West Virginia Trip Post #2 - State Capitol

On our way to West Virginia with a school trip last month, after a stop at the Hopewell Culture Historical State Park in Chillicothe, OH, we stopped at the West Virginia state capitol building in Charleston, W.V.  This is the second state capitol building I've visited in my life.  I first visited the Iowa state capitol building as a kid, and then again as an adult a few months ago.  The West Virginia state capitol is just my second.  I'm way behind!  Here are a few pictures from the outside.

It's some very beautiful and interesting architecture.  The inside does not disappoint either!

One of the more interesting aspects of the interior of the building, in my opinion, is the two legislative chambers, the house and the senate, seen below.

It gives me a bit of a chill thinking about these two rooms and the bills that eventually became laws in West Virginia that started right here.  I may not agree with some of these laws, but I hold deep respect for the process behind them.  

Of course the capitol building visit was not complete without getting my capitol book stamped!  It only has two stamps now, but that's two stamps closer than I was 6 months ago!

If you're ever in the area of Charleston, WV, take a few hours to visit the capitol building and surrounding grounds.  There are a few memorials outside the capitol building, as well as a state museum right next door.  More on this tomorrow.  The West Virginia capitol building is quite cool with a ton of history behind it.  It's great experience and best of all, it's free!