Skip to main content
State of North Dakota

An official website of the State of North Dakota

Language: English

Automatic translation disclaimer

The State of North Dakota provides automatic translation for nd.gov websites, courtesy of Google Translate. Please remember, though, that the English language version is considered the most accurate. In the event of a disagreement or discrepancy between the translation and the original English version of this web site or any notice or disclaimer, the original version will prevail.

Accept Decline
Office of Management and Budget Logo
 
   
Main Nav Desktop
  • Home
  • Capitol Complex
    • Agency Directory
    • Arboretum Trail
    • Capitol Cafe
    • Events
    • History
    • Nursing Mother's Room
    • Parks and Walking Routes
    • Photo Gallery
    • Planning for the Future
    • Policies and Emergency Plan
    • Schedule Event
    • Schedule Tour
    • Virtual Tour
  • Doing Business with the State
    • Procurement & Vendor Registry
    • Risk Services
    • State Purchasing Card (P-card) Program
    • Surplus Property
  • Team ND Careers
    • Career Classifications
    • Career Openings
    • Culture
    • IDEAA
    • Internships
    • State HR Policies
    • State Employment Verification
    • Student Opportunities
    • Team ND Benefits
    • Temporary Employment
    • Total Rewards Calculator
    • Veterans Preference
    • Welcome to Team ND
  • Financial Transparency
    • ARPA Funding
    • Budget
    • Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports (ACFR)
    • COVID-19/CARES Act Funding Resources
    • Dashboards
    • Fiscal Policies and Guidelines
  • About OMB
    • Biennial Report
    • Contact Us
    • Mission, Vision, Core Values
    • News
    • OMB Careers
    • Staff and Organizational Chart
  • Home
  • Capitol Complex
    • Agency Directory
    • Arboretum Trail
      • Tree and Shrub Donations
    • Capitol Cafe
    • Events
    • History
      • Celebration Photos
      • History Photos
      • President George H. Bush Visits ND Capitol
      • Statues and Monuments
    • Nursing Mother's Room
    • Parks and Walking Routes
    • Photo Gallery
    • Planning for the Future
      • Planning Commission
        • Plaques at the Capitol Complex Plaques at the Capitol Complex
    • Policies and Emergency Plan
      • After Hours Access
      • Alcoholic Beverages
      • Animal Control
      • Bulletin Boards
      • Capitol Complex Public Use
      • Capitol Displays
      • Drones/Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
      • Firearms
      • Freight Dock
      • Lost and Found
      • Memorial Hall During Legislative Session
      • Parking
      • Political Purposes
      • Private Businesses Contacting State Employees
      • Roof Access
      • Skateboarding and Rollerblading
      • Smoking on Capitol Complex
      • Solicitation
      • Tree Planting
      • Vehicles Left Overnight
    • Schedule Event
    • Schedule Tour
    • Virtual Tour
      • Overview and Rough Rider Hall of Fame
      • 1st Floor Elevator Area
      • Memorial Hall
      • Legislative Hall
      • Observation Deck
  • Doing Business with the State
    • Procurement & Vendor Registry
      • Bidding Opportunities
      • Contractual Risk
      • Procurement Laws, Rules, Guidelines
      • Register as Payee
      • Bidders List Registration and Maintenance
      • State Contracts and Cooperative Purchasing
      • State Procurement Online (SPO) Login
      • Suspended and Debarred Bidders
      • Vendor Communication Guidelines
    • Risk Services
      • Certificate of Financial Responsibility Form
      • Vehicle Coverage FAQs
    • State Purchasing Card (P-card) Program
    • Surplus Property
      • Login to Assetworks
      • Resources for Eligible Organizations
  • Team ND Careers
    • Career Classifications
    • Career Openings
      • Applicant Help
      • Grievance Appeal Process
    • Culture
    • IDEAA
    • Internships
    • State HR Policies
      • Merit System
      • The New Workplace - Teleworking
    • State Employment Verification State Employment Verification
    • Student Opportunities
    • Team ND Benefits
    • Temporary Employment
    • Total Rewards Calculator
    • Veterans Preference
    • Welcome to Team ND
  • Financial Transparency
    • ARPA Funding American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
    • Budget
      • Approved State Budget Archive
      • Budget Detail Archive
      • Executive Budget Summary Archive
      • Supplemental Budget Documents Archive
    • Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports (ACFR)
    • COVID-19/CARES Act Funding Resources
    • Dashboards
      • Checkbook
        • How to Use Checkbook Dashboard
      • COVID-19/CARES Act Spending
      • Daily Cash Balance
      • Employee Compensation
        • How to Use Employee Compensation Dashboard
      • Funds
        • How to Use Funds Dashboard
      • Mass Download
      • Monthly Report
      • State Appropriation Reports
        • How to Use State Appropriation Dashboard
      • State Revenues
        • How to Use State Revenues Dashboard
      • Transparency Sources
      • FAQs
      • Glossary
    • Fiscal Policies and Guidelines
  • About OMB
    • Biennial Report
    • Contact Us
    • Mission, Vision, Core Values
    • News
    • OMB Careers
    • Staff and Organizational Chart

