Number Fourteen, Des Moines, Iowa
Admission: Free
Parking: Free on site
900 East Grand
In our continuing pilgrimage of seeing all fifty-one capitol buildings or state houses, Iowa was number fourteen. Fifty one includes, of course, the capitol in Washington, D.C. which I think I will try to see last. But, who knows. Actually, there are more than fifty-one capitol buildings. Many states have, over the years, built new bigger buildings and have either preserved or renovated the “old” building, often into a museum.
We arrived in Iowa on a Monday and programmed Maggie Mae Magellan (our GPS) for 900 Grand in Des Moines. When we got to that address, there was nothing, but an office building. We went up and down several roads to no avail. Then, in the passing of a street, we caught a glimpse of the dome. Oh, no, it was 900 “E” Grand. Parking was easy. Lots of places for visitors. Since we have always visited a capitol when it is not in session, there was lots of room for visitors.
Iowa was the 29th state, became part of the Union December 1846. So, they got their star on July 4, 1847 (a state’s star is always added the Fourth of July following its admission to the Union).
I recently discovered that each state has a replica of the Liberty Bell. Most of the bells are on the capitol grounds somewhere. Iowa’s was the first state for which I made a special effort to find. It was kind of at the edge of a parking lot. They had done everything else so well, that I was sort of disappointed.
We discovered the corner stone which included “Iowa and the date.”
I got my passbook stamped. There were a group of some very funny volunteers at the visitors’ desk
The weather was Hot! Hot! Hot! So, I did not enjoy the monument area as much as I should/would have if the weather was just a tad cooler.
Like so many state houses, there was considerable renovation in progress. I know this will preserve the beauty for the future, but sometimes I feel a bit cheated. But, it has to be done sometime.
Tours: Guided or self-guided. We did not wait for the guided tour, but if we had we would have been able to go to the top of the dome. (Can only go there with a guide).
The inside of the dome seen from the rotunda floor is a replica of a banner that was used for a GAR convention.
Excellent Self Guide Tour books and information which includes much detail of 1980’s restoration.
What’s unusual?
- One central large gold dome; four smaller corner domes.
A scale model of the USS Iowa and its bell are on display.
There is a very large area dedicated to various wars. They have one of the tallest Civil War monuments I have seen. Other monuments: Spanish American War, Purple Heart Recipients, GAR, Korean War, World War II. (I was talking to a friend after I got home. She is a Pearl Harbor survivor widow. She told me that her husband had been born in Iowa and that his name was on that monument as an Iowan service man in World War II. Wish I had remembered that. Even in the heat, I would have taken time to find it and take a picture.)
The volunteers and staff extremely friendly and helpful.Display of First Lady of Iowa dolls.
World War I Rainbow Division photo.
Original various colored marble drinking fountains (fed from large holding tanks in attic).
Round original radiators in the hallways.
Library is awesome. Not only because it holds over 100,000 volumes, but also the beauty of its design…spiral staircase of iron grillwork is a portion of its beauty.
Chambers and Supreme Court:
These have been refurbished to an earlier period. Beautiful. Four 500 pound chandeliers in the Senate Chamber. Desks are in a semi circle.
The Court met in the Capitol until the last couple of years. The Court now meets in a separate building which one can walk or drive on the south side (I think) of the capitol building.
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| Hand Carved Marble on Grand Stairway |
Various marbles and woods throughout.
As in most capitol buildings, there is a great display of original art—paintings, lunettes, mosaics, sculptures, bronzes.
Iowa and other parts of the mid-west were in the middle of some major flooding. All the river banks were over the top. So, after we met our goal of seeing the Capitol and not being able to see the museum, we asked Maggie Mae for direction. She tried to lead us out of the city, but again we misunderstood her and had to backtrack.
Capitols are great for living Civics lessons, history, architecture and art. Great learning experiences for youth through seniors.
Number Fifteen, Lincoln, Nebraska
Admission: Free
Parking: Free on the street
1445 K St. (between S. 14th & S. 16th Streets)
In this trip we seem to arrive at these destinations at off times. We arrived at the door just before 8:00. Guided tours did not start until nine, but the volunteer gave us some information on a self-guided tour.
The building is not shaped like “traditional” capitols. It is a towering office building. There are really only three floors opened to the public…the first, second, and fourteen. The fourteenth has four observation decks sort of like balconies…one in each of the four directions. Staff and employees start work at nine, so we wondered around those three stories.
Rotunda on both the second and fourteenth floors. Original art in the form of lunettes, murals and frescos.
Another building under renovation…the north and east sides heavily filled with scaffolds and under plastic.
It is topped with a small gold dome and a bronze of “The Sower.”
The view from the south and west sides of the fourteenth floor were magnificent. The city is comparatively small. One of the sights that we could see from the west balcony was massive corn silos—not something viewed from most of the capitols which we have visited. We viewed our itty bitty car from “way up thar.” We could not go out on the balconies on the other two sides due to the scaffolding and construction. Because of the view, this was Steve’s favorite so far. I did not share that enthusiasm.
