Kentucky Old State Capitol Building — Attraction in Frankfort

I took an educational, entertaining guided tour of the Old Kentucky State Capitol Building on Wednesday, June 27, 2018.

Guided tours are the only way to tour the inside of the building. The tours begin with a walk to the Old State Capitol Building from the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History (The Kentucky Historical Society Museum) a couple of blocks away.

Paying $8 for a self-guided tour of the impressive collection there at the Thomas D. Clark Center also entitles one to take a guided tour of the Old State Capitol (and take a self-guided tour of the Kentucky Military History Museum). I think it's a great bargain.

Before entering the Old State Capitol Building, my guide (Steve) pointed out the spot where Governor Goebel was shot, which is marked by a plaque. He also pointed out some details about the assassination.

The entrance foyer and overall architecture of the building seemed impressive.

The tour included a room that contains a huge collection books, primarily law-related. This room had served as the mail room for the state government long ago, Steve said.

The self-supporting staircase in the Old Capitol Building is an impressive sight itself. Steve (my guide) said the only step in the staircase that is supported at all is the top one, which is inset a bit into the wall on one side--to keep it from lifting up, not to keep it from falling down. I remember many years ago on my first trip to this building, a 1972 eighth grade class trip, that a tour guide told us that the harder we stepped on the top step the stronger it got. We children had fun stepping and jumping on that step. And I still enjoyed the staircase on this second visit, which was in June 2018.

It was also nice to see the structure of the building. And I enjoyed seeing the furnished Senate and House of Representatives chambers with desks, chairs, and artwork. Two large gas chandeliers (one in each chamber) originally there remain. But, they have been converted to electric.

One of the two cloakrooms is still there. My guide wasn't sure if it was the one for the Senate or House of Representatives. But it was nice to see this room, along with some furnishings. The room even had a chamber pot in it behind a curtain. This building did not have either indoor plumbing or electricity when originally constructed.

During the school year there are probably crowds of school children taking the tour. But on the afternoon of June 27, I was the only person there for the 1:30 p.m. tour. It was a privilege to get a one-on-one tour with Steve. He patiently answered my questions, and the tour took probably about an hour or an hour and fifteen minutes.

I urge persons in Frankfort to seek to take a guided tour of his...

What a beautiful historic building! And on the day I visited, the Chambers were filled with Kentucky state legislators!

Perhaps the more amazing folks, however, where the passionate and brilliant historians who have cared for that building and researched what happened there and are filled with stories that actually happened inside those walls over the last 200 + years! Not the typical volunteers at historical site spending time because no one else will do it. These people wanted me to know what they know! I love Kentucky just like they do. The Old Capitol building is where...

I went there when I was young and I was just mesmerized by the marble flooring. The atmosphere itself was quiet but it felt like everybody inside that building was powerful. This is history, and this is now because everything that happened in the past has some correlation with now. This is the capital of my home state that I love so much... Kentucky. This is the heart of Central Kentucky between Lexington and Louisville and I love passing by here on the interstate. Anyways the Capitol building is such a representation of our strength as a...