City: Nashville, TN

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (615) 741-1621

Description: Free guided tours of the Tennessee State Capitol are provided throughout the day Mon through Fri at designated times by the staff of the Tennessee State Museum. Tours depart from the information desk on the first floor. If you prefer to take a self-guided tour, pick up a brochure at the information desk. When the legislature is in session, the capitol’s hours of operation are extended if either the House of Representatives or the Senate is still in session. On legislative meeting days, visitors can view the Senate and House from their galleries, which are accessed by the second-floor stairwells.The Greek Revival–style building was begun in 1845 and completed in 1859. Its architect, William Strickland of Philadelphia, began his career as an apprentice to Benjamin Latrobe, architect of the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. Strickland died before the Tennessee State Capitol was completed and, per his wishes, was buried in the northeast wall of the building near the north entrance. Strickland’s son, Francis Strickland, supervised construction until 1857 when Englishman Harvey Akeroyd designed the state library, the final portion of the building. The capitol stands 170 feet above the highest hill in downtown Nashville. On the eastern slope of the grounds is the tomb of President and Mrs. James K. Polk and a bronze equestrian statue of President Andrew Jackson. During the Civil War, the capitol was used as a Union fortress. In the 1930s the murals in the governor’s office were added. Various restoration projects have taken place over the years. In 1996 a bronze statue of Andrew Johnson was erected so that all three US presidents from Tennessee are commemorated on the capitol grounds. The Tennessee State Capitol is open Mon through Fri but is closed on holidays. Parking is available at metered spaces around the capitol complex or in public parking lots downtown.