Diamond Jubilee: State Capitol, Minnesota

St Paul was sliced up by downtown interstate highways like many cities in the 1960s and 70s, but luckily I-94 cuts through the city in a trough and does not mar the view looking from downtown toward the state house. Minnesota's capitol stands very proudly on a hill overlooking city and river - for me, one of the most impressive placements of a state house I have ever seen.

The mall in front of the capitol fans out toward the river and holds a lot of monuments and memorials. I was impressed, but as I was on a "forced march" that day, there wasn't time to appreciate that mall and its memorials as much as I wished.

Peace Officers Memorial (police)

Minnesota Workers Memorial Garden

Knute Nelson. Minnesota's first foreign-born governor (as a child with his mother)

John Johnson. First governor born in state.

I entered the building and roamed around freely. I love that about most state capitols - the ease of access for the public. As with the others, I noted no expense was spared on the building details.

July 2021

The views from the capitol steps over St Paul and the Mississippi were wonderful. I admired that St Paul had purposely created a mall beneath its legislature (sadly requiring demolition of part of the city), so the state house would have a symbolically powerful position. The mall has been the state's primary location for celebration, protest, and grief.

From the steps, off to the right, lies another grand, domed building, almost in competition with the building on whose steps I stood. I descended and walked quickly toward the Cathedral of St Paul.