Colorado State Capitol Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

Colorado State Capitol
U.S. National Historic Landmark District Contributing Property
U.S. Historic district Contributing property

The Colorado State Capitol in Denver
Location in Colorado Show map of Colorado Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	200 East Colfax Avenue Denver, Colorado, United States
Built	1901; 124 years ago (1901)
Architect	Elijah E. Myers
Architectural style	neoclassical style
Part of	National Historic Landmark District (#12001017) Civic Center Historic District (ID74002348)
Designated NHLDCP	October 16, 2012
Designated CP	February 27, 1974

The Colorado State Capitol Building is a very important place in Denver, Colorado. It's where the laws for Colorado are made! This beautiful building is home to the Colorado General Assembly, which is like the state's parliament. It's also where the Governor of Colorado, Lieutenant Governor of Colorado, and the Colorado State Treasurer have their offices.

The statue The Closing of an Era at the Colorado capitol.

History of the Capitol Building
Inside the Capitol Building
Gallery
See also

History of the Capitol Building

The Colorado State Capitol looks a lot like the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. It was designed by an architect named Elijah E. Myers. Construction started in the 1890s, and the building officially opened in November 1894.

The Famous Gold Dome

One of the most special parts of the Capitol is its shiny gold dome. This dome is covered with real gold leaf! The gold was first added in 1908. It was put there to remember the exciting time of the Colorado Gold Rush.

A Historic Landmark

The Capitol building is part of Denver's Civic Center area. It's so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Later, in 2012, it became part of the Denver Civic Center National Historic Landmark District. This means it's recognized as a very important historical place in the United States.

Keeping the Capitol Safe

From 2001 to 2009, the Capitol building had a big safety upgrade. This project added modern safety features, like new stair towers. These new parts were designed to blend in perfectly with the original look of the building.

Inside the Capitol Building

The Capitol building sits on a small hill, making it stand out in downtown Denver. It's a really tall building! The main entrance hall goes up 180 feet (55 meters) to the top of the dome. That's as high as an 18-story building!

One Mile High!

Denver is famous for being "The Mile High City." The official measurement for Denver's elevation is taken right outside the west entrance of the Capitol building. You can find the fifteenth step engraved with the words "One Mile Above Sea Level." From this step, which is 5,280 feet (1,609 meters) high, you can see the sun setting behind the beautiful Rocky Mountains.

Over the years, people have re-measured the "mile high" spot. In 1969, students found the 18th step was a mile high. Then, in 2003, with more accurate tools, they found the 13th step was exactly one mile high. So, there are three markers on the steps!

Building Materials

The outside of the Capitol building is made from gray granite. This granite came from the Aberdeen Quarry near Gunnison, Colorado. About 24,000 tons of this stone were used!

The inside of the building is even more colorful. It uses a lot of Colorado Rose Onyx, which is a rare pink marble. This marble came from a quarry near Beulah, Colorado. So much was used that it used up all the known supply! White Yule Marble from quarries near Marble, Colorado was also used for the floors. If you look closely at the marble, you might even spot designs that look like famous figures!

Art and History Inside

Many of the windows in the Capitol are made of beautiful stained glass. These windows show important people or events from the history of Colorado. The hallways are decorated with portraits of every president of the United States. Most of these were painted by Lawrence Williams. More recently, artists Sarah A. Boardman and Kirsten Savage have painted the portraits of Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.