The Wyoming State Capitol is the sandstone, gold-domed seat of state government in Cheyenne, home to the governor’s office and both chambers of the state legislature since before Wyoming became the forty-fourth state in 1890. The Wyoming Constitution fixes Cheyenne as the permanent seat of government, and the building at 200 West 24th Street has anchored that government ever since. In 1987 it was designated a National Historic Landmark for its direct connection to the women’s suffrage movement.1Wyoming Capitol Square Project. Capitol History
Who Works Inside the Capitol
Five statewide elected officials keep offices in the Capitol: the Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Treasurer, and Superintendent of Public Instruction. Together they also sit as the State Building Commission, which oversees repair, maintenance, and planning for the capitol complex.2Justia Law. Wyoming Statutes 9-5-101 – State Building Commission The House of Representatives and the Senate each have their own chamber in the building.
Wyoming’s constitution calls for a general and budget session in odd-numbered years and an optional budget-only session in even-numbered years. No session can run longer than 40 working days in a single calendar year. During budget sessions, introducing a new bill requires a two-thirds vote of the chamber, which keeps those shorter sessions focused on spending and revenue.
A ceremonial conference room on the south side of the Governor’s Office is used for bill signings and similar events. It occupies the space that originally housed the State Library in 1890 and still shows the restored Corinthian columns and coffered ceilings from the original design.3Wyoming Capitol Square Project. Governors Ceremonial Conference Room
Construction, Sandstone, and the Gold Dome
The Ninth Territorial Legislative Assembly authorized construction in 1886, and ground was broken on September 9 of that year.4Wyoming Administration & Information. Visit the Wyoming State Capitol The initial budget was capped at $150,000, and the design followed the Renaissance Revival style, with symmetry, grand proportions, and classical detailing. The masonry walls from base to parapet are gray sandstone quarried near Rawlins in Carbon County, Wyoming.5Wyoming Capitol Square Project. Sandstone Restoration Efforts on the West Wing of the Capitol
An additional $125,000 funded east and west wings, finished on April 4, 1890, only months before Wyoming’s admission to the union on July 10 of that year.4Wyoming Administration & Information. Visit the Wyoming State Capitol
The dome rises 146 feet from the ground to the tip of the spire.6Wyoming Legislative Service Office. Height Restrictions for Buildings and Structures Surrounding the Capitol It was first gilded with 22-carat gold leaf in 1900 and has been re-gilded several times since. In the most recent restoration, 24-carat gold leaf was applied over a new copper skin, which is why the dome reads so bright against the Cheyenne skyline today.7Wyoming Capitol Square Project. Capitol Dome Gilded in Gold Leaf
Women’s Suffrage and the Landmark Designation
The Capitol received its National Historic Landmark designation on May 4, 1987, for its association with women’s suffrage rather than for architecture. Wyoming’s territorial legislature extended full voting rights to women in 1869, and when Wyoming entered the union in 1890 it became the first state to guarantee women the vote.8Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office. Wyoming State Capitol Building and Grounds National Historic Landmark
That legacy is represented by a bronze statue of Esther Hobart Morris, called the “Mother of Suffrage” and the first female justice of the peace in the United States. The original was presented to Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol in 1960. The Wyoming Legislature funded a replica in 1961, unveiled outside the Capitol in 1963. After the recent renovation, the statue was moved indoors to the newly built Capitol extension.9Wyoming Secretary of State. Wyoming Women of Note – Esther Hobart Morris, The Statue and Her Creator
What to Look For Inside
The rotunda sits at the visual center of the building, rising through the core beneath the dome. Its ceiling is a cathedral stained glass lay light that fills the hall with colored natural light. Local tradition attributes the glass to Tiffany, but it is not Tiffany work.10Wyoming Capitol Square Project. Rotunda The Senate and House chambers each have their own stained glass ceilings, with more than 20,000 individual pieces of glass between the two rooms.
Murals around the building depict ranching, mining, and the work of early settlers. During the renovation they were treated as artifacts, cleaned and preserved rather than repainted.
The Capitol Square Renovation
Much of what visitors see now reflects the Capitol Square Project, the most extensive renovation in the building’s history. It was carried out under a $299 million budget cap, with roughly $116 million going to the Capitol itself; the rest covered the central utility plant, the underground tunnel to the Herschler Building, and the Herschler Building renovation.11Wyoming Capitol Square Project. Budget Nearly 4,000 workers contributed over the course of construction.12Wyoming Capitol Square Project. Wyoming Capitol Square Project
Inside the Capitol, crews replaced old mechanical and electrical systems, added modern fire suppression and life safety infrastructure, and built larger meeting rooms. That invasive work created the chance to restore historic finishes, repair woodwork, refinish marble flooring, and return decorative elements to their 1888 and 1890 appearance. The Capitol portion of the project was completed in mid-2019.13Wyoming Legislature. Capitol Square Project Update
Watching or Testifying Before the Legislature
When the legislature is in session, you can watch floor proceedings from the galleries in both chambers. Most of the substantive debate happens in committee, and Wyoming makes it relatively easy to participate. During a committee hearing, the chairman opens the floor for public comment and recognizes speakers from the testimony table. State your name, address the chairman, and keep your remarks focused.
Virtual testimony is available too. You register online through the “testify” button on the Legislature’s calendar page. For interim committee meetings, registration closes at 5:00 p.m. the day before the topic is scheduled. During regular session, the deadline is generally one hour before the meeting starts, though committee chairs can accept late sign-ups.14Wyoming Legislature. Attending Legislative Meetings
A short handout summarizing your points, with a copy for committee staff, helps. And if a previous speaker already made your argument, you can simply say you agree rather than repeating it. Committees appreciate brevity.
Visiting the Capitol
The Capitol sits at 200 West 24th Street in Cheyenne, with public entry from the south off 24th Street. The building is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and closed on weekends and state holidays.4Wyoming Administration & Information. Visit the Wyoming State Capitol There is no admission fee. Self-guided tours are available anytime the building is open, and informational brochures are available at the garden level.
Three ADA-accessible entrances serve the building: the southeast garden level door, the northwest garden level door, and the north first-floor door. Elevators are in both the east and west wings on every floor.15Wyoming Legislature. Visiting the Capitol