Iowa State Capitol
Historic Site · Des Moines, Iowa
The state capitol in Des Moines, built between 1871 and 1886 to designs by John C. Cochrane and Alfred H. Piquenard, and the only five-domed capitol in the country — one central dome covered in 23-carat gold leaf and four smaller domes at the corners. Inside are an eighty-foot rotunda, a marble grand staircase, Edwin Blashfield's Westward mural, and a Victorian law library of four galleried storeys around a central atrium that is open to the public on weekdays and is the best room in the state.
Grand Avenue and East 12th Street, Des Moines, Iowa, 50319, United States
FREE, with free guided tours and free visitor parking on the grounds. ⚠ IT IS A WORKING SEAT OF GOVERNMENT AND KEEPS STATE BUSINESS HOURS — broadly weekdays, CLOSED AT WEEKENDS and on state holidays, which reverses the usual planning for a Des Moines trip. Access can be restricted without notice during legislative sessions and official ceremonies, so a session day is a worse day to visit rather than a better one. Security screening applies at the entrance. FREE GUIDED TOURS SHOULD BE BOOKED AHEAD — walk-up availability is unreliable and the weekday schedule fills with school groups, especially in spring. ⚠ THE VICTORIAN LAW LIBRARY on the third floor west wing is open to the public on weekdays and can simply be walked into.
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