Construction of the Kansas State Capitol Building began in 1866. Although it was in use by the legislature in 1869, it took 37 years and more than $3M to complete. The building is constructed of brown sandstone from the bluffs along Deer Creek in Shawnee County.
The outer copper dome of the Capitol extends approximately 75 feet above the inner dome which is composed of glass panels. There are 296 steps leading from the 5th floor to the top of the dome, which until recently because of restoration, are climbable.
From the ground floor to the top of the dome measures 304 feet, a few feet higher than our nation's capitol in Washington, D.C. In 2002, Richard Bergen's 27 foot statue of a Kansa warrior (named Ad Astra) was placed on top of the dome.
Statues, paintings, and famous murals, including some by John Steuart Curry, add to the beauty of the interior.
