The Capital of Texas

We love going to visit the State Capital Buildings in the states that we visit. So being in Austin it was a must do for us to go see the Texas Capitol building. We wanted to do the tour of the capital but because we had already did so much that day my knee just wouldn't permit it... We will do it next visit. The slogan states that "everything is bigger in Texas," and if you look at the Capitol, the phrase rings true. Standing a stately 309 feet and modeled after the nation's Capitol in Washington D.C., this is the nation's tallest. Designed by architect Elijah E. Myers and constructed of red granite, the Capitol took more than seven years to complete. It was finished in 1888, at a total cost of more than three million dollars, an extravagant price even by today's standards. During the dedication, Temple Houston, son of Sam Houston, had this to say about the structure: "This building fires the heart and excites reflections in the minds of all... the architecture of a civilization is its most enduring feature, and by this structure shall Texas transmit herself to posterity..."

Picture on left is a view from the University of Texas campus

In 1983, a fire almost destroyed the building. The State Preservation Board was then formed to help preserve, maintain, and restore the Capitol and its grounds. In 1990, a project began to expand the building, and by 1993, 667,000 square feet had been added. Over the years, many more improvements have been made to the Capitol.

Inside the dome

The Capitol Visitors Center is located in the General Land Office Building, which was built in 1856, making it Texas’ oldest state office building. It is located at the southeast corner of the Capitol grounds and for all you budget minded people the admission is free. It contains a gift shop and many exhibits, including photos, videos, artifacts. We missed going into this too but I am not worried because we plan on coming back to Austin next year on the way to the west coast...

The Texas Governor's Mansion has been the home of every Texas governor since 1856. It is the fourth-oldest continuously occupied governor's residence in the United States. The building is an important example of Greek Revival architecture and contains one of the nation's finest collections of early 19th century furniture. Sadly in June 2008 it was damaged badly by fire and still today not renovated. We couldn't even see it because of all the construction. But I wanted you all to see it so I am posting a before and after picture I got from the Internet.

Until Later... Have FUN, Travel Safe & Enjoy Everyday!