Capitol Use Policies

The Virginia Capitol, one of the most historic structures in the Western Hemisphere, every year welcomes thousands of Virginia citizens and visitors from around the country and throughout the world. The Virginia Capitol is unique among historic sites because it also is a working government building. It is important to respect and safeguard the historic nature of the Capitol as well as preserve the public’s access to their government without impeding the day-to-day operations of state government and the conduct of the people’s business.

In accordance with local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations, interim rules regarding the Capitol and the House and Senate galleries have been established jointly by the Clerk of the House and the Clerk of the Senate at the direction of the General Assembly’s Committee on Joint Rules.

Capitol, Gallery and Mezzanine Use Policy – House

Capitol, Gallery and Mezzanine Use Policy – Senate

Groups interested in holding an event on Capitol Square will need a permit. Please see the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Division of Engineering and Buildings (DEB) webpage for information on obtaining these permits.

 

Dining and Catering

Capitol Cafe & Shop

The Virginia Shop and Meriwether’s café, both conveniently located in the Capitol Extension, welcomes visitors to enhance their visit to Mr. Jefferson’s Capitol with a charming keepsake and a tasty treat. The Virginia Shop offers a unique selection of gifts inspired by our Capitol and our Commonwealth. Meriwether’s café offers a distinctive menu, made to order using the freshest ingredients, of sandwiches, salads, sides and sweet treats.

The Virginia Shop at the Capitol
The Virginia Shop at the Capitol

The Virginia Shop at the Capitol (804)698-7661 is located in the Capitol extension. Gift store hours are Monday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The store is closed on Sunday. They offer a wide variety of state seal gifts, jewelry, books and more. If you are hosting a group trip to the Capitol, you can order gift bags for your guests in advance. Gift bags range from $2 per bag to $10 per bag.

After Exploring Mr. Jefferson's Capitol, stop by Meriwether's, for a made to order sandwich.
After Exploring Mr. Jefferson’s Capitol, stop by Meriwether’s, for a made to order sandwich.

Meriwether’s at the Capitol offers several options and venues for guests visiting the Capitol.

The Capitol Café located in the Capitol extension is open to the public, Monday through Friday. Guests can enjoy a meal in the cafe, which does have limited seating, or use Meriwether’s take-out service to enjoy on the lawn of the Capitol. Choices range from soup, salads, sandwiches and daily specials for lunch to snacks and fresh baked cookies. Or try a
specialty coffee drink for that afternoon pick-me-up, brewed with locally roasted, fair trade coffee. The cafe can be reached by phone at (804)698-7438

Breakfast Service Hours: open for breakfast beginning Thursday, July 20, 2017. Breakfast will be served from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. each weekday.

Lunch Service Hours: Lunch service will begin at 10:30 a.m. and continue through 3:00 p.m.

Hours During the Legislative Session: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., or half an hour after the adjournment of the General Assembly

Meriwether’s at the Suntrust Building

The cafeteria in the General Assembly Building (GAB) closed on June 30, 2017 due to the legislature’s move from the GAB to the Pocahontas Building. The cafeteria will reopen in a new location in the SunTrust Building (919 East Main Street, 3rdFloor – across the street from the Pocahontas Building) in October, 2017.

Hours – 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

During the Legislative Session – 6:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

Due to the GAB Cafeteria closing, the transition to the new space, and the impact this will have on our exclusive caterer, Meriwether-Godsey, spaces in the Capitol will be unavailable to be reserved for special and after-hours events between June 19, 2017 and October 31, 2017. Special events sponsored by legislative groups will be considered on a case-by-case basis. You may contact Jennifer Welch with the Senate of Virginia at (804) 698-7460 or jwelch@senate.virginia.gov or Jay Braxton with the House of Delegates at (804) 698-1552 or jbraxton@house.virginia.gov for additional information.

Parking

Handicap parking

Private vehicles with handicap tags are able to park and unload passengers on Bank Street between 9th and 10th streets, near the new public entrance. There is no public parking on the Capitol Square grounds.

Motorcoach Parking

Three or four spaces are presently available on Bank Street between 10th and 12th Streets. Buses should not stay on Bank Street longer than 2 hours. As of 2008 the former “Bus Loop” behind Old City Hall is no longer available to school or tour buses visiting the Capitol. Overflow bus parking is available at the Virginia War Memorial, on 2nd Street south of Spring Street. Group leaders will need to be in phone contact with their drivers.

Public Parking

There are four free general public spaces (1 hour) on the north side of Bank Street, between 9th and 10th Streets. A limited number of metered public parking spaces (2 hours) are located on the west side of 10th Street, between Main and Bank Streets, on Bank Street, between Governor and 14th Streets, on the south side of Main Street, between 9th and 12th Streets and on 12th Street between Main and Bank Streets.

Pay parking lots and decks are nearby on 8th and Grace Street and 7th and Marshall Streets. Downloadable maps of nearby parking lots and decks, as well as rates, are available via Ridefinders Downtown Commuter Guide web page.

