Minnesota State Capitol

Release Date: Feb. 7, 2007

March State Capitol Tour Highlights Awe-Inspiring Art

On Saturday, March 10 at 1 p.m., a specially designed tour will showcase how the art, architecture and overall decorative plan work together to make the Minnesota State Capitol one of the premier public buildings in the United States. Participants will view the grand murals, powerful sculptures, exquisite decorations and the restored Rathskeller Café. They’ll also meet a costumed History Player portraying John La Farge, the artist who painted the murals in the Supreme Court Chamber. And they’ll learn about the muralist movement in America in the 1890s-1910s, the period during which the capitol was planned and built, and the allegory and symbolism in public artwork of the era.

Cost for this tour is $7 for adults, $6 for senior citizens and college students, and $4 for children ages 6-17. Reservations are required.

Every Saturday, families and children are invited to go on their own self-guided "Art Treasures Hunt," using a booklet available at the Capitol Information Desk for $2. The booklet will lead them to 12 beautiful and important decorations in the Capitol building, and includes a set of gold stars to mark when an item is discovered. At the end of the hunt visitors are awarded a gold state seal and become Junior Art Historians.

The Capitol is north of downtown St. Paul at 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., accessible from I-94 and I-35E. It is open for free guided tours year-round, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays. The last tour leaves one hour before closing. Reservations are recommended for special events. Call 651-296-2881 for more information.

The Society’s calendar of events is posted on the Internet at events.mnhs.org/calendar. The web site also has information about all of the Society’s programs, museums and historic sites. To request a free guide to museums and historic sites, call 1-800-657-3773.

The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849 to preserve and share Minnesota history. The Society collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs and book publishing.