California State Capitol Building & Federal Court House

Information About The California State Capitol

Only 20 minutes away from the Lions Gate Hotel you will find the California State Capitol and the Federal Court House in Sacramento.

Tours of the California State Capitol and Capitol Museum

Free guided tours of the State Capitol and the Capitol Museum are available seven days a week (except for a few holidays) and are about one hour long. There are 3 different tours available: the Capitol Tour, the Historical Tour, and the Capitol Park Tour. In the Capitol Tour, visitors will discuss the development of the Capitol and the role of government while viewing 3 floors of the building as well as the Senate and Assembly Chambers when available.

The Capitol Tour is offered daily on the hour from 9 am until 4 pm, and the tour is limited to 30 people. On the Historical Tour visitors will go through the recreated executive offices as they were at the turn-of-the-century. Capitol Historic Tours are made available by State Capitol Museum Volunteers; please call for tour times as space is limited to 10 people. The Capitol Park Tour is also offered at the California State Capitol; in this tour visitors will explore the history and splendor of Capitol Park . This tour is usually offered daily at 10:30 from mid-June through Labor Day, please call in advance for reservations and availability.

California State Symbols

Flag - the Bear Flag: Red for courage, white for purity, with grizzly bear and star.

Motto - Eureka; appears on the State’s Great Seal. It is a Greek word meaning “I have found it”, referring to the discovery of gold.

Nickname - The Golden State – A good nickname since modern California ’s success started with the discovery of gold.

Colors - Blue and Gold ribbons are used on the State Seal. They are also the colors of the University of California.

Song - “I Love You, California ” was chosen as the state song in 1951.

Insect - The California Dog-face Butterfly is found nowhere else.

Mineral - Gold. California has produced more gold than any other state. It can still be panned from streambeds today.

Flower -The Golden Poppy.

Animal - The Grizzly Bear appears on the State Flag and the State Seal.

Tree - The California Redwood in both Coastal and Sierra forms.

Fish - The California Golden Trout is found only in the icy streams of the high Sierra.

Back to top

About the Capitol

Governors Office
1906: The Governor is the Chief Executive of California. In 1906, George Pardee was Governor. He was the first to live in the Governor's mansion, now an historic house museum on 16th and H streets that you can tour. Governor Pardee was a practicing doctor. He always kept his medical bag at the mansion in case he had to go out on a house call.

The main office looks the same as it did soon after the huge 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The Governors’ desk is stacked with newspapers about the disaster, and telegrams from concerned people all over the world. Note the light fixture: In 1906 electricity replaced gas, but it was still a new idea. They kept the gas fixtures just in case electricity wasn’t here to stay.

Secretary of State’s Office
1902: Early in California history, the Secretary of State was in charge of many things, which is why the office looks so cluttered. In 1902, every vote was counted by hand and reported to this office. The wooden box on the desk is one of the earliest ballot boxes. Notice the eagle on it’s perch. These were often seen in government offices as a symbol of government leadership.

By 1905 the Secretary of State ran the first Department of Motor Vehicles from this office. He issued drivers licenses that were good for a lifetime, and also registered autos. At that time there were only about 60 cars in all of California. Today, there are over 30 million.

Treasurer’s Offic
1906: The Treasurer guards the state’s wealth. Notice the bear’s head over the doorway to the vault. It looks like it is protecting the almost $7 million in silver and gold coins that were once stored here. Most of the accounting work was done by hand … no calculators! If you stacked 7 million silver dollar coins on top of each other, it would reach almost 14 miles high.

1933: Compare this room to the 1906 office next door. Many of the old fashioned bright colors seen in the older office were changed to lighter more modern colors in the 1930’s. The safe in this office weights 22,000 pounds. Companies in three states made the locks, so that no one single company had the combination. For security, on person in the Treasurers’ office had half the combination and another kept the other half.

Legislature – Legislative Chambers
The striking red and green colors of the two chambers were borrowed from the British Parliament. The British system was the model for our country’s two-house system. The lawmaker’s desks are original and date back to 1869. Modern improvements include the addition of laptop computers and microphones. The panel behind the upper desk acts like a big chalkboard. It allows lawmakers to know what matter is “on the floor”. In class, you raise your hand to be called on. Here, the lawmakers raise their microphones and wait their turn.

Senate Chamber
There are 40 elected members of the State Senate. They run for four year terms and represent over 800,000 citizens in their district. Members vote by roll call. Names are called in alphabetical order and each member says “aye” or “no”,. The Reading Clerk, who sits at the front desk, records each vote. The painting of George Washington is the oldest thing in the room. It was given to the Senate in 1854. Below the painting you can find, in gold leaf, words that mean “It is the duty of the Senators to protect the liberty of the people”.

The Assembly Chamber
There are 80 elected members of the State Assembly. They run for two year terms and represent over 423,000 citizens in their district. Here members vote by pressing the buttons on their desks. The members of the Legislature come from many backgrounds. Many were farmers, teachers, lawyers, or businesspeople.

Hallways
You will see many portraits of California ’s governors in the hallways of the State Capitol. Peter Burnett was our first governor. Governor Pete Wilson and Governor Jerry Brown are near each other on the third floor. Notice the difference in style between these two paintings!

The Rotunda
Soaring 120 feet above you is the rotunda, or inner dome. It’s 15 times higher than the ceiling in an average modern home. Many people think the style of the dome looks like a giant decorated egg.

Halfway up the dome, you will see golden garlands with cornucopias (horns of plenty). These represent the many crops that are grown in the state. Did you know that California grows more crops than any other state? Over the arches to the hallways is the head of Minerva. She was the Roman goddess of wisdom. In mythology, Minerva was born full-grown. Her birth is similar to the way California became a state, without first becoming a territory.

The Basement Rotunda
There are 12 murals by Arthur Matthews in the basement rotunda. The murals were completed in 1914. Look closely and you’ll see they tell stories of the history of California. Can you find the painting about the discovery of gold or the first ship to sail into Monterey Bay?

If you look behind the murals near the Bill Room or Gift Shop, you’ll see a special glassed off area. This gives you a view of the original buildings’ foundation, made stronger for safety during an earthquake.

Back to top

Sacramento Area Virtual Tours and Information

State Capitol

Virtual Tours

Browse the Galleries

Stroll the Park

Tour the Offices