The North Dakota state capitol building is one of only 5 state capitols without a neo-classical dome. The others are in Nebraska, Louisiana, Oregon, and Alaska). It was built in an Art Deco style in the 1930s in just four years and on a tight budget due to the Depression. At 241 feet tall it is still the tallest building in North Dakota and we could see for miles and miles from its 18th floor observation deck. It’s not a pretty building from the outside but has some beautiful features inside and the state pays tribute to famous North Dakotans in “The Rough Rider Hall of Fame”.
Skyscraper on the Prairie
When fire claimed the ol' dome in ’30,
North Dakota chose to build up high.
Two hundred forty-one feet of Art Deco steel,
A skyscraper piercing prairie sky.
One of five capitols nationwide
That dared to break tradition’s dome.
Twenty-one stories of limestone grace
Where all three branches make their home.
Angie Dickenson, Lawrence Welk, and Peggy Lee
on display in Rough Rider Hall.
Athletes, aviators, authors, and more
proclaim their fame upon this wall.
From the eighteenth floor, the view extends
O'er twenty miles of golden grain.
While below, the Missouri winds its way
Through this vast and endless plain.
No dome crowns this prairie tower,
Just clean lines that reach the blue.
A testament to those who dreamed
Of North Dakota bold and new.
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Near the capitol are various monuments and the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum, which is free and worth a visit as well.
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I wish I could tell you how many of the capitols we’ve seen now that we’ve been to all 50 states, but I’ve never counted them up. I know we haven’t seen them all as we didn’t start going to them at the beginning of our travels and even when we were aiming to see them, some were just too difficult to get to in the RV. Downtown parking can be challenging in certain locations.
As we work towards a slower pace in our travels, maybe I will count them at some point!
