In April of 2021 we still had some airline vouchers we had to use and decided to spend a 3 day weekend exploring Indianapolis. One of the main things Gene wanted to see and do of course was the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Fortunately, we got to see that as well as the Indiana State Capitol building (aka the Statehouse) and the Canal Walk. It is a beautiful Capitol full of history.
Happily they were giving live tours again (after Covid tried to kill us all) and we made it there a few minutes before the tour started to walk around and take a few pictures. It was very quiet in the building as they weren’t in session during our visit. I know it wasn’t even filmed in Indiana, but I couldn’t help but expect to see someone from the cast of Parks and Recreation walking around. I know, I am strange, lol
What wasn’t strange, lol, was that the Capitol houses the Indiana General Assembly, the office of the Governor, the Supreme Court, and other state officials. One thing we did learn during our tour was that the current Indiana State Capitol - statehouse - is actually the fourth building to house their state government. The first statehouse is actually in Corydon, Indiana but is now used as a state historic site.
The second building was demolished after the General Assembly approved the construction of a new Capitol building in 1831. Modeled on Parthenon, the third building was condemned because of structural defects and was razed in 1877. However, this is the same lot where the current Capitol now resides. Construction of the current Capitol began when the cornerstone was laid on September 28, 1880. It was extensively renovated in 1988 and still looks beautiful.
The building is designed in the shape of a cross with four wings connected by the large rotunda. I didn’t realize it was designed like a cross, but it has a glass-domed ceiling which was so beautiful. I've always loved glasswork and kept looking at it while we were touring the building. I also loved the Indiana-sourced oak and limestone located throughout the Capitol.
Besides the rotunda and the four wings, there are also four stories of the building. The first floor houses the offices of the executive offices of the administration. On the 2nd floor are also the offices of the House of Representatives and Senate. At the Indiana State Capitol building, the House is on the East side of the 2nd floor and the Senate is on the Westside.
One other thing I enjoyed seeing is on the 3rd floor of the Capitol is the 70 seventy thousand volume Supreme Court Law Library. However, the thing that I always enjoy seeing is the House of Representative Chambers and Senate Chambers which are also located on the 3rd floor. I love seeing how each one is as unique as each state capitol building. The 4th floor is mostly consumed by the Indiana Court of Appeals, courtroom, the offices of nice of the fifteen judges on the Court, other executive offices, and storage space.
After the tour, we took some time walking around some of the places that we didn't really get to explore during the tour, as well as reading some of the articles, taking pictures of some of the statues, etc. located around the building. We also looked for Liberty Bell but couldn't find it. I was later told that is located inside the Indiana War Memorial and Museum. Sadly we didn't think or ask about it until after we returned home or we would have gone and seen it. I hope we can see it on another visit to the area.
If you have time, make sure to check out the grounds of the Indiana State Capitol as they are beautiful too. There are a lot of statues and artwork to see while walking around. There are too many to list here, but I have attached a Wikipedia link with a list of them. I do want to talk about one specifically though, the Oliver P. Morton memorial. It is composed of three bronze statues and two bronze reliefs, one plaque on the front, and two plaques on the rear, also of bronze. For those of you like me who wondered who Morton was, he served as Governor of Indiana from January 18, 1861, to March 4, 1867. Wonderful memorial to check out before or after your tour.
We both are very happy that we got to visit our 32nd? state capitol building. I hope you get a chance to visit one day if you haven't been. Here is a link to their website if you are planning a visit to the area and want more information. Happy travels.
Indiana State Capitol Visitor Information
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