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Texas State Capitol

The place where government and history happen every day.

Observe politics in action. Watch lawmaking from the House and Senate galleries, or stroll the rotunda to visit the legendary leaders of Texas

Vote in local and state-wide elections. Research issues you care about, learn about where your local and state-level officials stand on those issues, and then head to the polls

Learn how Texas's past shapes the state's present and future by visiting the Bullock Texas State History Museum, located on Congress Avenue, six blocks from the Capitol

Be a part of the Texas Story Project. You are Texas history, and we want you to share your story

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Texas State Capitol Tours

4.7 952 votes

(682) 382-1235

• Monday: Closed
• Tuesday: 1 PM
• Wednesday: 10:30 AM
• Thursday - Sunday: 1 PM
• All Tickets: $20

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Visiting the Texas State Capitol Complex

The Texas Capitol Appeals to History Buffs and Political Junkies Alike

Like the national capitol, the Texas state capitol was once considered the “people’s house.” It used to be open almost all the time, with limited security. Security has been tightened in recent years, but the Texas state capitol still welcomes the public year-round. The easiest way to view the building is to pick up a brochure on the first floor and take a self-guided tour.

Guided Tours

However, you’ll get more out of the visit with the help of a knowledgeable tour guide. Guided tours start every 15 minutes in the south foyer and last about 40 minutes. Normal business hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; and Sunday noon to 3:30 p.m. A typical tour covers the building’s architecture, state history and fun facts about the Texas Legislature.

The guided tour will help you spot some of the less obvious details of the building, such as door hinges with “Texas Capitol” engraved into them. Similar attention to detail can be seen in the doorknobs and in the floor tiles. For those interested in the “wow factor,” there are also sweeping staircases and glittery chandeliers.

On weekdays, a special Women in Texas History tour is offered at 11:15 a.m., and a Heroes of the Texas Revolution tour begins at 2:15 p.m. Nature buffs may also want to pick up the Trail of Trees brochure. It highlights the history of the capitol’s well-manicured grounds, with a particular focus on the majestic oak, southern magnolia and bald cypress trees. In total, there are 25 different tree species on the capitol grounds.

Capitol Visitors Center

Located at 112 East 11th Street, the Capitol Visitors Center houses exhibits related to the history of the capitol and the state as a whole. Larger group tours of the capitol, such as school field trips, can also be arranged here.

The Capitol Visitors Parking Garage is located at 1201 San Jacinto Boulevard. You can enter from East 12th Street or East 13th Street. The first two hours are free, and each additional half hour costs $1; the maximum charge is $12. Keep in mind that you'll be exiting onto San Jacinto Boulevard, which is a one-way street heading south.

Brief History and Fun Facts About the Texas State Capitol

· The design of the capitol building was decided via a nationwide competition. Architect Elijah E. Myers, who also designed the capitols in Colorado and Michigan, won the competition. The contractors on the project were granted 3 million acres of land, which later became the famous XIT ranch in the Panhandle.

· Controversy haunted the building’s construction from the beginning. The pink granite was donated by the owners of a quarry in Marble Falls. However, to save money, the state decided to use convicts to quarry the notoriously hard rock. When local granite cutters boycotted the project due to the use of convict labor, the state brought in workers from Scotland to replace them.

· In 1993, a sprawling underground capitol extension opened. Essentially, the capitol outgrew its above-ground space and had to start building downward. The 600,000-square-foot four-level structure includes offices for Senators and House Representatives, parking, a bookstore, cafeteria and auditorium. The design features skylights that let in a remarkable amount of natural light.

· Texas’ first permanent capitol was completed in 1853, but the Greek Revival building burned to the ground in 1881.

· In the south foyer, life-sized statues of Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin stand guard over the entryway. A huge painting in the foyer by  William Henry Huddle  depicts a major turning point in Texas History: the surrender of Mexican General Santa Anna. Tiles in the terrazzo floor depict 12 major battles fought in Texas.

· One of the oldest outdoor exhibits is the Heroes of the Alamo, built in 1891. The gazebo-shaped structure displays battle scenes. The names of the people who fought and died at the Alamo are engraved into the granite. The Alamo itself is also a worthwhile stop if you’re in the region for several days.

· Try clapping your hands while standing under the capitol rotunda and listen as the sound echoes throughout the massive structure.

· In the senate chamber, many of the original desks, made of walnut, are still in use. They’ve been modified slightly to accommodate modern technology.

· In a sign of how important agriculture was to the state in its early days, an Agricultural Museum was created within the capitol soon after the building was completed. In addition to displaying information about some of the state’s early food crops, the room is chock full of antiques from the 1800s and early 1900s.

Dining Nearby

The capitol’s site in the heart of downtown Austin means that  several restaurants, in every price range, are within walking distance .

Other Attractions

Another historic building, the  Paramount Theatre , is three blocks south of the capitol on Congress Avenue. It hosts red-carpet movie premieres, plays, stand-up comedy and concerts. 

