In the heart of Austin, visitors will find an example of Italian Renaissance revival-style architecture quite similar in appearance to the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. This beautiful building is the Texas State Capitol.
The cylindrical granite dome is actually larger than the one in Washington D.C., making the Texas State Capitol the largest capitol building in the country when including land size. At the very top of the dome stands a statue of the goddess of liberty. She is holding the Lone Star of Texas in her hand. The clean granite columns give the building a distinctly elegant and old-world feel its striking beauty is a source of pride for many Texans. When the Texas State Capitol building is illuminated at night, it appears to glow bright white among the buildings in the city of Austin. Its grand presence is maintained by state laws that prevent tall buildings from blocking the line of sight to the capitol.
Built mainly by convicts in the late 1880s, the Texas State Capitol was paid for with land grants for more than one million hectares. Today, visitors can take a free tour of this beautiful building and learn about its fascinating past. Tours run every 45 minutes, seven days a week, and begin in the Capitol South Foyer. Or visitors can choose to tour on their own and explore the nine hectares of manicured grounds surrounding the capitol building. Grab a brochure before heading out to learn about the historic monuments which are scattered throughout the gardens.
Just four blocks south of the University of Texas, the Texas Capitol is easy to find. Located in downtown Austin, it is near many other great sites such as the Austin Museum of Art and Lady Bird Lake. Admission to the building is free, but food is not available on site, so pack a lunch and find a quiet spot in the gardens or take a walk and find a great local restaurant after your visit.
