Alaska State Capitol

The working state capitol of the only US state with no road connection to itself

The Alaska State Capitol is an unusually accessible building for a seat of government. There is no dome and no grand plaza — just a federal-style building from 1929 that sits directly on downtown Juneau's main streets. During legislative session (January through May), you can walk in, take a free guided tour, sit in the gallery and watch the House and Senate at work, and wander the rotunda with its murals and displays of state symbols.

The building was originally constructed as a federal building and post office when Alaska was still a territory, which explains its relatively modest ambitions. It became the state capitol when Alaska achieved statehood in 1959. Free tours depart every half hour on weekdays from the main entrance on Fourth Street.

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Unlike most state capitols, Alaska's has no dome — partly because the building was designed in 1929 as a federal office building, before Alaska was even a state, and partly because a dome would have required pilings through the unstable terrain beneath downtown Juneau. The legislature has debated moving the capital to a road-accessible location for decades, but every ballot measure to do so has failed.