Kansas State Capitol - Topeka, KS
Posted by: 
cldisme
N 39° 02.887 W 095° 40.680
15S E 268246 N 4325529
The historic Kansas Statehouse.
Waymark Code: WM93NQ
Location: Kansas, United States
Date Posted: 06/23/2010
Views: 21
Construction of the Kansas capitol building began in 1866 - five years after Kanasas was admitted as a state. Built in several phases, the building was completed in 1903 at a cost of $3.2 million at the time.
The Kansas Statehouse housed all the important functions of state government. The State Senate meets in the original portion, which is now the east wing. The State Representatives are found in the section built during the 1880s and is now the west wing. The Governor's office is located on the second floor and the Kansas Supreme Court also heard cases on third floor's north side until they moved to a separate building in 1979.
Although structural elements were completed, many felt the statehouse was not complete until the dome was topped appropriately. In 2002 a statue of a Kansa warrior by Richard Bergen was added. , The statue received its name Ad Astra from the state motto, Ad Astra per Aspera, “To the stars through difficulty.” The copper dome is 66-1/2 feet in diameter at the base. The exterior height of the building from the ground floor to the top of Ad Astra’s bow is 304 feet.
The Kansas State Capitol was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971
Self-guided tours are available when the building is open to the public. Free guided tours are currently curtailed to only 3 or 4 a day from the normal listed times due to the on-going renovations. Public access during construction is limited within the building and the only public entrance is from the east wing.
Renovations are expected to conclude in 2012.
Type of Capitol: State, Province, Canton, or Other Primary Division of a Nation
Address:
10th and Jackson
Topeka, KS USA
66612
Dates of Construction: began 1866-1903
Major Renovations: currently under renovation; concluding in 2012
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily
Capitol Web Site: [Web Link]
Historical Monuments/Memorials:
Abraham Lincoln Statue - "A Man of Sorrow"
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Visit Instructions:
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