California State Capitol: Don't Feed the Lawmakers on the Free Tour
If you’ve never taken the free tour of the California State Capitol—equal parts architectural wonder, fascinating museum and seat of power—it’s as imperative as visiting the White House in Washington or Independence Hall in Philly. If you time it right, you may even get to see the California State Assembly or Senate squabble over a bill at the California State Capitol or Governor Jerry Brown rush to a meeting.
The one-hour tours are daily on the hour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., commencing at the basement level below the rotunda dome on weekends or from Room B-27 on weekdays.
State parks tour guides tell each group all about all three aspects of the capitol, beginning with the architecture. Built in the classical revival style of America’s most cherished capitol buildings, the dome is literally the crowning achievement. Gold-plated marble rises to the top of the 120-foot crown. On the tour you’ll also admire original mosaic floors, stained glass and the official portraits of California’s governors.
The dual highlights are the Senate and Assembly chambers, where you’ll be seated in the balcony, just above the legislators’ desks. These rooms have changed little since 1869, with magnificent columns, ceilings, chandeliers and other flourishes. The glaring exceptions are the laptops on each desk and fax machines on the aisles. While in the chambers, the guide says a few things about how a bill is passed—or if you’re there on a Monday or Thursday from about 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. between January and August, you can watch it happen live.
The tour concludes at the governor’s office, though you won’t see Jerry unless he happens to be coming in or out.
You can spend time after the tour peeking inside several rooms that let you see how the capitol once looked, including the old governor’s office as it appeared in 1906. Also on the two lower levels are 12 state history murals, a bookstore/gift shop, a restaurant, a theater that shows four short films, and 58 county exhibits with displays of what each county is known for.
HelloSacramento Tip: On weekends only the north entrance at 11th and L Streets is open.
Posted on Mar 24, 2011 by Bob Cooper
