Visiting State Capitol Buildings is a side travel hobby that has been going on for over 20 years, there are only a few left, so there won’t be too many featured on this blog. But, our fall road trip took us through one of the remaining to be seen Capital cities, Jefferson City, Missouri. Our hotel was perfectly situated on a hill opposite of the rise where the Capitol was built. The building was situated above the banks of the Missouri River and is visible from a long way away – intentionally. We lucked out with a beautiful evening view and a nice day for the walk to take our tour.
Our view, the hotel had a great outdoor space, with firepit, so we spent the evening out there. Three women who were locals joined us after a successful evening gambling at the local Veterans club and were very enthusiastic about what we would see and learn about on our tour.The Capitol from the Missouri River side, they had several nice plazas.Barges being moved down the river as seen from the plaza near the Capitol Building.A Rotunda Picture. The Missouri Capitol has a lovely, layered Rotunda. It is the third capitol, replacing two previous buildings both destroyed by fire. When the second one burned, the state budgeted $3 million for a new building and sold bonds. They raised almost $4 million, but stayed on budget and completed the building with about a million dollars left over.After the Attorney General ruled the extra money could not be returned, and had to be used on the Capitol Building, they allocated those funds to art and decor, and boy does it show. There are many decorative flourishes, including stained glass windows, murals, and statuary.This little guy lives at the base of the banister on the stairs in the rotunda near the visitor center.The House Chamber was getting new carpet, so they had temporary desks set up for the upcoming special session. They were also upgrading the voting system, so there was a lot going on. The stained glass here was made by a company set up by two men who had recently left the Tiffany Company to set up their own shop. The folks in charge of spending the money on this building were always on the lookout for a bargain.More of the stained glass and the pillars, which are made to look like marble using an Italian method known as Scagliola. This method was used on the columns in the Ohio Statehouse’s Judicial Annex Building as it was a favorite design method in the early 1900s. Yes, one of us is a little bit geeky about this stuff.Did we say the patio at our hotel had a great view?
When the boat broke down the nice lady from England exclaimed "oh goody, an adventure!" That changed the possible problem into a great story and improved attitudes. It has become the motto for our travels. We hope you enjoy the stories as much as we enjoyed the adventure.
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1 thought on “Jefferson City, the Missouri Capital”
Enjoyed my tour and seeing the stained glass.Thanks!!
Oh Goody! An Adventure 
Enjoyed my tour and seeing the stained glass.Thanks!!
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