California State Capitol, Sacramento

The capital of the state of California, Sacramento is located 90 miles northeast of San Francisco and 383 miles north of Los Angeles. California's Capitol building was designed by architects M.F. Butler and Reuben Clark in the Roman Corinthian style. Work began in 1860 and ended in 1874 at the cost of $245 million.

The California State Capitol is very visitor-friendly. It is open even during Saturdays and Sundays. I visited on a Sunday and joined a free tour of the building. The guide was both informative and entertaining. Our group was allowed to view the legislators at work from the balcony. Apparently, they were working overtime (on a Sunday) because of a budget impasse. It's really amazing to see our elected officials at work.

Behind the Capitol is a beautiful park. The Vietnam War Memorial there is a poignant reminder of the lives lost in that conflict. Fittingly, beside the memorial is a rose garden.

Not an easy building to photograph, mainly because of the tall trees. Also, I arrived quite early in the morning, and the sun was casting shadows. Oh well, at least I did see the famous State Capitol. I could hardly not include it in this page could I?

Welcome to California's State Capitol, the hear of state government since 1869.
Today it is the vibrant center of California lawmaking and a museum that offers an histroical look at the envets and people who shapre California.

There is a Free tour guide visit and Free entrance to the Museum.

For a wonderful virtual tour
http://www.virtualemotion.com/vt/sacramento/casa5.aspx?N=24

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California has a very attractive, ornate state capitol building. The third capitol building in Sacramento, it was begun in 1860 and completed in 1874. Although broadly similar in its basic neo-classical design similar to the U.S. Capitol, it has many unique elements and rich detail. The interior, in particular, is more Victorian than neo-classical and clearly shows the mid-19th century Victorian character of the building, contrasting with outwardly somewhat similar, later Beaux-Arts buildings. This capitol has a very aesthetically appealing layout and the combination of the dark dome one white structure gives an aesthetcially interesting appearance. The inside is extremely ornate, with numerous shutters, dark, richly detailed woodwork, and much gilded decoration. The building is well-maintained, despite constant need for small repairs here and there, having undergone a major renovation and seismic retrofit in the early 1980s.

Try to make it to the Capitol, it's hard to miss, being tha tit is smack dab in the middle of the city....what's the saying? all raods lead to....no, that's Rome..well I guess there isn't a saying but regardless of its lacking a motto, the Capitol of California is an absolutly gorgeous building with pristine grounds that rival some botanical gardens! Plus, I work there, which makes it extra special super cool! Drop me a line if you'd like a personalized tour of my very beautiful place of employment.

The State Capitol in Sacramento was built in 1874 and is noted for its large glass dome. There are free guided tours of the main building and chambers. Included in the building are seven historic museum rooms depicting state government at the turn of the century. Depending on the time you visit, you can also see the California legislature in session.
Gray Davis (a democrat) is the current California Governor.

The dome of the state capitol stands proudly in a spacious green park two blocks south of K Street Mall. Recently restored to its original elegance, and still the seat of state government, the luxurious building brims over with finely crafted details. Although you’re free to walk around, you’ll see a lot more if you take one of the free hourly tours (daily 9am–5pm).

Having grown up in California, one trip every school-age child must make is to our fair capital, Sacramento. From Southern California, it was a hectic day - getting to school way too early in order to board a bus to take us to the airport to fly us to Sacramento (with a stopover in San Francisco).

That said, it was a fun trip. Our capitol building is especially beautiful and it's free, so it makes for a nice stop if you're visiting the city. It's not too far from Old Sacramento or from the freeway so it isn't too out of your way. There is a lot of street parking available around the capitol and, if you don't mind dodging some schoolchildren making their trek for Civics class, you can learn quite a bit about California history, which, in my opinion, is quite interesting. We were our own country, ya know, for all of about 5 minutes.

Okay... It's been a long time since I've seen this, but I think there's a tile floor mural showing the state seal somewhere. Also, as I know it, you can see the state secretary and the state treasurer sometimes, but unfortunately, the Governator is off limits.