September 29, 2021

MONTANA STATE CAPITOL

1301 East Sixth Avenue, Helena, MT

“The Montana State Capitol is the state capitol of the U.S. state of Montana that houses the Montana State Legislature which is located in the state capital of Helena at 1301 East Sixth Avenue. The building was constructed between 1896 and 1902 with wing-annexes added between 1909 and 1912.” Wikipedia

In my quest to visit as many state capitol buildings as possible I made sure to spend some time in Helena so I could visit Montana’s “building of the people.”

I really don’t have many facts about this capitol because the day I went to tour the building they were out of the guidebooks for the self-guided tour, I was simply told most things are on the first and second floors. So, I set off to explore. The building was built in what I call the traditional center rotunda with two wings design. The first floor appeared to be devoted to the executive branch of the government with the Governor’s office at the end of one hallway extending from the rotunda, and the Secretary of State’s office at the end of the hallway extending in the opposite direction. A grand staircase led to the second floor where I found the Senate chamber, the Old Supreme Court Chamber (which appeared to now be used as a legislative hearing room), but I never found the House of Representative’s Chamber. I’m sure it was somewhere, but without the guidebook I was a little nervous wandering the hallways the winded through the wing opposite the Senate Chamber. There was some art, but without the guidebook I can’t give you much history.

I saw references a couple of times to the capitol being the “building of the people,” and was surprised visitors did not have to pass through security.