Don’t look for a dome and don’t look for big grounds; Alaska’s capitol building is one of the few that have neither. That’s because the territory of Alaska had trouble securing funding and land for the building, relying on local residents to provide funding. Completed in 1931, it housed the federal government until statehood in 1959. Today, the large, boxy building—and the location—aren’t popular with locals, but efforts to fund a new building and move the capital to Alaska’s interior have both failed. Start your tour outside; the four front columns were made with marble from near Ketchikan. Inside are two murals of living off the land and ocean in Alaska, which is still a way of life here—many politicians are career fishermen. The second floor houses the senators and representatives; the governor and lieutenant governor sit on the third floor.
Visitors can take a self-guided tour from the lobby, and hours are 7am to 5pm.
