Recent Restorations Bring New Light to Michigan's Historic Capitol Building

LANSING — A yearlong restoration project of the Michigan State Capitol's interior dome and rotunda has revealed the remarkable craftsmanship and clever deception that went into building Michigan's most iconic government building.

The recent work, completed in 2025, focused on the interior dome and rotunda, which feature several pieces of iconic artwork. The project also included replacing the rotunda's glass floor tiles, which had been installed in 2025.

But the true surprises lie beneath the current surfaces. While visitors might assume the Michigan State Capitol is built with rich walnut woodwork and elegant marble columns, the building is actually constructed from much more modest materials painted to look like the real thing.

Painted to Look Like the Real Thing

Construction began on the Capitol building in 1872 when materials like marble and walnut were too costly for the state to afford. Instead, inexpensive materials like pine, plaster, pressed tin and cast iron were painted to mimic real marble and walnut.

More than 9 acres of walls, ceilings, woodwork and columns were painted by hand. The marble columns are actually painted cast iron, and the walnut woodwork is painted pine, representing an example of painted decorative arts of the Victorian era.

The building's style incorporates motifs from classical Greek and Roman architecture, often termed Renaissance Revival or Neoclassical. Above the building is a distinctive cast iron dome. The building also features Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns both inside and out.

A National Historic Landmark

The Capitol was dedicated on January 1, 1879, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1992. The building has undergone two major restoration projects since its completion.

The legislature funded an extensive historical restoration from 1989 to 1992, which removed half floors, drop ceilings and layers upon layers of paint. This allowed historians and artisans to recreate the original designs by Elijah E. Myers, who designed the building as a model for most statehouses built in the United States during the Golden Age of capitol construction after the Civil War.

More recently, the Michigan State Capitol underwent another restoration project from 2010 to 2014. This second restoration also focused on preserving and restoring the building's original features while addressing modern needs.

Tours Continue to Showcase Historic Architecture

Guided tours of the Capitol remain available Monday through Friday. Tours begin at the top of every hour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are also guided tours on the first Saturday of the month. Tours start on the hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Groups between 10 and 45 people need to schedule tours in advance. Groups of less than 10 do not need to schedule a tour but can call in advance to check availability.

The Michigan Capitol is open to visitors year-round from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, as well as 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. the first Saturday of each month. The building is closed on Michigan's state holidays except for Election Day.

The Building's Design Was Inspired by Washington

The design for Michigan's State Capitol building was inspired by the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Architect Elijah E. Myers was one of the first to take inspiration from the remodeled U.S. Capitol, and his design became a model for most statehouses built in the United States during the Golden Age of capitol construction after the Civil War.

The design for Michigan established the domed capitol as a national symbol. The building is located at 100 N. Capitol Ave. in downtown Lansing.

Planning a Visit

The best time to visit is Monday through Friday during regular operating hours. Street parking is available on the streets surrounding the Capitol, with the closest parking near the entrances on Capitol Avenue and Ottawa Street.

For more information, visit the Michigan State Capitol website at capitol.michigan.gov.

Sources

  • https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2026/03/18/michigan-state-capitol-lansing-usa-250-most-treasured-views/88862485007/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_State_Capitol