State Capitol
State Capitol
4.5
Architectural Buildings • Government Buildings
Read more
About
Designed by influential architect Cass Gilbert, this grand building, the highest state capitol dome in the United States, is open to the public for tours and features decadent interior details like marble walls a massive crystal chandelier.
Suggested duration
< 1 hour
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Full view
The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
140 within 5 kms
Attractions
48 within 10 kms
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
525 reviews
Excellent
315
Very good
156
Average
42
Poor
9
Terrible
3
MidwestKathM
Detroit, MI743 contributions
Mar 2023
A visit to the State Capitol is a must when in Charleston! It truly is a beautiful building...worth a walk around the exterior and through the building upstairs as well as the first floor. Recently renovated, the building is stunning! Designed by architect Cass Gilbert (Woolworth Building, Supreme Court Building, Detroit Public Library, among many others), the Capitol dates back to the 1920s. Check out the beautiful marble (three different kinds) throughout the building and the Czech crystal chandelier. Look up at the dome, with its gold leaf! Enjoy the galleries of the official portraits of the many West Virginia governors, including John D. Rockefeller. For parking, use the metered visitor parking lot; note that on-street parking around the capitol is permit only. And don't forget to return for the nighttime view with the capitol dome all lit up!
Written 18 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Harold J
Cape Carteret, NC257 contributions
Aug 2022 • Couples
We have not been inside but we have driven and walked past it a hundred times and it never gets old. The gold dome makes it stand out from any vantage point.
Written 9 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Andrea A
Knoxville, MD99 contributions
Oct 2022
We stopped in for 90 minutes and did a self-tour. Just a beautiful building that words can't describe. Staff were very friendly and helpful. It's a must see for any West Virginian.
Written 17 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Dewayne P
Elizabethtown, KY1,818 contributions
Jul 2022
I will start off by saying parking was not fun. There are metered or pay lots all around, but still not a joy. You enter through the public entrance at the back and can go by the visitor's information booth - but they didn't have any self-guided tour maps. I walked around aimlessly taking in the building and artifacts. They do have guided tours, but I didn't arrive close enough to take one.
Written 14 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
MongoSchwartz
Traverse City, MI642 contributions
Jun 2022
There are many things to like about the capitol. It's gorgeous from the outside, there is nearby free parking, and it's an interesting walk around the building.
Yet the interior of the capitol feels cold and sterile. There are empty spaces within the capitol where it feels it's incomplete, as if something, anything, should have painted to reflect the history of West Virginia.
This doesn't mean you shouldn't visit. It's just odd that the grandeur of the exterior isn't supported by the interior banality.
Yet the interior of the capitol feels cold and sterile. There are empty spaces within the capitol where it feels it's incomplete, as if something, anything, should have painted to reflect the history of West Virginia.
This doesn't mean you shouldn't visit. It's just odd that the grandeur of the exterior isn't supported by the interior banality.
Written 11 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
harryatkck
Kansas City, KS936 contributions
May 2022
My wife & I have visited 48 of the 50 state capitals in the US & this was by far the worst one we have visited. The website states that the capital is open on Sundays. However, it doesn't give any information on where to park or how to enter the building. We happened to be in Charleston on a Sunday afternoon on our way home from the east coast & decided to visit. I dropped my wife (who has a hard time walking) off at the front hoping we could enter close by & I found metered street parking on the east side. When I went back to rejoin my wife, I couldn't find a public entrance, but I happened upon a state employee about to enter via a locked entry & he directed me to towards a public entrance towards the back of the west side. I found the entrance & 2 security guards let us in. But everything except the bathrooms were locked up & there was nobody working there to give s assistance. I did find the tour desk & picked up a booklet titled "West Virginia State Capital Walking Tour & Visitor Information". Inside was a map that showed the capital complex & provided all the information on parking & entering the capital. I wish this brochure has been on the website instead of the useless brochure that is there now. We used the restrooms before we left & my wife told me that the restroom she used was one of the grossest ones she had been in. Bottom line: If you advertise that you are open on Sunday, you need to have a few people there to help visitors. Otherwise don't say that it is open.
