by No trip to Denver would be complete without a visit to the Colorado State Capital as part of our quest to visit all the state capitol buildings in the country.
The Colorado State Capitol was constructed in the 1890s and opened in November 1894. It is the home of the Colorado General Assembly, as well as the offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Treasurer.
The building was designed by architect Elijah E. Myers, and modeled after the U.S. Capitol. It was constructed of Colorado white granite and topped with a dome of copper panels.
The inside of the building features what is believed to be the entire known supply of Colorado Rose Onyx, a rare rose-colored marble from a quarry near Beulah, Colorado.
White Yule Marble from the quarries near Marble, Colorado, was also used throughout the building for the floors. (Fun fact: Jennifer and I visited Marble way back in 2004 on our first trip together, and saw huge chunks of marble that had fallen off train cars while being transported out of the quarry. The blocks were so large and the marble so plentiful that the fallen pieces were left lying where they fell, and are still there today!)
Many of the windows in the building are stained glass, depicting people and events related to the history of Colorado.
The Capitol sits slightly higher than the rest of downtown Denver. The official elevation of Denver is measured on the West steps outside the building, where the 15th step is engraved with the words “One Mile Above Sea Level.”
In 1969 and 2003, additional surveys were done and markers were installed on the 18th and 13th steps, respectively, indicating where the one mile elevation was discovered to be at the time!
The rotunda on the third floor is decorated with portraits of U.S. presidents and other artwork.
Guided tours of the capitol include a trip to the dome, where views of the Rocky Mountains and downtown Denver can be enjoyed.
All in all, this is one of the finer state capitols we’ve seen. It retains a “Western” feel throughout despite the fancy materials, and the intentional use of Colorado-sourced marble, stone, and wood is nice to see.
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