Florida

Located in downtown Tallahassee, the Florida Capitol Complex is a mix of old and new. The Historic Capitol Museum—the state capitol building until 1977—sits directly in front of the current one, a 22-story executive office tower. One’s prettier than the other. Spoiler: it’s not the concrete tower.

Learn more about the Florida State Capitol and how to plan your visit. There is also a very good Florida Capitol Visitor’s Guide (PDF) you can download and/or print.

My trip to the Florida Capitol Complex was an exercise in time management on the road. As with the previous year, I swung through the United States Southeast on the way home to Texas to make proper state capitol visits and get passport stamps.

I arrived in Tallahassee the evening of Saturday, 17 September 2022. Knowing that following Monday would have me on a very tight, ambitious schedule that included stops at the Alabama and Mississippi State Capitols, I decided to visit the complex that Sunday to get my outside shots since the new capitol would not open until Monday morning.

the “old” capitol, restored to its 1902 glory, is now the Historic Capitol Museum. It’s open seven days a week, so I was able to visit on Sunday as well. I recommend ensuring enough time to visit both the old and new capitols.

Other than the lack of aesthetic quality on the outside tower, the current Florida State Capitol could not be more Floridian. Like many current Florida residents who migrate from New York (because shoveling snow sucks), the state secured the services of a New York architectural firm, which partnered with one from Jacksonville to design the new capitol.

Inside the current capitol, however, the team in charge of interior design understood the assignment. It is elegant and gorgeous throughout, but not overly ornate. The Plaza Level, or ground floor, has a rotunda on the east side with the Great Seal of the State of Florida in the center. There is also a Capitol Welcome Center on the west side, which is where you get your passport stamp and begin tours.  

The capitol is home to the Florida Governor and Florida Legislature, consisting of the Florida Senate and Florida House of Representatives. The official Florida Legislature website is called “Online Sunshine.”

Like the other three state capitols that are towers (Louisiana, North Dakota, and Nebraska), the Florida State Capitol features an enclosed observation deck on the 22nd floor, which also includes an art gallery showcasing the work of Florida artists.

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