Colorado State Capitol

The fifth state capitol I visited was the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Construction was started in 1886 and completed 15 years later. It measures 383 feet long and 315 feet wide.

The exterior walls are constructed of granite quarried near Gunnison, Colorado. The gold dome rises 272 feet and is covered with 47 ounces of gold. It was originally covered in copper until citizens objected that copper was not a primary metal of Colorado.

There are 35 Senate districts and 65 House districts, adjusted every ten years based on the distribution of the state’s population. Senators are elected to serve for four-year terms, half elected every two years. Each senator represents about 123,000 Coloradoans.

The House of Representatives has 65 members who are elected to serve two-year terms. Each representative represents about 66,000 Coloradoans.

The grand staircase is adorned with oak leaves and acorns cast in brass. It consists of 57 steps and 176 brass balusters.

The pink stone is Colorado rose onyx discovered near Beulah, Colorado. The unique color has only been found in Colorado. The designs in the stone resemble famous people, animals and objects.

Eight murals tell the story of Colorado and how important water was to the development of the West. They were painted by artist Allen True and poet Thomas Ferril.

On display is a hand stitched wall hanging that tells the story of prominent Colorado women in the first 100 years of state hood. More than 3,500 people put a stitch in the wall hanging.

Visitors are welcomed to walk up 99 steps to the interior observation area. The view is amazing. One interesting fact: the windows of the dome are opened to help circulate the air and for natural air conditioning.