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Capitol City Tours

• Book a Tour

About the Tour

Join us on an engaging tour of the Texas State Capitol Building! Learn about Texas history while admiring the statehouse and its surrounding grounds. Our 60 minute walking tour offers a look at some of the Texas State Capitol’s principal features along with captivating tales from your guide.

Tours run Tuesday through Sunday at 1PM, except for Wednesday at 10:30AM.

• You do not need a printed ticket; we have the info you entered in the reservation system.
• Masks are appreciated, but not required.
• AT TOUR TIME: We gather at the outdoor rotunda on the North Grounds of the Capitol, just south of 15th street at Congress Avenue.
• You will be going through a metal detector, and are subject to being searched when entering the building.
• If meeting us by car, there is ample street parking surrounding the building. Metered parking is $1 per hour, we suggest purchasing at least 1.5 hours of parking (tours last approximately 1 hour).
• Tours include stairs, but we are happy to be accommodating. For more information on accessibility, you may refer to the Capitol Accessibility Guide .
• Please feel free to call 682.382.1235 with any questions or comments.
• All Tickets: $20

Call us to book a private tour - perfect for social distancing - 512.659.9478

The Texas State Capitol

One of the benefits of visiting Austin, the capital city of Texas, is touring the impressive capitol building at 1800 Congress Avenue. It may look familiar – the architect, Elijah E. Meyers, modeled it after the capitol building in Washington D.C., However, because it’s located in Texas, it is 14 feet taller than the Federal Capitol Building, and after an underground extension was completed in the mid 1990s, surpassed the federal building in square footage as well.

The importance and the prominence of the Capitol Building for the city of Austin cannot be overstated enough, and the city has taken care to preserve the views of the capitol from around the city. Until the 1960s, no building was permitted to be taller than the capitol building. But when the University of Texas built the 26-story Westgate Tower, controversy sparked, creating what is now know as “Capitol View Corridors.” All in all, there are now 39 Capitol View Corridors in the city, which block the development of buildings that would impede the view of the capitol from various points in the city.

The main entrance to the Texas capitol building is located on the south side of the structure, famously approached via Congress Avenue, whose buildings frame the capitol, providing an iconic, treasured promenade to the entrance. Above the doors at the main entrance, there are six seals located on the building, representing the six independent countries that which have laid claim to Texas over the centuries. To enter, you’ll go through a short security. On the other side of security, is the South Foyer, where all tours depart.

The capitol has a myriad of knowledgeable tour guides who are happy to answer questions while they direct you through the various places around the building or grounds. The tours vary in subject matter, ranging from the basic capitol tour, which explores the building’s rooms and architectural highlights, as well as tours which focus on Women in Texas History, Heroes of the Texas Revolution, and there are a variety of seasonal tours throughout the year: an African American Trailblazers Tour in February, a Hispanic Heritage Tour in September, a Rest in Peace Tour in October which explores the ghost stories of the capitol, a Texas Veterans Tour in November, and a Holiday Capitol Tour in December, which explores the different holiday traditions from a variety of ethnic cultures in Texas. Tours generally depart every half hour, but on busy days are known to depart every quarter hour, and all tours are free.

If you’d rather explore at your own pace, the South Foyer also provides two different maps: the capitol building map, and the capitol grounds map. Each map locates and describes points of interest for their respective area, which range from war and veteran memorials, to sculptures and portraits of important people from Texas’ colorful history, to the legislative rooms in the building. As you depart, make sure you visit the Capitol Gift Shop, which has two locations. There is one in the downstairs extension, and one in the Capitol Visitor’s Center, located on the southeast side of the building. There you can find a variety of unique Texas-themed gifts ranging from salsas to belt buckles, coffee mugs, framed works of art, and of course, the official Capitol Christmas ornament, which designs a new style each year.

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Texas State Capitol

Description.

Occupying 22 acres on a hilltop in the center of downtown, the Texas State Capitol is comprised of two three-story wings flanking a central four-story volume capped by a 60-foot-wide cast-iron dome. Behind its reddish granite façade, the Renaissance Revival building contains 360,000 square feet of legislative and administrative facilities. Upon its completion, the Capitol was touted as the seventh largest building in the world; today it remains the largest (though not the tallest) state capitol in the United States.

Placemaking

Rising 311 feet (14 feet higher than the U.S. Capitol, upon which it is modeled) the Texas State Capitol overlooks Austin from its impressive perch at the end of Congress Avenue . As a piece of architecture, the Capitol serves multiple functions: it symbolizes the city’s political importance, provides a geographical reference point for miles around, and plays an integral role in defining Austin’s sense of place. Even among an increasingly crowded skyline, the great arch and dome of the Capitol stand out today; imagine how they must have dominated the horizon 100 years ago.

The presence of the Capitol on Austin’s skyline has been deemed so important that its visibility from certain viewpoints is protected by city and state law. As buildings grew taller in the mid-20th century, Austinites realized that the dome’s visibility was under threat. In 1983, legislators passed a bill establishing 30 protected “Capitol View Corridors” ranging in length from 1,700 feet to over five miles. Within these corridors, the height of new construction is strictly limited in order to protect views of the Capitol dome. While these corridors have at times been a source of frustration for developers, the views they protect form a significant part of Austin’s landscape, and their protection represents a unique recognition of architecture’s role in our shared cultural heritage.

