Cover: Atlanta's Gold Dome

Known as the "People's Capitol," the Georgia State Capitol Building is open to her citizens and it houses a fascinating museum filled with wonders from throughout the state.

Georgia State Capitol Building, Gold Dome

The Georgia Capitol Museum has been housed on the fourth floor of the Georgia State Capitol Building since 1890 and includes  artwork, flags, and material culture, as well as a few oddities such as a Georgia-born two-headed cow. The collection on display is impressive!

Group tours are available and I highly recommend them. Note that the tour schedule changes frequently (they do have a State to run) and must be scheduled in advanced. 

Self-guided tours are also available and do not require a reservation, but double-check the days and hours before heading to the Capitol Building.

While you're there, be sure to stop by the Hall of Valor located on the first floor. This must-see "displays Georgia's priceless collection of 82 historic flags from the early Georgia militia, the Civil War, the Spanish American War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom."

And there's the Capitol Grounds, which has lots more to explore, including the Capitol cornerstone, lots of statuary, the Gold Dome and Miss Freedom (pictured above).

Enjoy your visit to our Capitol Building and enjoy the above pre-sized Facebook Cover Photo. Then head over to the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook Page for lots more.

ATLANTApix: Georgia Marble

Georgia Capitol Museum (Georgia marble)

Did you know that the world-famous statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. was made from Georgia marble? It was! As were the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, the East Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., and the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta.

You can learn facts similar to these on a free tour of the Georgia Capitol Building, specifically in the Georgia Capitol Museum on the fourth floor.

The four columns pictured here, each made of Georgia marble, with their intricately carved Corinthian capitals, have been part of the museum collection since at least 1909. Left to right, the marbles represented here are: white Cherokee marble, Etowah pink marble solar gray marble, and white Georgia marble.

And speaking of where the Governor works, did you know that it was on this day in 1995 that Governor Zell Miller designated the peach as the official Georgia state fruit?

ATLANTApix of the tourATLANTA blog features a "photo-of-the-day" of Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

ATLANTApix: Miss Freedom

Miss Freedom (Georgia State Capitol)

Miss Freedom, also known as The Lady of the House, has "stood watch over the Georgia Capitol for more than a century, her sword ready to fight for justice and equality, her torch raised to light the way toward truth..." 

Miss Freedom has kept her perch on the gilded gold dome of the Capitol Building (save one relatively recent restoration period) since its dedication on July 4, 1889.

The Capitol that Miss Freedom stands over so majestically is called "A Symbol of the New South," a testament that Georgia had indeed embraced the new government following the U.S. Civil War. The Capitol Building is also known as "The People's House" for its open format and availability for public use.

Free tours of the Georgia State Capitol are available to the public Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., except for holidays.

During that tour, you'll see a model of Miss Freedom (photo) and learn that she is a statuesque 22.5 feet tall and weighs a healthy 1,250 pounds. Although she appears to be a solid bronze statue, the figure is made from thin copper plates.

During the renovation, Miss Freedom was lifted from the dome of the Capitol Building by helicopter (imagine seeing that during your commute to work) and trucked to Canada to revive her stately splendor.

ATLANTApix of the tourATLANTA blog features a "photo-of-the-day" of Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

ATLANTApix: Two-headed Cow

Two-headed Cow at the Georgia Capitol Museum

"The Georgia Capitol Museum is almost as old as the Capitol itself. In 1889 the General Assembly revived the Office of State Geologist. The legislation directed the geologist to complete a survey of Georgia and to create a museum. The exhibit would demonstrate the state's natural and economic resources. The collections grew quickly and spread throughout the building. Over the years the museum's emphasis expanded as new displays joined the old, educating generations of Georgia schoolchildren and other visitors."

Of all the artifacts in the Georgia Capitol Museum, the two-headed cow has consistently remained a favorite of visitors touring Atlanta both young and seasoned, local and international. Coincidentally, there was a two-headed cow born in the Republic of Georgia earlier this month.

The Museum is always on the look out for new artifacts to tell the story of the Georgia Capitol. If you have an item(s) that you would like to donate, contact the Museum.

ATLANTApix of the tourATLANTA blog features a "photo-of-the-day" of Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Georgia Capitol Building: Under the Gold Dome

Georgia Capitol Building

The unmistakable gold dome of the Georgia Capitol Building shines like a beacon in the Atlanta skyline that marks the center of Georgia state government and the heart of "The New South." The Georgia Capitol's similarity to the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., was intentional. It served as a message that post-Civil War Georgia government was reaffirming its ties and loyalties to the federal government.

The exterior of the dome was, however, not always gold. Sixty-nine years after it opened its doors in 1889, the people of Dahlonega, Georgia, donated 40 ounces of gold to guild the dome—a publicity move advertising that the first gold rush in the United states in fact took place in their community. The dome was immediately gilded, in 1958, and has since been re-gilded twice.

