The fourth floor houses visitors' galleries overlooking the legislative chambers and a museum located near the rotunda in which a statue of Miss Freedom caps the dome.

The commission engaged architects Willoughby J. Edbrooke and Franklin Pierce Burnham, of Chicago to design the building and Miles and Horne of Toledo, Ohio for construction.

It was among the earliest buildings to have elevators, centralized steam heat, and combination gas and electric lights.

The open central rotunda is flanked by two wings, each with a grand staircase and three-story atrium crowned by clerestory windows.

[2][5] The museum within the Capitol, in existence since 1889, houses extensive collections representing the natural and cultural history of Georgia.

The portraits of governors, statues of famous Georgians, and historic flags from many wars are displayed throughout the Capitol.

To accomplish this, the museum collects, preserves, and interprets artifacts relating to the Capitol or associated with the events that have occurred there.

The building was severely damaged by a fire on March 24, 1941[17] and was rebuilt in its former design to serve as a part of Georgia Military College.