September 1
Today we went to visit the Capitol building. It is a very impressive building inside and out. Our plan was to take the Dome Tour which consists of 296 steps leading from the
fifth floor to the cupola. (not for the feint of heart)
We arrived early and got some shots of the outside and the grounds.
the railing is where we walked up and out for views of the city
Mater Dei Catholic Parish
Inside the Capitol on the ground floor it felt a bit like a dungeon.
those are some thick walls
view of the dome from the 5th floor
Cage Elevator - 1923 (it still runs and has an elevator operator inside)
view down from the 5th floor
It started out with just the 2 of us and the guide, but partway through the tour he got a call that another couple was waiting in the wrong place for the tour and wanted to join. They were escorted up to the rotunda that we were on just before the final climb to the top.
the first set of stairs
and the next
dome from the 6th floor
view down from the 6th floor
frescos
the rotunda and stairs to the 7th floor
they kept some of the graffiti when they rennovated
views from the lower windows - before continuing up the stairs to the top
the final walk to the top up those stairs
me climbing up
views from the veranda outside
Greg's feet on the spiral staircase
me on the stairs
Greg coming down
view from the stairs up to the spiral staircase and out to the veranda
the winch is used for the chandelier when it needs repair or cleaning
We were given ample time for photos and for getting close up views of the inner and outer domes.
The dome, at 304 ft is taller than the 288 ft United States Capitol dome, although its diameter (50 ft) is
approximately half that of the national capitol (96 ft). It is one of
the few capitols in the United States that continue to offer tours that go to
the top of the dome.
There is no A/C so it's a very hot climb to the top. Upon reaching the summit we could go outside on the veranda for great views of the city of Topeka. The high winds were welcome since it was so hot in there. We were given as long as we wanted out there and proceeded down when we were ready.
Dome facts from their website:
The
state legislature approved the dome in 1881 and construction began in 1885.
The inner
dome is composed of 256 glass panels. Each is a half inch thick.
The copper on the dome would make 2,350,746
pennies.
The outer copper dome extends
approximately 75 feet above the inner
dome.
The bronze statue of the Kansa
warrior; Ad Astra, was placed on the top
of the dome in 2002. It is 22 feet and 2 inches
tall and weighs 4,420 pounds.
The chandelier is a replica of the original fixture and weighs 900 lbs.
I wasn't feeling great before we started the tour and only got worse in the heat. We stopped for a cold drink and a snack (and I barfed before having the snack). We sat there quite a while for the cold/hot clammy feeling to pass and we did a self tour of the rest of the floors.
original Copper door from the Capitol dome used to access the outside viewing deck
an original window from the dome when it was competed in 1903
House of Representatives
Senate Gallery
looking down to the ground floor
Brown v. Board of Education Mural
the old supreme court (new one is across the street)
stained glass windows
Secretary of State's Ceremonial Office
Meditation Room
Cage Elevator - 1923
view from the ground floor up into the dome
34 star flag when Kansas entered the Union on Jan 29, 1861
We had planned to do a museum or two, but since I was feeling sub-par we grabbed some groceries and headed home. There really weren't any museums that were "must do's" for us, so no biggie.
We have 3 more days here and plan on visiting some nature parks.
It looked like a great tour of the capital. So sorry you got sick from the heat. Always a bummer to feel rotten. At least you can say you have been there done that. Nice photos from inside and out.
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