Exploring the State Capitol building with students is always an unexpected experience. You never know who you see and what they will want to show you. Let's just say politicians love school groups, so be prepared. Once inside the building, there is much to see; historical rooms, the dome, and the Governor's office on the first floor with stairways filled with portraits leading up to the two legislative offices. The basement has a gift shop, cafeteria, and movie theater. Outside is a park filled with memorial statues and different gardens.
Guided school field trips are available through advance reservation. There are also tours for small groups every hour and docents to answer questions at the lobby information desk. There are many copies of these informational brochures available; the state park version and the Capitol museum one. We tend to break into small groups for self guided exploration. If you can't make it to the Capitol itself, there is a virtual tour on their website. The tour covers architecture details, historical rooms, the art collections, the capitol's history, and the surrounding park.
The State Capitol Museum's website has many resources. There's an interactive "Kids Zone", a student workbook about the capitol (the teacher's version has the answers and field trip resources),
The Capitol is open most everyday, including weekends.
There is no admission charged. On a field trip, I strongly recommend having one chaperone wait outside with all the students' backpacks. It makes getting through security much faster. Also set a return meet up time as cel phones rarely work inside the building. The surrounding park has plenty of space for lunch and running around with public restrooms close by. The State Capitol's website's additional resources.
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This location's web site can be found by clicking on the title of the page.
revised 11-13-15