At a glance

Architect

Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue

Built

1922–1932

Style

Art Deco / Beaux-Arts

Height

400 ft (122 m)

Location

Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

Status

National Historic Landmark (1976)

Function

State legislature, executive and judicial offices

Overview

The Nebraska State Capitol is the seat of government of Nebraska and home to the country’s only unicameral state legislature. Unlike any other state capitol, its design centers on a vertical tower rather than a horizontal dome, giving Lincoln a distinctive skyline feature visible for miles across the Great Plains. The building houses the governor’s office, the Supreme Court of Nebraska, and the Legislative Chamber. Its grounds, designed by Ernst H. Herminghaus in 1932, complete the ensemble with formal landscaping and monumental sculpture.

History

Nebraska’s third state capitol replaced two earlier structures on the same site. In 1919, the state commissioned Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue following a national competition. Construction began in 1922 and proceeded in phases while state government continued to operate inside the building. The final Indiana limestone facade and bronze fittings were completed in 1932 at a cost of approximately $9.8 million — paid entirely without debt, as state law required. Goodhue died in 1924 before the project was finished; collaborators Hartley Burr Alexander and sculptor Lee Lawrie completed his vision, adding an extensive programme of mosaics, reliefs, and inscriptions celebrating Nebraska’s history and democratic ideals.

Architecture & Design

Goodhue’s design synthesizes Art Deco verticality with Beaux-Arts planning and medieval symbolism. The building is organized as a Greek cross plan beneath the central tower, with four symmetrical wings. The 400-foot tower — the first of its kind on any American state capitol — tapers toward a gilded dome crowned by sculptor Lee Lawrie’s bronze Sower figure. Interior surfaces are covered in mosaic tile designed by Hildreth Meière, depicting Nebraska’s natural history, agriculture, and the life of indigenous peoples. The exterior limestone is carved with Art Deco friezes mixing geometric abstraction with figurative reliefs. The Legislative Chamber, known as the George W. Norris Chamber, seats 49 senators in a single chamber — the unicameral model unique in the United States.

Cultural significance

The Nebraska State Capitol is widely considered a masterpiece of American civic architecture and one of the finest examples of the Art Deco style applied to a public building. It challenged the inherited neoclassical model of state capitols and demonstrated that democracy could be expressed through modern verticality and regional symbolism. The building’s iconographic programme — celebrating the land, the farmer, and self-governance — reflects the Progressive Era ideals of its patrons. It has influenced generations of architects and continues to function as an active seat of government, making it a rare example of monumental architecture that remains fully alive to its original purpose.

Visiting today

The Nebraska State Capitol is open to visitors free of charge, Monday through Friday and on weekends. Self-guided and guided tours are available and take visitors through the Legislative Chamber, the rotunda, and to the observation deck at the base of the tower. The mosaic floors and mural-covered ceilings are the highlights of any interior visit. The grounds are accessible year-round. The capitol is located in downtown Lincoln, within walking distance of the University of Nebraska campus and the Sheldon Museum of Art.

Getting there

The Nebraska State Capitol is located at 1445 K Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68509, in the heart of downtown. Lincoln is served by Lincoln Airport (LNK) with connections through Denver and Chicago. By car, Lincoln is on Interstate 80 approximately 55 miles southwest of Omaha. City bus routes serve the downtown area. Parking is available in nearby garages on the surrounding blocks. The building is wheelchair accessible via multiple entrances.