Wisconsin State Capitol
The most iconic silhouette in our city's skyline, the Wisconsin State Capitol is the tallest building in Madison — and the dome is one of the largest in the world. The 100+-year-old Capitol building is the focal point of the city, right on the isthmus between lakes Mendota and Monona (you can even see both lakes from the outdoor observation deck). Surrounding this architectural wonder is all the incredible food, art, shopping and things to do in downtown Madison.
Want to take a peek inside? No problem. The Capitol is open to the public seven days a week and guided tours are free. You’ll find beautiful mosaics, towering marble columns and exquisite art inside and out.
Visiting the Capitol
When we say the Capitol is open to the public, we mean it. Strolling through the beautiful rotunda is encouraged to all. It makes for the most visually stunning shortcut from State Street to King Street, the perfect warm-weather break during summer Dane County Farmers' Market days and a favorite warm-up spot while holiday shopping.
In the warmer months, you can get one of the best views of the city from the observation deck, accessible from the sixth floor of the building. Revel in a breathtaking, 365° view of downtown Madison and the surrounding lakes and snap some fantastic pictures. On the inside, you get an incredible vantage point of the rotunda from above.
Guided tours of the Capitol are available daily, year-round except for New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas. Reservations are only required for groups larger than 10 people.
You can stay just steps away from the Capitol (and even score a room with a view) at one of our places to stay near the Capitol Square.>
Capitol History and Facts
- The Wisconsin State Capitol's current design was constructed after a fire in 1904 destroyed a significant portion of the former building's interior.
- "Wisconsin," the statue which stands tall on top of the building, was first gilded in 1914. "Wisconsin" depicts the state's "Forward" motto as a woman holding a globe and an eagle with a badger on her head. She stands 15 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs more than 3 tons.
- Governor Gaylord Nelson, known as the founder of Earth Day, started the Capitol's first tourism information booth in the rotunda in 1959.
- The Capitol was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2001.
- The Capitol dome is the only granite dome in the world and the largest dome by volume in the United States.