The Nevada State Capitol is one of the more intimate state capitol buildings in the American West — a modest, well-proportioned sandstone structure built in 1871 that has avoided the fate of many 19th-century capitols (which were either demolished for larger replacements or expanded beyond recognition). The original chambers are still in use for legislative sessions, which means the building functions as a working government building rather than a museum, and that changes how it feels to walk through.
The Capitol is open to visitors during business hours on weekdays when the legislature is not in session. The ground floor exhibits cover Nevada's history from territorial days through statehood, with particular attention to the Comstock Lode and its role in financing the Union during the Civil War. The dome, with its silver-colored sheathing, is best seen from the Capitol grounds and from the surrounding blocks of downtown — it's deliberately unmonumental, which suits a state that has always been more interested in what's underground than what's on top.