If you have any questions about parking lots in the capitol vicinity, please call the Capitol Tour Desk at (804) 698-1788 or email the Tour Desk at capitoltourguides@house.virginia.gov

Capitol Entrances and Exits – Bank Street

Public Entrance

Commercial tour groups, school groups and the general public will enter the restored and expanded Capitol from a new entrance plaza near 10th and Bank streets.

Street Traffic Patterns:

Bank Street has become a two-way thoroughfare between 9th and 14th streets, in order to make the new public entrance more accessible.

Keepers of the Flame

Tens of thousands of Virginia’s students will soon learn more about Virginia’s central role in American history, thanks to a new film, Keepers of the Flame, being produced by the Virginia Capitol Foundation with assistance from actor, filmmaker and Virginia native Tim Reid. Filming is complete, edits are being made, and the 20-minute visually-interactive film is expected to debut at the Virginia Capitol’s Visitor Center in the fall.

Narrated by Thomas Jefferson, portrayed by Bill Barker, the film will enhance student visitors’ experiences by featuring compelling stories of individuals who have made an impact on Virginia history – from well-known figures like Jefferson and George Washington to lesser-known citizens like Barbara Johns who proved that everyone can make a difference. This film coupled with the Capitol’s dynamic educational programs and exhibits hopes to tell the story of Virginia’s representative government, celebrate the Commonwealth’s central role in American history and inspire viewers to appreciate and become involved with public service.

We express our appreciation to these generous donors for funding they provided to produce Keepers of the Flame: Robins Foundation, Parsons Foundation, Dominion, Philip Morris USA, Genworth, MeadWestvaco, Windsor Foundation, Wachovia, Gwathmey Memorial Trust, Gilder Lehrman Institute, & many individuals.

 

 

1818 Cast Iron Fence

9th_st_fenceRestoration of the 1818 cast iron fence (including many of its 7,000 individual pickets and 350 fence posts) around Capitol Square was completed in 2009. The fence is the oldest and largest example of a cast iron fence in the United States and is listed with the Department of Historic Resources, the first step in qualifying for National Historic Landmark status for Capitol Square. Donors including the Roller-Bottimore Foundation, Marietta McNeill Morgan and Samuel Tate Morgan, Jr. Foundation, The French Heritage Society and the Commonweath Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution funded the project.

 

18th century woodwork

Jefferson RoomIn 2007, restoration and documentation of the Capitol’s 18th century woodwork is made possible with a generous donation from the Cabell Foundation, matched by the Commonwealth of Virginia. This discovery was a key element of the UNESCO World Heritage Application, the highest designation a natural or manmade site can achieve.

 

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.

Heritage List Press Release

 

Civil Rights Memorial Unveiled on Capitol Square

On July 21, 2008, The Virginia Civil Rights Memorial was unveiled on Capitol Square. The Memorial is a privately financed, $2.6 million granite and bronze statue. It is the first statue on the grounds of the historic Capitol to include depictions of blacks and women in prominent roles.

Many citizens and speakers attended the unveiling of the Civil Rights Memorial on Capitol Square.
Many citizens and speakers attended the unveiling of the Civil Rights Memorial on Capitol Square.

The 18-figure sculpture called a “living memorial” by sculptor Stanley Bleifeld is meant to represent a key moment in the history of the civil-rights movement in Virginia. The new Memorial spotlights the African-American students in rural Prince Edward County whose 1951 walkout to protest their run-down school led to a lawsuit that was folded into the challenge that triggered the 1954 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court banning segregated public schools.

Among the figures on the Memorial is Oliver W. Hill, Sr. holding a rumpled legal brief aloft as he stands shoulder to shoulder with law partner Spottswood W. Robinson III. They took on the case of the Prince Edward County students who protested the shabby condition of their school. Barbara Johns was the one who called the school strike in 1951 and she is also featured. The student protests garnered support from the local community, benefiting from the moral leadership of the Rev. L. Francis Griffin, who is also a part of the memorial.

Thomas Jefferson Statue

Thomas Jefferson: Architect of Liberty
Thomas Jefferson: Architect of Liberty

The Board of Trustees of the Virginia Capitol Foundation announced that the long-anticipated statue of Thomas Jefferson was dedicated on Friday, May 4, 2012. The Executive Committee of the 2007 Virginia Capitol Restoration and Extension Project charged the Virginia Capitol Foundation with the task of commissioning an original work of art representing Thomas Jefferson, the architect of the Virginia Capitol. Three distinguished Virginians – Tom Farrell, Bill Goodwin, Brent Halsey and their families – stepped forward to fund the project which has taken just over a year to complete. Ivan Schwartz, co-founder of StudioEIS, was tapped by the Foundation to create the original full-length bronze image. The statue, on permanent display in the Capitol Extension, serves as a guidepost, beckoning the more than 100,000 annual visitors to enter America’s first monument to democracy.

Read the full press release.