For 84 years, the Texas State Capitol was the tallest structure in Austin. After its predecessor burned to the ground in 1881, a national competition resulted in the selection of Detroit-based architect Elijah E. Myers, who proposed a design in the style of the 15th-century Italian Renaissance, complete with round arches, classical columns, and a symmetrical composition. The state paid the contractor with three million acres in the Texas panhandle, which later became the largest cattle ranch in the world (not a bad deal). Over 1,000 workers—many of them convicts or migrants—labored over the Capitol’s construction for seven years, during which 188,000 cubic feet of “Texas pink” granite were transported to the site from a quarry 50 miles away. The result is a magnificent edifice that is at once imposing and delicate, rugged and refined.

The Capitol is surrounded by 22 acres of landscaped grounds filled with monuments to Texas history; wander up the oak-shaded promenade to the grand four-story front porch (with a detour to the powerful African American History Memorial, on your left). As you enter, notice the ornate, custom-made bronze hardware on the doors. Passing through a hall of iron columns with Corinthian capitals, you will arrive at the central rotunda, which is actually the inner layer of a “double dome” structure fabricated in Belgium. The rotunda measures 266 feet from the terrazzo star on the floor to the bronze star in the crown. If you should happen to overhear a disembodied snippet of conversation, you’re not hallucinating; the rotunda’s shape creates a “whispering gallery,” a phenomenon in which faint sounds echoing across the dome may be heard on the opposite side.

To the east and west of the rotunda are the two legislative chambers—each restored in the 1990s to their early-20th century grandeur. The state’s 31 senators have noticeably more legroom than their counterparts in the 150-seat House of Representatives. The skylights that once illuminated both chambers have been replaced with more energy-efficient electrical imitations. As a final flourish, notice the custom-made chandeliers, whose light bulbs spell out “TEXAS” inside five-pointed stars. – Bud Franck

Bud Franck, Russ Moore, Atelier Wong Photography, Austin History Center

Texas Capitol Visitors Center

Located in the restored 1856-57 General Land Office building. The three-story castle-like structure is the oldest state office building in Texas. The Visitors Center details Texas history through exhibits and videos. Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. noon-5 p.m. The center offers free, guided tours and self-guided tours as well as group and specialty tours.

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Kids Can Tour the Texas State Capitol Building Virtually

In keeping with the growing opportunities for online viewings and virtual tours, the Texas SenateKids website offers extensive tour and virtual viewing options of the Texas State Capitol building in Austin. Completed in 1888, this beautiful piece of Lone Star State history houses the offices and chambers of the Texas Legislature and the Governor. During this time of social distancing and the closure of tours due to COVID-19 and the Coronavirus pandemic, virtually touring this amazing piece of Texas history is a true blessing.

Construction of this Texas Hill Country-based monument to our governance was completed over six years . In 1970, the Texas State Capitol building was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1993, a $75 million underground extension to the north plaza was constructed as an addition.

Photo: envato elements

Some quick facts about this building include:

• It’s the sixth tallest state capitol in America
• It’s one of only a few which were constructed taller than the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
• It’s the third building to serve its purpose (the second was destroyed in the great capitol fire of 1881)
• The construction crews consisted, for the most part, of migrant workers and convicts.
• The building’s cornerstone was laid on Texas Independence Day (March 2, 1885)

When it was completed, the Texas State Capitol building was opened to the public San Jacinto Day (April 21, 1888). The owners of Granite Mountain, in nearby Marble Falls, donated the granite which is seen on its exterior today. A restoration project took place for the interior and east wing, from 1983 to 1993, as a result of damages it sustained from another fire.

If your family is looking for points of interest here in Texas that they wish to see online, the Texas SenateKids website also provides details regarding the history of the Texas State Capitol. Although it’s not the same as experiencing first-hand all of the statues and paintings on-site, as well as the well-manicured grounds, this truly breathtaking marvel of Texas architecture is almost as impressive online. For a unique bit of family time in which the younger ones can learn something new, the Texas SenateKids online portal is a great place to start!

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Visiting the texas state capitol with kids.

If you prefer to tour at your own pace, you can pick up a free self-guided tour pamphlet and work your way around at your leisure.

The first two hours of parking are free in the Capitol Visitors Parking Garage at 1 2 01 San Jacinto St., located about two blocks from the Texas State Capitol. Click here for a map and info about fees after your first two hours.

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— Beautiful Grounds The Capitol grounds are made up of about 22 acres of lovely, landscaped green space in the heart of downtown. It’s a great place to picnic under the shade of the big trees or let the kids enjoy some carefree fun. You’ll also find 17 monuments, so pick up a free brochure and monuments map  from the Capitol Visitors Center for details about each monument.

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Do512 Family is all about what to do in Austin with kids. We love to be out and about in Austin and are always looking for fun things to do with the family.

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