Museum display case with famous two-headed calf
The Georgia State Capitol is the seat of government of the state of Georgia. It houses the offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, and secretary of state, as well as the legislative chambers in which the General Assembly, consisting of the Georgia State Senate and Georgia House of Representatives, meets each year from January to April. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Georgia Capitol Museum, located on the 4th floor of the Capitol building, seeks to preserve and interpret the history of the Georgia Capitol itself as well as the events that have taken place within its walls. The Museum collects, maintains, and exhibits significant artifacts, including historic flags and works of art, and offers educational tours to visitors and school groups.
The best way to learn about Georgia’s Capitol is to come visit, or watch Symbol of the New South.
Also, check out our new video: Let's Go Inside the Georgia State Capitol Museum
Another good starting point to learn about the building's history (and to learn about almost anything else about Georgia) is the New Georgia Encyclopedia:
One of the most recognizable features of the Atlanta skyline is Georgia's gold-domed state capitol, located several blocks southeast of the center of downtown. Although dwarfed by nearby skyscrapers, the dome glistens from the same hill that supported the first state capitol building in Atlanta.
Early Capitol Buildings
In all, three different buildings in Atlanta have served as statehouse; the first two have been torn down. This story begins in April 1868, when Georgia held a statewide referendum to ratify a new constitution. Article 10 of the 1868 Constitution designated Atlanta as the new state capital. Shortly afterward the contents of the old Milledgeville statehouse were shipped by train to Atlanta, where there was not yet a building to house the new state government. City and county officials came to the rescue by volunteering the building then used jointly as the Atlanta City Hall and Fulton County Courthouse.
Excerpt from Georgia State Capitol from the New Georgia Encyclopedia, written by Edwin L. Jackson, University of Georgia
Capitol Facts
Began Construction: 1884
Completed Construction: July 4, 1889
Cost of Construction: Just under 1 million dollars
Materials: Limestone (Indiana), marble (Georgia), wood (Georgia), cast-iron (Georgia), gold (Dahlonega, Georgia, added in 1958)
Number of Floors: 4, top floor houses the Georgia Capitol Museum
Height: 237 feet, from the top of Miss Freedom's torch to the foundation
Architects: Franklin Burnham and Willoughby Edbrooke of Chicago
Construction: Miles and Horne of Toledo, Ohio
Previous Capitol: The Kimball Opera House on Marietta Street, burned down in 1894
Branches of State Government in the Capitol: Executive and Legislative; Supreme Court of Georgia until 1950, and is now across the street at the Nathan Deal Judicial Center.