State House

State House Review

A self-guided tour of the neoclassical, gilt-domed statehouse, built in 1819, is a real treat. You get total access to the House and Senate galleries. This is the oldest capitol building in the nation in which the legislature uses its original chambers. In January through June you can watch the assemblies in action once a week: the 24 senators of the New Hampshire Senate (the fourth-smallest American lawmaking body) meet once a week. In a wild inversion, the state's representatives number 400—one representative per 3,000 residents, a ratio that is a world record. At the visitor center you'll see paraphernalia from decades of presidential primaries.