Ohio

My first visit to the Ohio Statehouse in July 2021 was part of a memorable day in the state capital of Columbus with a friend I had not seen since high school in La Grange, TX. She found a home there and encouraged me to visit. Despite my frequent trips to Ohio, I did not visit the Ohio Statehouse until then, and my friend graciously accommodated my request to see it during our driving tour.

This is one of the first state capitols I visited before refining my approach to include more than a quick stop, so I finally revisited exactly four years later (to the day) in July 2025 to properly complete my quest and visit both legislative chambers. Learn more about Ohio Statehouse history or plan a visit.

The statehouse is in Capitol Square, which consists of the Statehouse, the adjoining Senate Office Building on the 3rd Street side, grounds with monuments, and connecting Atrium. The Ohio Legislature, consisting of the Ohio Senate and House of Representatives, meets in the Statehouse.

In front of the 3rd Street entrance, don’t miss the U.S. and Ohio state flags in flowers. The Ohio Burgee is the only state flag that is non-quadrilateral; it has a swallow-tail design.

The Ohio Statehouse is one of 11 without a dome; it has a cupola instead.

Inside, make sure to stop by the Map Room, which features a large floor map of Ohio’s 88 counties and the adjoining museum. This allows you to “visit” all of them at the same time! Nearby, the gift shop kindly mailed postcards I sent to my parents.

Ohio is my mother’s home state, and the only state I have lived in outside of Texas. As a girl, we left Texas temporarily to live in my mother’s hometown of Akron for 10 months. We then returned to Texas for good. My mother and father, who is from neighboring Pennsylvania, moved to Texas two weeks before I was born, so I am a native and (pretty much) lifelong Texan. I still have family in Akron and visit at least once a year.

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