The Capitol Building
add photosThe Capitol Building in Denver is the home of the Colorado General Assembly and the offices of the Governor of Colorado and Lieutenant Governor of Colorado. The building is intentionally reminiscent of the United States Capitol.
6 Reviews for The Capitol Building
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'10, '11, '12
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"A must see!"
We had a shuttle that was taking us to the Denver Mint, and we arrived really early. I suggested to my husband that we walk to the capitol building and check it out, as I had noticed it on our drive over. It was about a 15 minute walk, but that was with a 2 year old and a 4 year old. They enjoyed the walk through a city park and really liked the squirrels that were running around.
The capitol building had never been on our to-do list, so we had no idea what to expect. Upon entering we found a visitor’s guide and quickly realized there was a lot to see. The building is just beautiful; all of us were in awe. The guide was helpful in pointing out some points of interest to us. The children loved going to the top of the building and seeing what the inside structure looks like and going to the top of the dome. The stained glass work is amazing and only adds to the wonderful architecture of the building. While most of the things to see are inside the mile-high marker on the steps outside made for a great picture opportunity as well.
While probably not on most lists of things to see in Devers I would say it is a “Must Add!” to the list.
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"You have to climb the steps!"
Interesting stop on our family trip. We climbed the steps to 1 Mile Above Sea Level and stood for our photo on the appropriate step. This was fun, and something memorable for a child. Other historical figures on site. Lots of others did so, too, and it was a cute thing to do to create a little family memory "in town".
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"Beautiful, Historic & Free!"
I'm all about the "free" & we love throwing in historic & education things into our trips. This is a definite must-see that meets all three categories.
The Capitol is also amazingly accessible. After visiting the CA State Capitol in Sacramento, I was amazed at how open the CO State Capitol is. After the expected walk through a metal detector, you are free to roam the entire building! The doors to the Senate Chambers are wide open, you can walk right up to the Governor's Secretary in the Executive Offices, and they even allow you to sit in the gallery & watch legislative proceedings when in session. Also, you can walk all the way to the top of the dome & see the spectacular views.
They say online that you need to reserve a dome tour, but I found that unnecessary, even though I did. It's not guided - they just let you walk on up. In addition ot the free dome tour, there is a free tour of the rest of the building. The dome tour is up 93 steps, so obviously, no strollers. You need ot be able to walk up several flights of stairs - no elevators.
There are TONS of squirrels on the grounds around the building, so bring some bread. The kids will go nuts over them!
IMPORTANT: Don't forget to go to the steps at the front of the building. There is one engraved with "One Mile Above Sea Level." When you stand on it you're standing, you guessed it, one mile above sea level! Great photo op.
A note on parking...after cruising downtown Denver for 45 minutes, we did find a pocket of lots with reasonable ($5-$7 per day) & convenient parking. Go to West 13th Avenue, between Cherokee & Bannock. It's an easy walk from here to the Mint & the Capitol. You're also accross form Pint's Pub, which has very good burgers & amazing homemade potato chips.
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"great visit"
I took my kids here on a mini field trip. We unfortunately came on a day when there were large visitor groups booked so we had to wait in a long line to get up into the dome, but I heard that is usually not the case. You can see into the senate and house chambers and can even take a seat and watch a session. Neither was in session during our visit but we plan to go back during a session - you are sitting so close to the action - would be really educational.
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"Lots of walking"
We went to the Capital Building not knowing what to expect and we were pleasantly surprised. The building had a large dome on top and we were able to climb up into the dome and we had an amazing view of the city and the Rocky Mountains. There are also guided tours which are free. One of the steps on the outside of the building is labeled as being One Mile Above Sea Level, which is pretty neat. By parking in a parking lot about 6 blocks away, we were able to be in downtown Denver from 6am to 6pm and it only cost $7!
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"Historical and inspiring"
We very much enjoyed our day at the Capitol, viewing the artwork, stained glass, unique Rose Onyx found only in the Capitol Building, listening to debates in the house and senate and watching congress vote, and climbing the newly reopened dome. We feel our kids really internalize more about how our government works, and how great our nation is by visiting these historic places. We will be going each year as part of our school's coalition, and I know we will learn something new each time!
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