Minnesota State Capitol open to public for 1st time since beginning of pandemic

Minnesota State Capitol reopens to public ahead of special session

The Minnesota State Capitol is reopening to the public for the first time since the early days of the pandemic as lawmakers prepare to head back to St. Paul for a special session on Monday.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota State Capitol will start welcoming visitors once again on Thursday. It had been closed since the early days of the pandemic.

Thursday’s reopening comes just one week after the fence around the capitol was fully removed. It was installed in response to the riots following the death of George Floyd and was even beefed up for the trial of Derek Chauvin.

The building has been closed since last March, but starting Thursday people will once again be able to reserve space inside the capitol for meetings and events.

The capitol will be open to the public between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. Weekend hours will resume at a later date.

For now, there will not be guided tours. They're expected to resume later this summer. But the information desk on the capitol's first floor will be open, offering help for self-guided tours.

State lawmakers will return to the capitol on Monday for a special session.