Michigan State Capitol

 

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65

Neal W.

Lansing, MI

7/31/2009

I believe every citizen should visit their state capitol building at least once.  Thankfully, the Michigan State Capitol is a gorgeous building.  A lot of us probably visited on a field trip as children.  I recommend a visit as an adult.

They give tours pretty much every weekday.  This is a working building, and you never know what you might be able to see.  Our tour guide was really knowledgeable, and filled us in on the history of the building.

This building was fully renovated in 1992.  There were plans at one point to replace it.  I'm glad they didn't.

The glass floor located in the rotunda is a favorite.  Otherwise, there is a ton of architecture and design to be seen here.

Plus, the tour is free.  FREE.  There is no reason not to visit.

Don't listen to the review from Dave S.  He's probably just jealous that his state isn't as cool as Michigan.

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6

178

Dave S.

Milwaukee, WI

1/24/2008

The Michigan State Capitol was the fourth capitol I visited. I was there in the summer of 2002.

Now that I've seen quite a few state capitols I'm staring to notice some trends. For one thing, the Midwestern Capitols tend to be really, really ornate. Sometimes to the point of being over the top. The Michigan Capitol is like that. There are some nice touches here and there, and it's a clean, well maintained building, but, like Iowa's Capitol, the Michigan State Capitol is trying way too hard to impress the visitor. Maybe the fact that the Midwestern Capitols tend to be overly ornate almost to the point of tacky says something about the Midwest. Maybe, or maybe not.

Either way, the Michigan State Capitol is not quite Victorian, not quite Beaux Arts. It's definitely decorated differently than many of the classic Beaux Arts capitols I've been in. Almost .... Victorian. But not quite. Dark wood panelling fills the common chambers, with ample color so as to avoid monotony. But there are few rooms that really "grab you" and fill you with wonder, like in a lot of other capitols.

There seems to be a scarcity of good light fixtures in the Captiol. Many of the rooms seemed overly dark. Maybe the Michigan legislators like it that way so thay can catch a nap between (or during) sessions.

Like most Capitols, a lot of thought was given to the view of the inner dome from the rotunda. This is where the Michigan Capitol steps it up a notch. In the middle of the inner dome you've got an oculus set with a simple painting representing a starry sky. The effect is serene, but the rotunda and inner dome are dark. I was there on a bright sunny summer's day, and it felt like midnight in there.

The grounds of the capitol also left a lot to be desired. The capitol is just kind of "there," in the middle of Lansing. No real parklike setting to speak of.

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