Historic government building serving as the seat of Alaska’s legislature, featuring unique architecture and public access to legislative chambers and exhibits.
General Information
Closed weekends and state holidays
Free guided tours offered seasonally (typically May–September)
How to Get There
From downtown Juneau (0 mi): Located in the city center near the cruise docks, easily reachable on foot.
Overview
The Alaska State Capitol is the building that hosts the Alaska Legislature and the offices of the Governor of Alaska and Lieutenant Governor of Alaska. Located in the state's capital, Juneau, the building was opened on February 14, 1931, as a federal building. After Alaska gained statehood, the building became home to the Alaska Legislature and has retained the function ever since.
The building is six stories high and made from brick-faced reinforced concrete, with a facade of Indiana limestone on the first two floors. The portico has four columns made of Tokeen marble from Prince of Wales Island, which is also used for interior trim. Because it lacks the large landscaped grounds of most state capitols, it could appear to be simply an office building. It is one of only eleven state capitols that do not feature a dome.
The lobby features clay murals titled Harvest of the Land and Harvest of the Sea, representing hunting and fishing, as well as a bust of Alaska Native activist Elizabeth Peratrovich. Offices and committee rooms fill the ground and first floors.
The second floor houses the chambers of the Alaska Senate and Alaska House of Representatives, as well as committee rooms. The walls feature the work of early Juneau photographers Lloyd Winter and Percy Pond, and busts of the first two U.S. senators from Alaska, Bob Bartlett and Ernest Gruening.
The Alaska Governor and Lieutenant Governor's offices are located on the third floor. The executive office doors are made of black birch, with hand carvings depicting Alaskan industry. The "Hall of Governors" features portraits of governors and lieutenant governors of Alaska from the District of Alaska era to the present.
More legislative offices and committee rooms occupy the fourth floor. The fifth floor holds legislative finance committees.
Many areas of the building have been restored to their original 1930s appearance, especially on the second and fifth floors—the latter originally had federal courtrooms.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Alaska State Capitol", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
