In
1839 the Republic of Texas selected a site called Waterloo for its capital and
renamed it after Stephen F. Austin. 50 years later, the State of Texas built
the current Renaissance Revival-Style State Capitol Building.
The
original 1850s General Land Office Building is now the Capitol Visitors Center,
featuring a pictorial history of the Capitol’s restoration. Various parts of
the Capitol Building are also open to the public. On the upper floors of the
Capitol Building there are videos on Texas history to watch, along with
historical information displays. Elevators take visitors as high as the 4th
floor where you can look up at the dome or down at a Texas Star located
in the rotunda directly under the dome. If you have rally good eyes, when you look up at the
dome you can read T-E-X-A-S between each point on the star. The upper floors of
the Capitol Building are reached by elevator, or by an old, winding staircase.
The
Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum is very interesting with historical
displays and films providing historical overviews of Texas history. Displays
range from a cannon recovered from the Bell
(French Explorer LaSalle’s ship that sank in 1686) to a National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA) control panel. As with a number of museums in
Texas, no photography is allowed in the museum. Time to head for home! Yee-Haw!
Texas State Capitol Building
Front Door of Capitol Building
Staircase to Upper/Lower Levels in Capitol Building
Capitol Dome
Capitol Rotunda From 4th Floor
Window in General Land Office Building
Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum
Texas Star
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