The Capitol buildings of North Dakota and South Dakota couldn’t be more different. One is caught in the 19th century, the state having just restored it to the 1890’s decor in celebration of its centennial. The other embraces wholeheartedly the more contemporary style of the Art Deco Period. The first is filled with tons of Vermont white marble to create a stunning staircase as its showpiece. The other glistens with columns and ceilings of stainless steel and glass chandeliers fashioned to appear like heads of wheat. Spawned as they are from the same seed, the Dakota territory, it’s amazing how dissimilar the two capitals are.

We stopped first in Pierre, the state capital of South Dakota. Minimal security to enter the building was a surprise, and we wandered freely. There had been considerable controversy about where to place the Capitol in the state when the decision to create a separate state of South Dakota was made, and that history was captured in several exhibits. Pierre won hands down due to its central location. Overall, the feeling in the Capitol was a reverence for its history which emanated from the wood paneling and wall coverings, the original roll-top desks, all of which have been restored to their 1890’s state of newness.

The following morning, and 250 miles later, we drove up to a sleek skyscraper (well, the tallest building in Bismarck–18 stories) that looked completely unlike the majority of the Capitols we’ve seen that mimic the architecture of the Capitol in Washington DC. Security was non-existent here, so we perused completely alone the gallery of notable North Dakotans, and then explored the two legislative chambers with just a few other tourists. The modern decor is a beautiful example of contemporary architecture that draws from the importance of North Dakota’s farming and mining industries. I was most impressed that the Governor’s Office was the first door to the right of the front door.