Written 2 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Ward D
Satellite Beach, FL2,625 contributions
Nov 2021
This is not only easy to find, it is hard to miss. It is the State Capitol and dominated the skyline along the river. It is the building with the large dome in the middle of the state capitol complex located Kanawha Blvd E. There is street parking and a parking garage off of Greenbrier street. It is a short walk past the Veteran’s memorial and the West Virginia State Museum. I would highly recommend paying your respects to the former and spending a good amount of time visiting the latter. We entered through the West entrance. You go through a security checkpoint and then can go to see both chambers or the various offices of the building. It is a beautiful building in the style of many state capitals. We were lucky to arrive when the crystal light for the central rotunda was at ground level and the chandeliers in both chambers were being replaced. Around the rotunda are several display cases showing sights for the various places in the state. There was an information booth on the north side of the rotunda. If you are new to the area, they can give you ideas of things to do and see for the state. The staff was very friendly and it is a wonderful working capitol building.
Written 7 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
TennisStar602
Florida485 contributions
Nov 2021 • Friends
On a Sunday afternoon, I walked around the grounds of the Capitol building. The grounds had a nice landscape with tons of trees and statues. The Capitol building was also a pleasant site to see from the outside. Yet, the surrounding areas near the Capitol building were a bit rundown and sketchy to me. There was parallel parking near the Capitol building. Interstate 64 was also very close to this vicinity.
Written 8 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
TWB
Cincinnati, OH2,310 contributions
Aug 2021
I've seen the golden dome from the highway several times...finally made it to Charleston with time to see it up close. It would be fun to have a picnic on the lawn. This is such a pretty building and lawn, especially at night.
Written 23 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
dsaxe1114
Cincinnati, OH40 contributions
Jul 2021
I walked around the front of the Capital building and learned from the signs and statues about the building and history. Beautiful location for photos and across the street from a river walk.
Written 19 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Danielle B
37 contributions
Does anyone know if the dome is still under construction? And when it will be finished? Thanks
Gabby
East Islip, NY
How much is a tour?
ThomasTCat
St. Louis, MO713 contributions
It's free and worth seeing, but when we were there in July, it was undergoing renovations and the dome was wrapped up and you could not see the inside of the dome because that area was closed off. There is enough to see with the courtrooms, governors office, etc. that it is still worth visiting. The amazing West Virginia State Museum is right across the street and is also free, and you could spend an entire day wandering around in there and not see everything it has to offer.
SnappleSpice
New York City, NY494 contributions
Do we need pre-booked tickets to do a tour? What is the cost? Is it worth it to do a tour or can we manage on our own?
sunshinegirl36
Indianapolis, IN217 contributions
No tickets needed. Please note we went on a Sunday. The building was empty, no one to answer questions or give any info.-
tswestfa
Point Pleasant, WV
where to park
Bankslover
United States62 contributions
There is a visitors parking lot on the west (?) end of the capital which I is free. (I think)
vickib332
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States58 contributions
We'll be stopping in Charleston overnight on our way from Indiana to North Carolina with an almost 4 year old. Are there things at the Capitol complex for children that age to do or is there something close by that she might enjoy? I know she'll enjoy seeing the statues and rotunda but if anyone has any tips on what we should definitely see nearby, that would be great!
MTravi
Nashville, TN264 contributions
There is a museum in the capitol complex across the way from the capitol building itself that has activities for children. Just ask at the front desk when you go in.
Is that real gold on top of state capital
SMinns
Taylor, MI13 contributions
Yes it is.Though not the original .
Encompassing more than 14 acres of floor space, the Capitol, made of buff limestone, is dominated by a 23-karat gold-leaf dome 293 feet high. The dome is 5 feet higher than the nation�s Capitol and the largest of any state capitol dome in the United States
State Capitol, Charleston
Frequently Asked Questions about State Capitol
- Hotels near State Capitol:
- (0.44 km) Brass Pineapple Inn
- (2.09 km) Sonesta ES Suites Charleston
- (2.66 km) Four Points by Sheraton Charleston
- (9.40 km) Hampton Inn Charleston-Southridge
- (2.82 km) Embassy Suites by Hilton Charleston
- Restaurants near State Capitol:
- (0.00 km) Capitol Food Court
- (0.44 km) Domino's Pizza
- (0.57 km) Tricky Fish
- (0.49 km) 7-Eleven
- (0.59 km) Red Carpet Lounge