Completed in 1918, the Capitol covers three acres in downtown Jefferson City. Inside the Capitol you will find the Missouri State Museum which features exhibits of outstanding historical significance. The Capitol tour will provide you with an excellent education on the State of Missouri and the structure that represents its home. The Missouri State Capitol is open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except January 1, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). Free guided tours of the building are given Monday -Saturday every hour on the hour, first tour starts at 8 a.m., last tour at 4 p.m., no tours at noon. Groups of 10 or more require reservations. Tours of the Thomas Hart Benton Murals will be given upon request on Sundays. Sorry, no individual reservations taken. Free admission.
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Missouri Veterans Memorial
Located on the Northeast corner of the Capitol grounds, the Memorial was dedicated on November 11, 1991. It features a limestone colonnade, terraced waterfall, reflecting pool and eight black marble posts, each representing a war. The wars represented are Mexican-American, Civil War, Spanish-American, World War I, World War II, Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf. Three flags guard the entrance to the walk; the United States flag, the Missouri State flag, and the Veteran's Commission flag. The cannon at the end of the walk was captured during the Spanish-American War at Moro Castle in Havana, Cuba. It was given to the state of Missouri as a war trophy and was placed on the Capitol grounds between 1898 and 1911.
Missouri Law Enforcement Memorial
This tribute to all Missouri law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty was dedicated on June 17, 1994. Plaques on the walls contain the name of the officer, his or her position, their city or town and the date he or she died.
Liberty Bell
A reproduction of the Liberty Bell that rang in 1776. This bell is one of 53 cast in France and given to the United States Government. Located between the Law Enforcement Memorial and the fountain of the centaurs.
Signing of the Treaty
This bronze by Karl Bitter shows Robert Livingston (standing), James Monroe (seated), and Francis Barbe-Marbois signing the document more commonly known as the 'Louisiana Purchase' in which the United States purchased the land west of the Mississippi River for $15,000,000, averaging approximately .29 cents an acre. The sculpture was originally designed for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair and made out of staff, a temporary plaster and fiber material. It was recast in bronze for the Capitol Complex.
Fountain of the Centaurs
This granite fountain represents 'the wild untamed life of the vast forests primeval which covered these hills and spread over these plains in the long ages before the 'white man came'.
Statuary is a prominent feature of the Capitol grounds. Heroic bronze figures depicting Missouri's two great rivers, the Mississippi and Missouri, and a 13-foot statue of Thomas Jefferson dominate the south entrance. A bronze relief depicting the signing of the Louisiana Purchase by Livingston, Monroe and Marbois and the Fountain of the Centaurs are the most outstanding features on the north grounds.
Fountain of the Sciences
(East fountain)
The Fountain of the Sciences contains figures depicting astrology, chemistry, geology , and geometry.
Fountain of the Arts
(West fountain)
The Fountain of the Arts contains figures identifying architecture, sculpture, painting and music.
Thomas Jefferson
Considered one of the best statues of Thomas Jefferson in existence, this 13 foot bronze statue graces the entrance of the Capitol Building. The statue is the creation of James Earle Fraser.
The dome, rising 238 feet above ground level and topped by a bronze statue of Ceres, the goddess of vegetation, is the first view of Jefferson City for travelers arriving from the north. The structure is Jefferson City's leading tourist attraction and is a Mecca for school groups who arrive by busloads, particularly during General Assembly sessions when they fill the galleries to watch the Senate and House of Representatives in action.
In addition to housing the two legislative bodies, the Capitol provides office space for the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, State Auditor and some administrative agencies. The structure is also notable for its architectural features, including its eight 48-foot columns on the south portico and six 40-foot columns on the north side; its 30-foot-wide grand stairway and its bronze front doors, each 13 by 18 feet -- the largest cast since the Roman era.
The present Capitol, completed in 1917 and occupied the following year, is the third Capitol in Jefferson City and the sixth in Missouri history. The first seat of state government was housed in the Mansion House, Third and Vine Streets, St. Louis; the second was in the Missouri Hotel, Maine and Morgan Streets, also in St. Louis. St. Charles was designated as temporary capital of the state in 1821 and remained the seat of government until 1826 when Jefferson City became the permanent capital city. The first Capitol in Jefferson City burned in 1837 and a second structure, completed in 1840, burned down when the dome was struck by lightning on February 5, 1911.
The present Capitol was constructed for $4,215,000, including site and furnishings. It is five stories high, 437 feet long, 300 feet wide in the center and 200 feet wide in the wings. The dome is 238 feet high and the height of the wings is 88 feet. The building includes 500,000 square feet of floor space.
The Capitol's first floor features the State Museum. Outstanding paintings, pediments and friezes decorate the Capitol interior. A prime attraction is a series of Thomas Hart Benton murals in the House Lounge.
Missouri State Archives
