When talking to other RVers, I love to hear what they are obsessed about when it comes to travel and RV life. I have met people who want to visit every major baseball league stadium or every one of the 63 National Parks. Another woman I know visits only state parks and never stays at the same one twice. There are RVers who are geocaching obsessed. Others who are fitness obsessed. But today’s post makes me think of those RVers who have made it their mission to visit every state capitol. Why? Because I recently visited my first: Washington State Capitol.
You have the option to take a self-guided tour or a guided tour. And you know I love self-guided tours. I wrote briefly about this in my post on finding no- and low-cost adventures. And have gone on many in my time on the road including my first real stop in RV life in Walla Walla, coincidentally, also in Washington. Though I adore self-guided tours, I decided this time to take one of the guided tours.
Where Is the Washington State Capitol?
Remember in the fifth grade when we memorized all the state capitols? Do you remember Washington’s? Don’t worry, it’s not a test. Olympia is the capitol of Washington and only a 90-minute drive from where I am in Ocean Shores. I regularly visit Olympia since it is large enough to have a Costco, Trader Joe’s, etc. I decided instead of just making it a stop on the list of chores, it would be a fun place to find an adventure.
The Washington State Capitol complex consists of five buildings. The legislative building, as you might surmise by name, is where all the action takes place and the building I toured. It is the grandest of the buildings and is in the center of the others. The others are called the Temple of Justice, the Insurance Building, Public Lands Building, John Cherberg Building. Distinct by their white masonry but within the complex you also find the governor’s mansion, a red brick building.
At the time of my visit, touring the governor’s mansion was not an option. There was a sign that said they were hoping it would be open in September 2023. It’s unclear to me whether it was closed due to something like a remodel or if it was remnants of COVID. Either way, it will be fun to return for a tour of that historic house.
An Overview of the State and the Tour
As you might expect, the state of Washington takes its name from George Washington, the first US President. In 1889, it became the 42nd state admitted to the union.
To give you a lay of the land, I’ll share the floorplan of the building. It’s pretty simple. On the ground floor, you’ll find the Visitor Services Office, a gift shop, café and the Legislative Information Center. The second floor includes the main entrance to the capitol which is where the tour started. It also houses the four executive offices: offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State and State Treasurer. On the third floor, you’ll find the Rotunda floor and the State Reception Room. And, on the fourth floor, is the House and Senate Chambers as well as the galleries where visitors can view the chambers. I saw a narrow set of stairs leading to a fifth floor but we were not allowed up there. The tour guide said the space was now used by the maintenance staff.
The North Foyer and Main Entrance of the Washington State Capitol
The tour began at the main entrance. This might sound obvious but it isn’t because the signs for the tour take your in through the first floor and up to the second where the North Foyer and Main Entrance are. However, if you walked up the steps outside and came in the Main Entrance, you’d ascend 42 steps, representing the 42nd state.
A couple of fun tidbits about the North Foyer and Main Entrance.
First, there are two statues in the foyer, two significant figures in Washington’s early history. One is of Marcus Whitman, a trained physician who “was instrumental in bringing American settlers to Washington.” Long time readers know that this is not my first encounter with Marcus Whitman.
As I said, my first real stay in RV life was in Walla Walla, Washington. There, I visited a place run by National Parks (remember from THIS post the national park folks operate much more than the 63 National Parks) called the Whitman Mission Historic Site. It was the location of both the mission Marcus Whitman ran as well as the site of his massacre. I wrote the full story HERE.
Second, the marble in the area as well as in the rotunda are from Alaska. Kind of a cool connection to my pre-RV life.
The Rotunda
Like every rotunda I’ve ever experience, this one is impressive. It’s filled with symbolism. In the middle of the rotunda, there are four sets of stairs, two heading down and two heading up. The four sets divide the area into quarters which represents the four corners of the rectangle-ish shape of the of Washington. Each of the 39 county’s flag are displayed in the applicable quadrant of the state.
At the center of the rotunda on inlaid on the floor is the state seal.
The State Seal
The State Seal has an interesting story. It came about via a design contest open to the public. Keep in mind, this is long before the aid of computers. The winner first took a shot glass and drew a circle. Then took a silver dollar and drew a circle inside the shot glass circle. Between the two, he wrote “The Seal of the State of Washington 1889.” He then took a postage stamp of first president and adhered to the middle. The decorative laurel was later added to give the seal a little flair.
A large metal (probably bronze, the tour guide told us but I cannot remember what she said) version of the seal was installed in the marble floor in the rotunda. It’s probably four feet in diameter, maybe even five. It’s a relief which means it isn’t flat with the floor but has texture. I tell you this because you would think that people would walk around the seal. But they didn’t.
Poor George Washington. His nose started to flatten over the decades of being stepped on. These days, they have the seal roped off. It’s an unfortunate, albeit a little funny, story.
House vs. Senate
The tour included visits to both the House and Senate floor. Actually, we didn’t go to the floor itself but rather to the viewing galleries above each legislative floor. While, at the end of the day, each chamber is simply a large room, there were a few notable differences that I found interesting.
On the House side, you see an electronic board (as is more and more common). It is used for instant results after a vote it called. No doubt it saves time from a roll call vote where each person’s name is called and, if she/he is present, states which way they are voting. That said, the Senate side of the Washington legislature continues to use the roll call system of voting.
At the time of my visit, I thought perhaps the Senate also stood for the duration of their time on the floor. But, it turned out, the carpet was being redone. Thus, only desks were on the floor and the chairs were gone. No idea why the desks were there as they’d have to be removed for recarpeting. Perhaps, it was for the visual effect for visitors.
Other Stops on the Tour
State Reception Room was a quick stop. Not sure why but I didn’t take any photos in that room. But a few things of note. They display a very faded flag with 42 stars, a flag showing how it changed with the addition of Washington to the Union. The carpet rolls up to create a dance floor which is done with each inauguration. Finally, there is a huge wooden table, built in 1928, used for signing legislation. What’s impressive about it is the face that the top is made from a single piece of wood.
Tiffany Chandeliers
Most of the chandeliers in the Washington State Capitol came from Tiffany in New York. And they have some beautiful ones to be sure.
The largest and most impressive is the one that hangs in the rotunda. It is massive though it’s hard to comprehend just how massive because you see it on a distance. But here are few facts to put it all in perspective:
- It is the largest chandelier Tiffany company ever made, weighing over 11,000 pounds.
- It has more than 200 lightbulbs. Because it is such an undertaking to change one, the maintenance folks wait until at least 10 are out before putting in new ones.
- The four statues on the outer part of the chandelier are what our tour guide called “life size.” At four and a half feet tall, I’m not sure that’s the way I’d put it. But they are tall.
- A small Volkswagen Beetle can fit on the inside of the chandelier.
I’m guessing no one has every actually tried fitting a Beetle into the chandelier. But in theory, someone could.
Conclusion
If my first capitol tour is indicative of the other49 states’ tours, I can see why so many RVers put them on their list of things to do in each state. I enjoyed the experience and the information immensely. But you know me, I love inexpensive adventures and I love museums. So the Washington State Capitol adventure was right up my alley.
The tour ends at the gift shop. Since it was free, I bought a few post cards and other items to say thanks for the tour.
Would love to hear your experiences with any state capitol visits.
Links to Relevant Posts:
- Tips and Tricks for Money-Saving Adventures
- RV Memberships: National Park Passes
- Two Months in Walla Walla Part II
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