This article outlines 7 reasons why visiting state capitols — both the buildings and the capital cities in which they are located — are an ideal way to see and learn about the United States of America.
State Capitols: 7 Reasons Why They Are An Ideal Way To See the United States of America
Before continuing with this article, the definition of a capital is the city which is the seat of government; whereas a capitol is the actual building itself.
State capitols offer:
- Architecture
- History
- Information
- A way to see how governments are run first hand and in person
- A chance to meet with legislators and other government officials
- An element of tourist attraction
- No admission fee to enter — or, perhaps, a nominal fee at best
For example, the Maryland State House is the oldest state capitol that is in continuous use in the United States. It not only is also home to the Naval Academy of the United States; but the building is where George Washington resigned his military commission, and where the Treaty of Paris was ratified to end the Revolutionary War.
Admire the ornate woodwork and electrical light fixtures of the Supreme Court chamber inside of the state capitol building in Frankfort in Kentucky.
Individuals who have been bestowed the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award and whose portraits are on display in the North Dakota Hall of Fame in the state capitol of North Dakota include Lawrence Welk, Angie Dickinson, and Theodore Roosevelt himself — as well as many other notable people.
Final Boarding Call
A photograph of the state capitol in Vermont is featured at the top of this article; but the state capitol in South Dakota was one of the more impressive state capitol buildings which I have visited.
Although visiting all 50 state capitols has not been a goal of mine — to the point that I have never visited the state capitol buildings of the states in which I have lived — I have visited other state capitols in addition to the ones that are featured in this article. They will be added to this article, which was first published on Sunday, July 5, 2026 and will be published again with new information in the future.
Which state capitols have you visited — and which state capitols would you like to visit?
All photographs ©2021, ©2023, and ©2026 by Brian Cohen.
