California State Capitol Museum
Encyclopedia
The California State Capitol Museum comprises a museum in and grounds around the California State Capitol
in Sacramento, California
, USA. The building has been the home of the California State Legislature
since 1869. The building underwent a major renovation, known as the California State Capitol Restoration, from 1975 until 1982 to restore the Capitol to its former beauty and to retrofit the structure for earthquake safety. Although not generally considered earthquake country, Sacramento was hit by two earthquakes within days of each other in 1892 which damaged the Capitol. The State Capitol Museum has been a property in the California state park system since 1982.
mural, the "History of California." On the first floor, visitors can tour the restored historic offices of the Secretary of State
, Treasurer
, and Governor of California
, as well as two rotating exhibit rooms. In the center of the rotunda stands the marble statue, "Columbus
' Last Appeal to Queen Isabella
," sculpted by Larkin Mead and given to California by banker and philanthropist D.O. Mills
in 1883. The museum offers self-guided and guided tours (normally on the hour), and a chance to see the legislature at work when it is in session.
The grounds also feature approximately 155 memorials to significant events and people involving California
, and other points-of-interest. Only a selection are listed below, grouped by section, roughly from west to east (9th Street to 15th Street), and then from north (L Street) to south (N Street) within each section:
Between 9th and 10th streets:
Between 10th and 11th streets:
Between 11th and 12th streets:
Between 13th and 14th streets:
Between 14th and 15th streets:
California State Capitol
The California State Capitol is home to the government of California. The building houses the bicameral state legislature and the office of the governor....
in Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, USA. The building has been the home of the California State Legislature
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
since 1869. The building underwent a major renovation, known as the California State Capitol Restoration, from 1975 until 1982 to restore the Capitol to its former beauty and to retrofit the structure for earthquake safety. Although not generally considered earthquake country, Sacramento was hit by two earthquakes within days of each other in 1892 which damaged the Capitol. The State Capitol Museum has been a property in the California state park system since 1982.
Capitol Museum
While the entire building may be considered a museum, the heart of the Capitol Museum can be found on the basement and first floor of the original section of the building. In the basement can be found the tour office (B-27), a small theater showing several short films on the history of the Capitol, the gift shop, and the Arthur MathewsArthur Frank Mathews
Arthur F. Mathews was an American Tonalist painter who was one of the founders of the American Arts and Crafts Movement. Trained as an architect and artist, he and his wife Lucia Kleinhans Mathews had a significant effect on the evolution of Californian art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
mural, the "History of California." On the first floor, visitors can tour the restored historic offices of the Secretary of State
California Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of California is the chief elections officer of that U.S. state. The Secretary of State is also responsible for the California State Archives, as well as chartering corporations. The Secretary of State is elected to four year terms, concurrent with the other constitutional...
, Treasurer
California State Treasurer
The California State Treasurer is responsible for the state's investment and finance. The post has more narrow responsibilities and authority than the California State Controller...
, and Governor of California
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
, as well as two rotating exhibit rooms. In the center of the rotunda stands the marble statue, "Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
' Last Appeal to Queen Isabella
Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I was Queen of Castile and León. She and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon brought stability to both kingdoms that became the basis for the unification of Spain. Later the two laid the foundations for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor...
," sculpted by Larkin Mead and given to California by banker and philanthropist D.O. Mills
Darius Ogden Mills
Darius Ogden Mills was a prominent American banker, philanthropist and, for a time, California's wealthiest citizen.-Biography:...
in 1883. The museum offers self-guided and guided tours (normally on the hour), and a chance to see the legislature at work when it is in session.
Capitol Park
There are 40 acres (16.2 ha) of gardens in the surrounding Capitol Park, including trees and shrubs from around the world. There are approximately 1140 trees in the park (not including shrubs) representing over 200 types of trees.The grounds also feature approximately 155 memorials to significant events and people involving California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and other points-of-interest. Only a selection are listed below, grouped by section, roughly from west to east (9th Street to 15th Street), and then from north (L Street) to south (N Street) within each section:
Between 9th and 10th streets:
- The Earl WarrenEarl WarrenEarl Warren was the 14th Chief Justice of the United States.He is known for the sweeping decisions of the Warren Court, which ended school segregation and transformed many areas of American law, especially regarding the rights of the accused, ending public-school-sponsored prayer, and requiring...
Walk, dedicated to the former Governor and Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, marks the path he wore on his walks from the Capitol to the Sutter Club. - El Soldado Tribute to Mexican American Soldiers of World War II, created at the behest of the Sociedad de Madres Mexicanas, Gold Star mothers.
- The California Peace Officer's Memorial, honoring those officers who have died in the line of duty and remembering those they left behind.
Between 10th and 11th streets:
- California Registered Historical Landmark No. 872, denoting the Capitol Complex as landmark.
- The Great Seal of the State of California, cast in bronze and placed at the west steps in 1952, was followed by the Native American and Spanish-Mexican Commemorative seals in 2002.
- The Capitol CornerstoneCornerstoneThe cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
, near the north entrance, placed in 1978 to replace the original 1861 cornerstone. - The Apollo 14Apollo 14Apollo 14 was the eighth manned mission in the American Apollo program, and the third to land on the Moon. It was the last of the "H missions", targeted landings with two-day stays on the Moon with two lunar EVAs, or moonwalks....
Moon TreeMoon treeMoon trees are trees grown from 500 seeds taken into orbit around the moon by Stuart Roosa during the Apollo 14 mission in 1971. As the Command Module Pilot on the Apollo 14 mission, and because he was a former smoke jumper, Roosa was contacted by Ed Cliff, who was the Chief of the Forest Service...
