After falling into disrepair, the structure was restored in 1928 and today it serves as a history museum operated by the Kansas Historical Society and supported through The Partners of the First Territorial Capitol.

A 2.8-acre (1.1 ha) site on which the building stands was provided to the Kansas Historical Society through a revocable license from the War Department in 1928.

[2] It is separated from the river by a grove of trees, and Union Pacific Railroad lines run parallel to the building close to its north side.

[a] Dissatisfied with the location and the condition of the building, they were determined (even before their arrival) to relocate to Shawnee Mission, where they would be closer to the Missouri constituents who illegally elected most of them.

On July 3, Territorial Governor Andrew Reeder gave an address,[9] during which the only remaining free-stater stood up and denounced his acts and those of his own colleagues.

[10] According to a 1928 address by Charles M. Harger, heated debate in the first days of the capitol included the phrases, "justice for all," "Southern rights," "The flag and the Constitution," and heard for the first time were pleas for "Kansas, the brightest star of all".

[11] On July 4, the legislators passed their bill to move to Shawnee Mission, and quickly overrode the governor's veto of the measure.

[13] Governor Reeder had announced in April, 1855, his intention to call the legislators to convene in Pawnee, at which time construction rapidly took place around town, including of the capitol.

The builders even worked through day and night on the Sunday before the session to complete the project, but this added to the disgust of the legislators, as Pawnee was a community that recognized the Sabbath.

When Pawnee was ordered destroyed and its land reincorporated into Fort Riley, the first floor became home to the commissary department.

In 1926, Governor Ben Paulen asked the legislature to help the preservation effort, and state Senator G. W. Schmidt introduced a bill appropriating $1,000 (~$13,785 in 2023) for this cause.

Union Pacific President Carl R. Gray wanted a formal presentation of the site to the State of Kansas, and the company planned and paid for a grand celebration.

Fort Riley personnel performed military ceremonies and music, while Native Americans held tribal dances.

A flag was raised over the capitol that had previously flown over the Memorial Building in Topeka at the close of the Great War, while Governor Paulen was given a 20-gun salute[b] and reviewed National Guard troops.

A mock legislative session was held, called together by State House Speaker D. M. Hamilton, and all attending lawmakers were clad in 1850s period attire.

[25] The structure was christened on August 1 with a speech by Union Pacific Solicitor General Nelson H. Loomis, who said those who congregated there that day, "...dedicate this restored captitol building as a memorial to the brave and patriotic men and women [who laid the foundations of the state and built its railroads] who toiled and suffered that their children might enjoy the wholesome pleasures and delights which the wise maker of the Universe intended for those who should dwell in this beautiful and radiant land which we call Kansas.