Side Navigation

  • Home
  • Capitol Complex
    • Agency Directory
    • Arboretum Trail
      • Tree and Shrub Donations
    • Capitol Cafe
    • Events
    • History
      • Celebration Photos
      • History Photos
      • President George H. Bush Visits ND Capitol
      • Statues and Monuments
    • Nursing Mother's Room
    • Parks and Walking Routes
    • Photo Gallery
    • Planning for the Future
      • Planning Commission
        • Plaques at the Capitol Complex
    • Policies and Emergency Plan
      • After Hours Access
      • Alcoholic Beverages
      • Animal Control
      • Bulletin Boards
      • Capitol Complex Public Use
      • Capitol Displays
      • Drones/Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
      • Firearms
      • Freight Dock
      • Lost and Found
      • Memorial Hall During Legislative Session
      • Parking
      • Political Purposes
      • Private Businesses Contacting State Employees
      • Roof Access
      • Skateboarding and Rollerblading
      • Smoking on Capitol Complex
      • Solicitation
      • Tree Planting
      • Vehicles Left Overnight
    • Schedule Event
    • Schedule Tour
    • Virtual Tour
      • Overview and Rough Rider Hall of Fame
      • 1st Floor Elevator Area
      • Memorial Hall
      • Legislative Hall
      • Observation Deck
  • Doing Business with the State
    • Procurement & Vendor Registry
      • Bidding Opportunities
      • Contractual Risk
      • Procurement Laws, Rules, Guidelines
      • Register as Payee
      • Bidders List Registration and Maintenance
      • State Contracts and Cooperative Purchasing
      • State Procurement Online (SPO) Login
      • Suspended and Debarred Bidders
      • Vendor Communication Guidelines
    • Risk Services
      • Certificate of Financial Responsibility Form
      • Vehicle Coverage FAQs
    • State Purchasing Card (P-card) Program
    • Surplus Property
      • Login to Assetworks
      • Resources for Eligible Organizations
  • Team ND Careers
    • Career Classifications
    • Career Openings
      • Applicant Help
      • Grievance Appeal Process
    • Culture
    • IDEAA
    • Internships
    • State HR Policies
      • Merit System
      • The New Workplace - Teleworking
    • State Employment Verification
    • Student Opportunities
    • Team ND Benefits
    • Temporary Employment
    • Total Rewards Calculator
    • Veterans Preference
    • Welcome to Team ND
  • Financial Transparency
    • ARPA Funding
    • Budget
      • Approved State Budget Archive
      • Budget Detail Archive
      • Executive Budget Summary Archive
      • Supplemental Budget Documents Archive
    • Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports (ACFR)
    • COVID-19/CARES Act Funding Resources
    • Dashboards
      • Checkbook
        • How to Use Checkbook Dashboard
      • COVID-19/CARES Act Spending
      • Daily Cash Balance
      • Employee Compensation
        • How to Use Employee Compensation Dashboard
      • Funds
        • How to Use Funds Dashboard
      • Mass Download
      • Monthly Report
      • State Appropriation Reports
        • How to Use State Appropriation Dashboard
      • State Revenues
        • How to Use State Revenues Dashboard
      • Transparency Sources
      • FAQs
      • Glossary
    • Fiscal Policies and Guidelines
  • About OMB
    • Biennial Report
    • Contact Us
    • Mission, Vision, Core Values
    • News
    • OMB Careers
    • Staff and Organizational Chart
  1. Home
  2. Capitol Complex
  3. History
  4. Celebration Photos

Celebration Photos

Window Displays

December 19, 1934 was the first time the Capitol lights were used to show a design. There was also a star immediately above it, which was built by capitol workmen. It was 16 feet in diameter at the inner circle and contained 120 electric lights. Some of the lights and wiring was loaned by the local electric company because there was no appropriation to buy them. (Source: The Bismarck Tribune, Thursday, December 20, 1934).

History of the Christmas tree window lighting began in the mid 1940s using paper shades to color the north and south window openings. Plastic shades were purchased in the late 1950s and the current colored plastic shades were purchased in 1993. There are a total of 88 shades used to get the Christmas tree on both the north and south side of the building. Each side North and the South has 20 red and 24 green shades to create the tree.

The New Year numbers tradition started in the mid 1970s with lighting the numbers on the north and south sides of the building.  Then in the late 1980s the windows on the east and west sides were illuminated to highlight the New Year.

The south side Capitol windows are also lit on the 4th of July.

On August 16, 2014 the Capitol window reflected North Dakota's125th year of statehood.

ND State Capitol Building December 19, 1934
ND State Capitol Building December 19, 1934-The first Capitol lights design.
Capitol Building windows with Christmas tree
Christmas Tree Lighting-Photo credit: Garry Redmann.
Capitol building 1995
1995-Photo credit: Garry Redmann
Capitol Building 2010
2010-Photo credit: Garry Redmann
Capitol Building with Buffalo statue
2011-Photo credit: Shirley Olgeirson
Capitol building 2012
2012-Photo credit: Shirley Olgeirson
2013 Capitol building
2013-Photo credit: Shirley Olgeirson
Capitol building with 2020 windows
2020-Sakakawea statue in foreground.
Capitol building with fireworks
Independence Day-Photo credit: Clint Fleckenstein.
ND 125 in capitol windows
ND's 125th Birthday-Photo credit: Penny Neumiller.
Men dragging Christmas Tree
Christmas Tree Set Up-Step 1 bring the 20' tree into the building.
Christmas tree laying down
Christmas Tree Set Up-Step 2 get ready to carry the tree up the steps.

Pagination

  • Current page 1
  • Page 2
  • Next page Next ›
  • Last page Last »

Copyright © 2023 State of North Dakota
Office of Management and Budget
600 East Boulevard Avenue | Bismarck, ND 58505
Phone: 701.328.2680 | Contact via email

Footer menu
  • PeopleSoft
  • Budget Development and Tracking System (BDTS)
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Security Policy
  • Contact
Subscribe to News and Alerts
Feedback (+)Provide Website Feedback
Office of Management and Budget Logo