The Capitol is the reason most people come to Jefferson City, and it rewards the visit. It is the third capitol on this bluff: the first burned in 1837 and the second was struck by lightning in 1911. The present building was finished in 1917 to a design by the New York firm Tracy and Swartwout, and dedicated in 1924. It sits at the top of town, so every walk downtown ends with it in view.
The free guided tour
Guided tours leave from the ground floor and are free. They take you through the rotunda under the dome, the chambers of the House and Senate, and, when it is open, the House Lounge with the Benton mural. Guides know the building well and are good on the small details: the symbols in the stonework, the paintings in the lunettes and which rooms the public rarely sees.
Tour times change with the season and with the legislative calendar, so check the day's schedule at the museum desk when you arrive. Weekday mornings are the easiest time to join one.
The Missouri State Museum
The ground floor holds the Missouri State Museum, which is free and worth an hour on its own. One side covers the state's history; the other covers its land and resources. It is a good place to start before the tour, because it gives you the names and events the guides refer to upstairs.
Outside: the grounds and the river view
Walk around the building rather than straight back to the car. The north side faces the Missouri River from the top of the bluff, and the view across to the north bank is the best in town. The Fountain of the Centaurs stands on that side. On the south side, the steps lead down to High Street and the old downtown.
From the north lawn it is a short walk to the start of the Bicentennial Bridge, which takes you down over the railway to Adrian's Island. Doing the Capitol in the morning and the bridge in the evening is the simplest good day in Jefferson City; the one-day plan builds on it.
Practical notes
- Security. Expect a security check at the entrance. Bring as little as you can.
- During the session. From January to mid-May the legislature is sitting. The building is busier and some rooms close at short notice, but you can watch debates from the galleries.
- Accessibility. There are elevators to every public floor. Ask at the desk for the accessible entrance.
- Time. Allow an hour for the tour and up to another hour for the museum and the grounds.
Why it looks the way it does
The building is a product of its disaster. After the 1911 fire, voters approved a $3.5 million bond to rebuild, and the state wanted a capitol that could not burn the same way twice: stone, steel and a dome visible for miles along the river. The story of both fires is in The Capitol fires of 1837 and 1911.