Pennsylvania State Capitol

Harrisburg became Pennsylvania's capital in the early 1800s, chosen for its central location on the Susquehanna River, an important crossing and trade route. The river valley was part of the ancestral homeland of the Susquehannock people, for whom the river is named, and whose descendant nations continue elsewhere today. The city grew into a hub of government, rail, and industry over the following century.

The present capitol is actually the third to stand on the site. An earlier building burned in 1897, and a hasty, unfinished replacement was set aside when funds ran short. The state then commissioned the grand structure that stands today, determined to build something worthy of a great commonwealth, and the result was so opulent that its cost later became the center of a notorious graft scandal, a reminder that even a palace of art can carry a complicated history.

The architect Joseph Huston conceived the capitol as a palace of art, uniting the finest American painters, sculptors, and craftsmen of the day in a single building. The centerpiece is the rotunda, where a sweeping marble staircase, modeled on the grand escalier of the Paris Opera, climbs beneath a dome inspired by the great churches of Europe, all glowing with gilding and color.

Throughout the building, murals by the artist Violet Oakley and others tell the story of Pennsylvania's founding ideals, especially William Penn's vision of religious liberty. Stained glass, sculpture, and richly carved details fill the House and Senate chambers and the supreme court room, making nearly every surface a work of art meant to inspire the lawmakers and citizens who pass through.

One of the capitol's most beloved features lies underfoot. The floors of the rotunda and corridors are paved with tens of thousands of handmade tiles created by Henry Chapman Mercer at his Moravian Pottery and Tile Works in Doylestown. Rather than a repeating pattern, the tiles form a vast mosaic of scenes depicting Pennsylvania's natural life and human labor.

Look down and you find animals, birds, and fish of the state, along with images of its industries and trades, from mining and farming to shipbuilding and glassmaking. Mercer meant the floors to be a working portrait of the commonwealth, and walking across them is like reading an illustrated history of the state told entirely in clay.

The capitol is an indoor destination, so it welcomes visitors and runs its guided tours in any season and any weather, making it an ideal choice on a rainy or cold day when outdoor plans in the Susquehanna Valley fall through.

Spring and fall are especially pleasant for pairing a tour with a walk along Harrisburg's riverfront park and the historic City Island in the river. Summer brings the fullest tourist season downtown, while the colder months make the warm, glowing interior all the more welcoming. Around the holidays the capitol often takes on a festive air.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.