The volunteer did not know anything about the liberty bell; the corner stone was behind the line, tarps and scaffolds. The kind lady stamped my book. Gift shop was not yet opened.
One corridor off the second floor held large, beautiful, and exciting bronze busts of members of the Nebraska Hall of Fame. They were far from normal busts that we usually see. They almost came to life. For instance, there was a newspaperman (sorry, forgot who he was) with glasses on reading a copy of his newspaper. Bronzes as I have never seen. Loved them.
Completed in the 1920’s, style is sort of Art Deco, but generally classified as “freely interpreted classical style." 37th state. Entered union in 1867.
What’s unusual:
Nebraska is the only U.S. state with a unicameral legislature, that is, it has only one legislative body. The elected officials are all called Senators. No House of Representatives or Assembly. Senators are elected without party affiliation. Thus, making Nebraska the only state that is truly nonpartisan. The Chambers were locked, and we could not find the gallery. We peeked through the window.
- It is the second tallest Capitol building at 22 floors (Baton Rouge has 34)
Of course, with the name of the city, there is a bigger-than-life bronze of the sixteenth President.
Easy to find, easy to go to and easy to park.
Number Sixteen, Pierre, South Dakota
Admission: Free
Parking: Free on street around capitol
500 E. Capitol Ave. (at N. Nicollet Ave.)
Give yourself two to three hours for a self guided tour of the capitol building and immediate grounds.
Sooooo, very easy to access. (Maggie Mae steered us there so quickly). City rises up from the plains. It is a small city. We came in from the West in which we were in Mountain Time Zone. We crossed the Missouri and were in Central (I think that is where the Capitol resides). When leaving we crossed the Missouri once again (Mountain Time). We never did figure when we reentered Central. Never gained an hour, lost an hour, gained an hour and lost it again in such a short time frame.
We hit Pierre on a Sunday. PLEASE pronounce this PEER! Again, we arrived at an off time. We went into the building and discovered no one…no guides, no volunteers, no security, no metal detectors (my third such capitol). No one! The “store,” which was a counter in the main lobby, had its items covered. Within a short period of time a few others tourists happened in.
South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889, state #40. Since North Dakota became a state the same day, there has been a friendly (we hope) rivalry as to which is 39 and which is 40. Alphabetically, would put North Dakota ahead.
We found one of the most comprehensive self-guiding tour books that we have yet seen —one for the interior; one for the grounds.(Mississippi also had an excellent set of tour guide books). The other tourists that we met were gone by the time we came back down from our self-guided poking around. There is also an online tour which would be most helpful to peruse. It is wonderful. I think that I would want to see it both before and after seeing the capitol.
The main Capitol Complex includes 16 buildings, approximately 115 acres of property, a 5 acre lake, 3,000 trees, 48 acres of cultured grass, and more than 8,000 flowers. We had parked on the side of the building closest to the capitol building and missed everything (lake, many of the flowers, etc) on the other side. I should have taken more time to read the books while we were there. Guess that means we have to go back again (not on Sunday).
The chambers were locked, but the galleries were open. We were able to view the Chambers of both houses from the galleries. Like so many capitols that have made changes over the year and of late, this capitol has been restored to its original glory. Both Chambers, for instance, had oak roll top desks and reproduction chairs. There were no pictures in these rooms. Stained glass everywhere.
Lunettes, frescos and murals abound.
Photos of previous governors.
Various marbles and woods abound.
I found the stamp for my book, changed the date and whacked it into my own book. This was a first, as usually the volunteers want it to go into the book perfectly and stamp it on a blank piece of paper several times before actually putting in a book. They do a good job, but I managed Okay myself.
Our host from the previous evening—Leonard—had gone on-line to find the place where this State’s Liberty Bell resides. It was on the west side of the capitol, across the street on the lawn of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument (also free, by donation, but closed on Sunday). It is a large building; I would presume that it is the State Museum.
The cornerstone contained the seal of South Dakota…a most ambitious carving on a cornerstone I have yet to see.
What’s unusual:
- The tile floors. Tiny pieces of Italian Terrazzo tile laid by 66 Italian artistic masons. By tradition, those who did mosaic or Terrazzo signed their works. But, because there were so many, each was given a small piece of blue mosaic to be placed somewhere in their portion of the work. Only 55 have purportedly been found in the floors. Guesses where the rest are--perhaps in paneling, doors, or who knows.
Fighting Stallions Memorial was constructed by the people of South Dakota as a lasting memorial to eight South Dakotans who perished in an airplane crash on April 19, 1993, including their Governor Mickelson. A replica of this monument is at the “Crazy Horse” center near Custer. It was designed by one of the children of the designer of the Crazy Horse monument.
pictures coming soon
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Hand Carved Marble on Grand Stairway | <><><><>
