The Forum is part of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building, which is commonly regarded as one of the most beautiful state capitols in the country. The auditorium incorporates semicircular seating and a distinctive ceiling depicting the constellations of the northern sky.

The Forum building was designed by architects William Gehron and Sidney Ross and dedicated on September 16, 1931. It serves as the performance home of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. The building is constructed primarily of gray limestone. There are 22 bronze doors designed by Lee Lawrie. They are cast with figures depicting “man’s creative and re-creative occupations.” Inscribed above each doorway are famous mottos from our nation’s past. On the outside cornice of the building are noted names of Pennsylvania educators, philanthropists, and statesmen. Inside, the designers of the wall and ceiling murals, Eric Gugler and Richard Brooks, wanted to depict the march of progress of mankind and the overwhelming majesty of the heavens. The maps and adjacent tablets on the upper promenade walls commemorate the socially-significant individuals who made famous the great period of each particular locale. The ceiling was painted on individual canvas sections and decorated with constellations and depictions from the Zodiac. More than one thousand stars are shown in their proper position.