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Step 1
Know that the Capitol was finished in 1888. At the time of its completion the Capitol was one of the largest office buildings in the world and it has always been claimed that the dome is taller than that of the United States Capitol in Washington. The building was 311 feet tall, with 392 rooms and housed most of the offices of the state government. Over the decades various agencies and departments moved into their own buildings, but this did little to alleviate the overcrowding in the building. False ceilings and partitions were added, electric wiring became tangled and the whole structure became a tinder box. In the 1980s a fire in the Lieutenant-Governor's on-site apartment alerted the state government to the necessity of renovating the building. The capitol was given an extensive overhaul and a two-level extension was built underground to the north of the original structure.
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Step 2
Park in one of the state parking garages and walk to the Visitor's Center, which is located on the southeast corner of the Capitol grounds in the old General Land Office building. Here they can get information on the history of the capitol and its construction as well as on other Texas tourist attractions. The grounds of the Capitol are full of shady live oaks, hungry squirrels and enormous stone monuments and statues.
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Step 3
Come in through the south entrance, which has an amazing view down Congress Avenue. The entrance lobby is dominated by statues of Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin, carved by the eccentric Elisabet Ney. To the left is the old State Treasury Business Office with its Victorian cage; this is where the guided Capitol tours begin.
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Step 4
Go to the rotunda under the great dome. The walls for several stories are lined with portraits of Texas governors. And everybody likes to stand on the terrazzo State Seal in the center of the room and try out the acoustics. Also on the first floor is a turn-of-the-century Agricultural Museum and the Office of the Secretary of State.
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Step 5
Observe that on the second floor, the House Chamber takes up most of the west wing and the Senate most of the east. Both rooms appear as they did in 1910. Both chambers are filled with historic paintings and legislative photos; the House Chamber has the original San Jacinto battle flag behind the Speaker's desk. On the south end of the second floor is the Governor's Reception Room, which is often the site of press conferences or bill signings. On the north side is the lofty Legislative Reference Library, with its cast iron book stacks.
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Step 6
Be aware that on the third floor are the restored courtrooms of the State Supreme Court and State Court of Criminal Appeals, which are used now as committee meeting rooms, since those courts have moved out of the Capitol. This floor also offers access to the House and Senate galleries and is the starting point for the Capitol Dome tour.
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Step 7
Know that the underground extension can be reached either through the basement or by going into one of the ground level pavilions on the north side and taking an elevator down. Most of the legislative offices are located in this extension, as is a sunny atrium, open-air rotunda, gift shop and an inexpensive cafeteria.
