Explore the gaudiest state capitol building around.
When Michigan became a state in 1837, the state capitol was located in the city of Detroit, where most of the state population was concentrated. However, it was decided to move the capitol more towards the center of the state, and away from British troops in Windsor, Ontario, right across the river from Detroit. Lansing was chosen and it was there that they built a grand new capitol.
The Capitol Building in Lansing, Michigan before 1882, a simple wood framed building that only meant to be temporary.
Work on the current building began in the early 1870s. It opened to great fanfare in 1879. It was a grand building, built to allow expansion of government. It inspired a trend of large, fire-proof capitol buildings across the country.
The current state capitol building.
A closer look at that grand dome. It was painted white for some reason.
The visitor enters at the bottom floor of the building. The tours begin here. They are free of charge and are very informative. You are also allowed to walk around on your own. However, watch the session calendar if you want to see the entire capitol building.
The tour starts here, under a glass ceiling/floor right underneath the giant rotunda.
The tour continues upstairs. The hallways are pretty magnificent. However, they were not always this way. In 1969, much of the decoration was covered up or removed when they added another floor to the building, not to the top but interior. The building was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1992, after a grand restoration which removed the added floor and returned the interior to the original gaudiness.
One of the restored hallways.
Under the rotunda is a display area for Civil War battle flags. They are now all replicas. You can see here the glass floor, that lets light into the room below.
Look up and you get to see the very pastel dome of the rotunda.
The dome is decorated with images of muses from Greek and Roman mythology.
A close up the oculus of the dome, painted as a starry sky.
Four stories open up onto the rotunda.
I love the hallways in this building. So colorful!
The tour heads upstairs again. The building has two matching grand staircases right off of the rotunda.
Portraits of past governors grace the walls of the rotunda on the second and third floors.
The Governor’s Office is mostly ceremonial now. The main office is actually next door, where there is more room. They may have expected government to expand but not nearly enough room was given.
Gerald R. Ford, Michigan’s only president and the only president not voted into office.
We headed to the balcony of the House of Representatives Chamber. The room is truly impressive. 110 desks face the podium where the Speaker of the House sits. The state seal above the seat. The coffered ceiling above (also located in the Senate Chamber) features ruby and white etched glass with the state seals of all 50 states, as well as other Victorian designs and other themes.
The very dark House of Representatives.
The coffered ceiling is pretty cool though.
Now onto the original Supreme Court Chamber. The Supreme Court left in 1970 and the room is now used for committee meetings.
I can see why they left. This room is tiny and very, very green. The Victorians really loved green.
Last but not least, is the very pastel and French Baroque-like, Senate Chamber. Less dense than the House of Representatives Chamber, the Senators get their own desk here.
The Senate Chamber, much brighter than the rest of the building.
The room was hard to get into one photo.
I think Michigan may be able to claim the status of having the gaudiest capitol building, full of outrageously painted walls, fake walnut paneling (actually painted pine), and pastels, but that is why it is so amazing. There is even a state seal inspired chandeliers, complete with deer.
The deer alone scream Michigan, honestly.
Have a couple of hours near Lansing, Michigan? Make sure you stop by and take a tour of this amazing capitol building.
Check out a state capitol building inspired by this one in this post. It’s near the end.
