About the Capitol
Welcome and thank you for your interest in Virginia's Capitol. With the extensive restoration that has recently been completed, there is no better time to discover all that the new Capitol has to offer. Improvement features include; a new Visitor's Center, cafe and gift shop in the underground extension. Also, painstaking effort was made to bring the Capitol's appearance back to it's look in the early 1900's era. A wonderful, architectural blend of new and old, the Capitol carries on themes originally presented by Thomas Jefferson and also caters to a 21st century visitor's expectation of what the Commonwealth's Capitol should be.
Current Events at the Capitol
150th Anniversary Commemoration held on Capitol Square
The 150th Anniversary of the unveiling of the Equestrian Statue of George Washington was celebrated on Friday, February 22, 2008 at 12 noon in the Old House of Delegates Chamber. Governor Tim Kaine, Lt. Governor Bill Bolling, House Speaker Bill Howell and many other guests attended the ceremony. Delegate John M. O'Bannon, III, introduced the featured speaker for the event, Ms. Tracy Kamerer, who recounted the history of the monument. The ceremony included a performance of the music composed for the 1858 ceremony by James Magruder ("The Virginia Washington Monument Grand March").
A downloadable brochure for the event is available.
Jefferson's State Capitol and Poplar Forest Named as Sites On "U.S. Tentative World Heritage List"
The Virginia State Capitol, recently restored, and Poplar Forest, Jefferson's rural retreat in Bedford County, are among 14 sites in the U.S. selected for inclusion on a new U.S. World Heritage Tentative List, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced earlier this year. Inclusion on the U.S. list is "the necessary first step" toward being considered for inscription on the United Nations World Heritage List, "the most prestigious international recognition accorded to properties of global importance," Kempthorne said in his announcement.