North Dakota State Capitol Building - Bismarck, North Dakota

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Welcome to the North Dakota State Capitol Building & Grounds...
The North Dakota State Capitol Building Tower is often lovingly referred to as "The Skyscraper on the Prairie" although it is only 241 feet 8 inches tall.  Locally, we like to think of it as a "mini skyscraper" because of its sleek form and the fact that it happens to be the tallest manmade structure in the area.  It is popular belief that the Capitol Building Tower is the tallest structure in North Dakota, but that honor belongs to the 2,063 foot tall KVLY TV tower (3 miles west of Blanchard, ND), which also happens to be the tallest manmade structure in the entire World.

The Capitol Building, as you see it now, was completed in 1934, in the midst of the Great Depression. A great fire had leveled the original Capitol building on the night of December 28, 1930. Surrounding the Capitol Building Complex is a beautiful 132 acre park-like area known as the "Capitol Grounds", encompassing statues, memorials, trails, parks, ND State Heritage Center Museum, Liberty Memorial Building, and the ND Governor's Residence.

** Guided Tours of the ND State Capitol, including the 18th floor observation deck, are available on a daily basis. Click Here for more info

Features...
• North Dakota State Capitol Building - a.k.a. "The Skyscraper on the Prairie" - 241 ft. 8 in. tall
• North Dakota Heritage Center Museum - historic exhibits, free admission
• North Dakota State Capitol Grounds - statues, memorials, trails
• North Dakota Governor's Residence
• Arboretum Trail - 75 different species of trees and shrubs
• Prairie Trail - Native prairie grasses and wild flowers
• Capitol Park - playground, basketball court

Statues and Memorials...

• All Veterans Centennial Memorial - Dedicated to all North Dakotans who served in the armed forces during the first 100 years of statehood. Located south of the Heritage Center. Dedicated June 10, 1989.
• Buffalo Statue - Located in front of the Heritage Center. Donated September 12, 1986 by sculptor Bennett Brein.
• "Cortes" Horse Statue - Located on the west mall road, directly south of the Legislative Chambers. Donated July 22, 1994 by sculptor Bennett Brein.
• Fossilized Meta-Sequoia Tree Stumps - Approximately 60 million years old, from Amidon, North Dakota. Located in the Centennial Grove. Donated October 20, 1988.
• French Gratitude Boxcar - This box car transported soldiers in France during WWI and WWII. Donated on February 9, 1949 by the people of France.
• John Burke Statue - John Burke was a ND Legislator, Governor 1907-1913, Supreme Court Justice 1925-1937, and a U.S. Treasurer. Located in front of the Capitol Building Tower. Donated February 15, 1963.
• Peace Officers Memorial - This monument is dedicated to the memory of those Peace Officers who have given their lives in the line of duty. Located east of the Judicial Wing main entrance. Dedicated May 21, 1994.
• Pioneer Family Statue - The Pioneer Family was dedicated to honor the memory of the great northwest. Donated in 1946 by sculptor Avard Fairbanks.
• Pioneers of the Future Statue - Children are our future. Dedicated in 1989.
• Sakakawea Statue - This statue is of the Shoshone Indian "Bird Woman" who in 1805 guided the Lewis and Clark expedition from Missouri River to the Yellowstone River. Located directly north of the Liberty Memorial Building. Donated October 11, 1910 by sculptor Leonard Crunelle.

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