, planted as a sapling in 1976 that was grown from a seed (among hundreds) carried by command module pilot Stuart RoosaStuart RoosaStuart Allen Roosa was a NASA astronaut, who was the command module pilot for the Apollo 14 mission. The mission lasted from January 31 to February 9, 1971 and was the third mission to land astronauts on the Moon...
during the 1971 mission. - The Sisters of MercySisters of MercyThe Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy is an order of Catholic women founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. , the order has about 10,000 members worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations....
Memorial, honoring the religious order which arrived in Sacramento in 1857 to care for the children of miners and to serve the sick and homeless. The land they purchased for the site of a school eventually became the site of the Capitol. - The September 11 Memorial, including a plaque and three rose bushes, dedicated on the one year anniversary of the attacks.
- The California Civil War Veterans plaque, located at the east entrance, dedicated in 1963 to California veterans of that conflict.
- The U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Marker, placed in 1888, is located at 38°34'35"N by 121°29'33"W.
- The Senator Capitol Kitty Memorial, remembering the beloved feline resident of Capitol Park.
Between 11th and 12th streets:
- The Pioneer Camellia Grove created in 1942 by the Native Sons and Daughters of the Golden West in tribute to the pioneers of the city and county of Sacramento.
- A life-sized statue of Father Junípero SerraJunípero SerraBlessed Junípero Serra, O.F.M., , known as Fra Juníper Serra in Catalan, his mother tongue was a Majorcan Franciscan friar who founded the mission chain in Alta California of the Las Californias Province in New Spain—present day California, United States. Fr...
, a Roman Catholic missionaryMissionaryA missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
sent by SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to help colonize California. At its base is a map of California's 21 missions, from San Diego to Sonoma. - Behind Father Serra stands an El Camino RealEl Camino Real (California)El Camino Real and sometimes associated with Calle Real usually refers to the 600-mile California Mission Trail, connecting the former Alta California's 21 missions , 4 presidios, and several pueblos, stretching from Mission San Diego de Alcalá in San Diego...
Commemorative Bell, placed by the California Federation of Women's ClubsGeneral Federation of Women's ClubsThe General Federation of Women's Clubs , founded in 1890, is an international women's organization dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service...
and the California State Automobile AssociationCalifornia State Automobile AssociationAAA Northern California, Nevada and Utah , formerly known as the California State Automobile Association , is one of the largest motor clubs in the American Automobile Association National Federation...
to celebrate the placing of the original bells along the route in 1906 by the CFWC. - The Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
Memorial GroveGrove (nature)A grove is a small group of trees with minimal or no undergrowth, such as a sequoia grove, or a small orchard planted for the cultivation of fruits or nuts...
planted in 1897 with saplingTreeA tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s from famous Civil War battlefields. - Within the grove stands the Reverend Thomas Starr KingThomas Starr KingThomas Starr King was an American Unitarian and Universalist minister, influential in California politics during the American Civil War. Starr King spoke zealously in favor of the Union and was credited by Abraham Lincoln with preventing California from becoming a separate republic...
Memorial, originally one of two statues representing California in Statuary Hall in the U.S. CapitolUnited States CapitolThe United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
, but replaced in 2009 by Governor and President Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
. - The Spanish War Veterans Memorial, commonly called "The Hiker," after the appearance of the uniform.
- The ship's bell from the USS California, the only dreadnaught-type battleship built on the Pacific Coast. Sunk at Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl HarborThe attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, she was raised, refitted, and rejoined the fleet in 1944. - The reproduction of the Liberty BellLiberty BellThe Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American Independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House , the bell was commissioned from the London firm of Lester and Pack in 1752, and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY...
, one of fifty-three replicas cast in 1953 as part of a nationwide savings bond drive. - The World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Memorial Trees, planted in 1921 in memory of the unknown first California soldier to die in that conflict. - The Governor Hiram W. JohnsonHiram JohnsonHiram Warren Johnson was a leading American progressive and later isolationist politician from California; he served as the 23rd Governor from 1911 to 1917, and as a United States Senator from 1917 to 1945.-Early life:...
Memorial Parkway, dedicated to the progressive and conservationist Governor. - The California Department of Transportation Highway Workers Memorial, remembering those CalTrans workers killed in work-related incidents.
- Y-ET-IM TEH-LEI-LI California Indian Grinding Rock
Between 13th and 14th streets:
- The Insectary, constructed in 1908 as a research facility, is now used as a service area for the Department of General ServicesCalifornia Department of General ServicesThe California Department of General Services is a state government agency in the California State and Consumer Services Agency of the executive branch of the government of California in the United States...
groundskeeping crew. - The California Firefighters Memorial erected to honor the fallen firefighter.
- The California Veterans Memorial, a graniteGraniteGranite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
obeliskObeliskAn obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
honoring California Veterans from the Mexican-American War, Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Spanish-American WarSpanish-American WarThe Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Korean WarKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and the Persian Gulf WarGulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
. - By the Veterans Memorial stands the Purple HeartPurple HeartThe Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
Monument, in honor of those veterans killed, wounded, or disabled in combat.
Between 14th and 15th streets:
- The California VietnamVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
VeteranVeteranA veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
s Memorial, with life-size bronzeBronzeBronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
figures of service men and women depicting military life in VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and featuring engravings of names of Californians killed or missing in actionMissing in actionMissing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively...
. - The World Peace Rose Garden, a 0.42 acre garden with about 650 roses in over 140 varieties of colors and fragrances on display.
- The California Native Plant Section, created in 1911 with the efforts of the Native Sons and Daughters of the Golden West, planted almost exclusively with flora native to the state.