It took 37 years (1866-1903) to build this stately Neoclassical Renaissance structure, and 13 years (2001-2014) to complete a recent renovation. Enter on the north and stop at a visitor center desk to pick up a self-guided tour brochure or learn about guided tours and dome tours (up the 296 steps to the dome). Of major interest in one of the nation's most beautiful state capitols are the stunning murals by John Steuart Curry Lumen Martin Winter, and David Overmyer. The most famous is Curry's "Tragic Prelude" featuring a fierce John Brown holding a Bible in one hand and a rifle in the other. Among other impressive features are the Pete Felten stone sculptures of four famous Kansans in the second-floor rotunda, the majestic stained-glass dome, the marble walls and floors, and the brass and copper staircases. If the legislative chambers are not occupied, step inside to admire the ornamentation that dates to the late 1880s. Standing atop the capitol dome is Richard Bergen's 22-foot-tall bronze sculpture of a Kaw Indian pointing his drawn bow toward the North Star.  (NRHP) (8 Wonders of Kansas  Architecture)