota: Granary of the World” and “Discoverers and Civilizers Led to the Source of the Mississippi.” The Governor’s Reception Room displays six large history paintings by artists including Douglas Volk, Howard Pyle, and Francis D. Millet. The Supreme Court chamber contains four murals by John La Farge on key moments in the history of law, and the rotunda carries twelve zodiac lunettes by Elmer Garnsey.
The $310 Million Restoration
By the early 2010s, more than a century of use had worn the building down. The legislature approved a four-year restoration, which wrapped up in 2017 with a grand reopening and was the first thorough repair since the Capitol opened in 1905.7Minnesota Department of Administration. Minnesota State Capitol Restoration Completed On Time and Under Budget
Lawmakers allocated $310.17 million in bonding and legacy funds, and the project came in under that number at $301.5 million.7Minnesota Department of Administration. Minnesota State Capitol Restoration Completed On Time and Under Budget Crews overhauled the exterior marble, roof, heating and ventilation, plumbing, electrical wiring, and plaster, restored decorative paintings and fine art, and replaced or repaired exterior windows and French doors. Public space inside the building nearly doubled, to about 40,000 square feet. Minority workers made up nearly 30 percent of the workforce on the project, and women 12.5 percent.
Visiting the Capitol
The Capitol is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. It is closed Sundays.8Minnesota Legislature. Frequently Asked Questions – Visiting the Capitol Free guided tours from the Minnesota Historical Society leave at the top of each hour from the Capitol Information and Tour Center in Room 126. Weekday tours run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and Saturday tours from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. A $5-per-person donation is suggested but not required, and standard tours don’t need reservations.9Minnesota Historical Society. Hours and Admission
Metered parking rings the complex. The Andersen Parking Ramp south of I-35E off Cedar Street and the Centennial Parking Ramp on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard are among the closest. Other metered options include Lot C west of the Senate Building, Lot H and Lot K near the Veterans Service Building on 12th Street, and Ramp F west of the Transportation Building on Rice Street. Ramp F’s first level has electric vehicle charging with a four-hour plug-in limit.10Minnesota.gov. Public Parking
The ground-floor entrance beneath the front steps is wheelchair accessible, and a tunnel system with automatic doors connects the Senate Office Building garage to the Capitol.11Minnesota Historical Society. Accessibility
Following or Participating in Legislative Business
The Minnesota Legislature meets annually. In even-numbered years such as 2026, the two chambers agree on a start date, with a constitutional adjournment deadline of May 18, 2026. The legislature can finish earlier, but cannot meet past the deadline.12Minnesota Legislature. Frequently Asked Questions About the Minnesota Legislature
To testify at a committee hearing, contact the committee’s administrator or legislative assistant to get on the agenda. A day or two of notice is ideal, and same-day sign-ups are sometimes possible if time allows.13Minnesota Legislature. Frequently Asked Questions About the Minnesota Legislature Hearing schedules and staff contact information are on the legislature’s Combined Calendar, or by phone through House Public Information Services at 651-296-2146 or Senate Information at 651-296-0504. Accommodations such as sign language interpreters are available with advance notice.
You don’t need to travel to St. Paul to watch. The House streams floor sessions and committee hearings live, including evening and weekend coverage not carried on broadcast television, with archives going back to 1998 and closed captioning throughout.14Minnesota House of Representatives. Live Web Broadcast of House and Senate Television During session, the local PBS station’s Minnesota Channel also broadcasts coverage on weekdays, generally from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The Capitol Mall and Public Events
The grounds hold more than two dozen monuments and memorials. Military memorials include dedications to Civil War, World War II, Korean, and Vietnam veterans, along with a Special Forces in Laos Memorial dedicated in 2016. Civic monuments honor Governor Floyd B. Olson, Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, civil rights leader Roy Wilkins, and aviator Charles Lindbergh, among others, alongside the Minnesota Woman Suffrage Memorial and the Workers Memorial Garden.15Minnesota.gov. Capitol Area Memorials and Monuments
Holding a public rally or organized event on the grounds requires a permit from the Department of Administration’s Facilities Management Division, submitted at least seven working days ahead. The application needs the organizer’s contact information, the date and time, and the name of the person responsible. Permits can be denied if the event would block emergency vehicle access, overwhelm security, or unreasonably disrupt state operations. Private events and events held solely for commercial advertising are not allowed on Capitol grounds.16Minnesota.gov. Capitol Space Reservation Form