On the particular chilly morning I visited the Capitol, I had the pleasure of an individual guided tour of the Capitol Building.

Georgia Capitol Rotunda

The Rotunda

We started in the Rotunda where the dome's ceiling towered three stories above us; portraits and marble busts of famous Americans (some Georgians) surrounded us; and a Georgia marble and glass floor supported and illuminated us.

Standing in the center of the Rotunda, on the second floor, one can see all four sides of the building. Also on this level, in the east and west wings, are portraits of former Governors, including the only Georgian to ever be elected to the office of President of the United States, Jimmy Carter.

The one exception of the Governor-theme portrait exhibit on the second floor (portraits of other notable statesmen appear on other floors) is that of civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which was placed by then-Governor, Jimmy Carter, to symbolize the changing landscape of Georgia government.

The Legislative Chambers

The General Assembly chambers are located on the third floor of the Capitol Building. Photographs of the chambers are permitted when the General Assembly is not in session…a rare opportunity, I thought. Photography throughout the remainder of the Capitol Building is, again surprisingly, permitted.

Georgia Capitol House Chamber

The House of Representatives (180 members) chamber is on the west side of the building. Although the House was not in session when I visited, there were meetings taking place when we arrived. My tour guide took me inside the entryway of the chamber and pointed out that one of the two in-process meetings was likely an orientation for recently elected Representatives.

The Georgia State Senate (56 members) chamber is on the east side of the Capitol Building. An upstairs gallery, open to the public when the Senate is in session, was also a stop on my tour.
A school group was visiting the Senate chamber and their tour guide gave them the opportunity to sit in the "big chair" and make photographs—an excellent enticement to encourage youngsters to learn more about State Government, I think.

Georgia Capitol Museum

Georgia Capitol Museum,
Two-headed Cow

Since soon after the Capitol Building opened, the position of State Geologist was created and tasked with obtaining and displaying geological specimens to promote Georgia's natural resources.

The ensuing museum, located on the Capitol's fourth floor, evolved over the years to include taxidermy, which eventually overcrowded the museum space.

Today, the Georgia Capitol Museum showcases the Capitol and Georgia government, but also contains many artifacts from the original collection, including some oddities such as a two-headed cow (popular with visitors) that was born in Georgia.

At the conclusion of the tour, an information-packed 30 minutes, my tour guide released me to explore the Capitol Building to my heart's content.

Capitol Hill

The Georgia Capitol grounds is adorned with statuary monuments, the first placed in 1907. Individuals whose likeness has been immortalized in bronze for visiting Georgians and visitors include John Brown Gordon (the first Georgia Governor to serve in Atlanta), Joseph E. Brown, Richard B. Russell, Eugene Talmadge, Herman Talmadge, Jimmy Carter, and Ellis Amall.

Towering Magnolia trees, the pinnacle botanical expression of the South, surround the Capitol on all sides.

Georgia Capitol

Other Notes

Scandalous at the time, the exterior of the Capitol Building is covered in sandstone from Indiana. Commendable, even today, the construction of the Capitol, featuring Georgia marble and other local materials, came in under budget—a remarkable feat for any government, right?

The Georgia Capitol Building was recently renovated to look as it did when its doors opened in 1889, including the wall colors and the light fixtures, which are exact replicas (other than their being electric instead of gas powered).

The Georgia Capitol Building became a National Historic Landmark in 1977. The National Park Service of the Department of the Interior recognized the Capitol Building as "an outstanding structure, both architecturally and historically."

As a veteran of the U.S. Navy, I think one very cool opportunity is the ability to acquire a commemorative flag, one that has flown over the Georgia Capitol Building, to be presented to members of the armed services or to other citizens in recognition of certain milestones. It's as easy as completing a form and contributing a nominal fee.

Surprisingly, the building is very open, in design and access, so much so that it's garnered the nickname "The People's House."

The building's north and south wings are available, free of charge (the space is free, catering and other services are available for charge) and relatively easy to reserve, for events such as a press conference, meeting, speech or ceremony.

Return or Revoke

Does my impression with the Georgia Capitol Building warrant a return visit? I will be more than happy to play tour guide for visiting friends and family (and may even soon return on my own). The Capitol is easy to get to, easy to tour, and provides an excellent opportunity to learn about Georgia and its government. Personally, I vote for a return visit.

Touring the Georgia Capitol Building

Date toured: Thursday, November 18, 2010
Location: 214 State Capitol (directions and map)
Parking: For a nominal fee - Steve Polk Plaza parking lot (next to the old World of Coca-Cola building) and the public lot at Underground Atlanta, located on Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.
Cost: Free
Hours:
Self-guided tours Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Guided tours at 11:00 a.m. Monday through Friday
Check the website for blackout dates and times.
Closed weekends and holidays
Website: http://www.sos.ga.gov/archives/state_capitol/

Georgia Capitol