Wisconsin State Capitol

The Wisconsin State Capitol is a Beaux-Arts government building in Madison that reaches 86 meters (282 feet) in height. The central dome borrows design elements from Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome and forms the tallest point of the city skyline.

The current building was completed in 1917 and replaces four earlier capitol structures used since the territorial legislature began in 1836. The previous building had been destroyed in a fire during 1904.

The statue named Wisconsin was designed by Daniel Chester French and holds her right hand raised above her forehead. She embodies the state motto pointing toward the future and emphasizing progress as a central value.

Guided tours through the building show the rotunda and the legislative chambers, allowing visitors to understand how state government functions. The tour lasts about an hour and offers a chance to view the interior spaces up close.

Fossils of starfish, coral, and nautiloid species remain visible in the stone materials of the building and show the geological past of Wisconsin. These remains sit directly in the walls and floors without special marking or display.

Location: Madison

Inception: 1970

Architects: George B. Post

Architectural style: Beaux-Arts

Height: 86 m

Website: http://wisconsin.gov/state/capfacts/tour_select.html

GPS coordinates: 43.07472,-89.38417

Latest update: December 14, 2025 18:18