Visiting the Nebraska State Capitol: What to See and How Tours Work

The Nebraska State Capitol is the most recognizable building in Lincoln. Its tower is visible across the city, and inside it is a working seat of government: the Legislature, the Supreme Court and the governor's office all operate there. It is also one of the country's notable works of architecture, filled with mosaics, murals and carved inscriptions.

Visiting is free, and guided tours run on most days. This guide covers what to know before you go, how tours work, the spaces worth seeing, and how to watch the Legislature in session. Hours, tour times and building access change, sometimes on short notice, so check the official Capitol website or call the tour office before you visit.

Before you go

The Capitol is at 1445 K Street, between 14th and 16th streets. At the time of writing, the official site listed the building as open daily, with shorter hours on Saturdays, holidays and Sunday afternoons. It is closed on Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

A few practical points:

• Pets are not allowed in the building. Service animals as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act are allowed.
• The Capitol publishes rules and regulations for use of the building, which are worth a look if you are bringing a group or planning an event.
• There is a cafeteria and a gift shop inside.

How the free tours work

Free guided tours begin at the north entrance on the second floor. At the time of writing, tours were scheduled several times a day, with the most options on weekdays and fewer on weekends. Because the schedule can change around legislative activity, holidays and building work, confirm with the tour office before you plan around a specific time. The tour office can be reached at (402) 471-0448.

If you are bringing a school group, the Capitol's website has a separate school tours page; call ahead rather than arriving unannounced with a large group.

The observation deck and Memorial Chamber

The central room of the 14th-floor observation level is the Memorial Chamber, and the observation decks on that level look out over the city. At the time of writing, the official site said the tower and observation decks were closed for HVAC construction. Check the Capitol website for the current status before you go, especially if the view is the main reason for your trip.

What makes the building special

The Capitol was designed by New York architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, chosen in a nationwide competition in 1920. It was built in four phases from 1922 to 1932 and finished for just under its $10 million budget. The Blue Book notes the building was paid for by a special capitol levy and paid off on completion.

Goodhue assembled a team to decorate the building: sculptor Lee Lawrie, tile and mosaic designer Hildreth Meière, and Hartley Burr Alexander, who developed its themes and inscriptions. The Capitol's official history calls it "the nation's first truly vernacular State Capitol," and the first statehouse design to break sharply from the form of the U.S. Capitol by using an office tower.

A few facts to look for:

• The floor plan is a cross within a square, which creates four interior courtyards. The square base measures 437 feet on each side.
• The tower rises 400 feet and is topped by The Sower, a 19-foot bronze figure by Lawrie that represents agriculture.
• The building is clad in Indiana limestone and is a National Historic Landmark.

Spaces to see inside

The building's decoration follows a theme that unfolds as you move from the north entrance inward.

• Vestibule: Its theme is "Gifts of Nature to Man on the Plains."
• Foyer: Its theme is "Life of Man," with three floor mosaics, including "The Spirit of the Soil" and "The Spirit of Vegetation."
• Rotunda: At the crossing of the floor plan, the Rotunda is 112 feet tall. Meière's marble floor mosaic centers on "Earth as the Life-giver," surrounded by symbols of water, fire, air and soil. The dome's eight winged figures represent virtues including temperance, courage, justice and wisdom. Three murals by Kenneth Evett, added in 1956, depict the labors of the hand, the head and the heart.
• Legislative chambers: The two chambers sit in the east and west arms of the cross. The East Chamber was renamed the Warner Legislative Chamber to honor the Warner family. Its doors tell of Native American culture and life, with corn shown as a tree of life, and Meière's ceiling mosaics show daily life of the first cultures of the Plains.
• Supreme Court: The courtroom, where seven justices hear oral arguments, is finished in American walnut and described by the Capitol as acoustically perfect.
• Court of Appeals: Goodhue designed this courtroom, but it went unused until after 1990, when a constitutional amendment created the Nebraska Court of Appeals.
• Governor's Suite: This includes the governor's hearing room and reception area.

Watching the Legislature

Nebraska's Legislature is unicameral, meaning it has one house, and its 49 senators are elected on a nonpartisan basis. According to the Blue Book, the Legislature convenes in January each year. Sessions in odd-numbered years last 90 legislative days, and sessions in even-numbered years last 60 legislative days. Check the Legislature's calendar for floor days.

Visitors can watch from the balcony. The Legislature's posted rules include:

• Be seated and do not lean over the banister or place anything on it.
• Drinks are not allowed in the balcony.
• Photos are allowed, but not with flash.
• Applause and other demonstrations are not allowed.

If you cannot visit in person, sessions are streamed live through Nebraska Public Media.

Parking and accessibility

Parking is limited near the building, so allow time to find a spot.

• One- and two-hour parking is available on the public streets around the Capitol, with longer-term parking in nearby residential blocks. Parking garages are a few blocks' walk away.
• Bike parking is available in the east and south parking lots and on the west side across from the Lincoln Monument on 14th Street.
• Accessible parking stalls are on both sides of the horseshoe drive on the north, K Street side. Sidewalks lead to a ramped accessible entrance under the stair.
• Inside that entrance, an accessible elevator and restrooms are immediately to the right. The elevator reaches the second floor, where you will find the tour office, the governor's office, the Legislature and the courts.
• The tower elevators fit only smaller wheelchairs and are not considered fully accessible.

For accessibility questions, the Capitol directs visitors to call the tour supervisor.

Key takeaways

• The Capitol is free to visit, at 1445 K Street; confirm current hours and closures on the official site.
• Free guided tours start at the north entrance on the second floor; call the tour office to confirm times.
• At the time of writing, the tower and observation decks were closed for HVAC work, so check before you go.
• Look for the Sower atop the 400-foot tower, the Rotunda's mosaic floor and dome, and the chambers' Native American-themed art.
• Watch the 49-member, nonpartisan Legislature from the balcony; no flash, drinks or applause.
• Accessible parking and a ramped entrance are on the north, K Street side.

Sources

• Nebraska State Capitol, Visit
• Nebraska State Capitol, Parking and Accessibility
• Nebraska State Capitol, History of the Nebraska Capitol Building
• Nebraska State Capitol, Building Rooms
• Nebraska State Capitol, Rotunda
• Nebraska State Capitol, East Chamber
• Nebraska Legislature, Visiting the Capitol
• Nebraska Legislature, Nebraska Blue Book 2024 (2025)