This is actually the third state capitol building. After the first two burned down, the Missouri legislature approved this stone and steel structure that has stood the test of time. Now in need of a face-lift, we though it was interesting to see that the only thing visible from this side was the city's namesake--a statue of Thomas Jefferson. The bad news is we couldn't see the grand staircase and the majestic entrance that usually surrounds President Jefferson.
The good news is that the refurbishing is only happening outside. The inside of the capitol looks good, and the rotunda is too tall to be captured in one picture.
We enjoy state capitol tours, because we always learn so much about the culture and history of the state. For example, we see that the state has deep roots in Christianity with the rotunda decorated with "LORD GOD OF HOSTS BE WITH US YET, LEST WE FORGET." We also learned that while the state wanted grand murals decorating that rotunda, they wouldn't pay to bring a European artist all the way to Jefferson City. So these unusually-shaped murals were painted on canvas in Europe, and then attached to the walls.
That same thrifty mind-set is in use today. This huge room is the chamber of the House of Representatives. Since they are recessed this time of the year, this expansive room is not lighted, even though there are tour groups entering every thirty minutes. This is the second-largest of all the state capitols, so saving a little on the lighting bill is good fiscal policy.
Murals adorn many of the walls in this huge capitol building. Our tour guide invited us to sit in the House of Representatives waiting room, where this mural encircled the room. This larger-than-life mural was the work of Thomas Hart Benton, a very famous artist that also just happens to be a native Missourian. Our guide pointed out the different historical events that the mural depicts, and how those events affected Missouri. There is a mistake in this section of the mural, and Mark spotted it right away. We'll give you a few minutes to spot it yourself.
The picture above is less than a quarter of the mural that encircles the large room. Mr. Benton used real people as models for this picture painted in 1936. Our tour guide mentioned that the little boy on the ground visited the capitol not long ago. He is now 91. The baby getting his diaper changed is a local, and is now 83.
We know you are still wondering what the mistake in the mural is. But in the meantime, our tour of Jefferson City continues. Lewis and Clark followed the Missouri River on their expedition to the west, so they are immortalized on this bluff overlooking the river.
We are surprised to see that some of the bright-colored annual flowers are still blooming here. But we have to say that the bright-colored fall leaves are prettiest right now.
Just down the street from the capitol is the governor's mansion, all decorated in fall finery like pumpkins and mums.
We enjoy visiting state capitols and mansions, but Tripadvisor says that the #1 thing to visit in Jefferson City is neither of those. It is the prison! The Missouri State Penitentiary was in the business of incarcerating maximum security prisoners from 1836 until 2004. With that long history, it has many stories to tell. We got a peek at some of the stories when we walked through the museum housed in the warden's old home across the street. We didn't take the 2-3 hour tour of the prison, but it really gets good reviews.
Our motor home is parked at the Cracker Barrel in Columbia, Missouri. So after our tour of Jefferson City we made a stop for a hike on our way back to Columbia. We are in the Rock Bridge State Park, where we hiked to--you guessed it--the rock bridge. That big rock ledge behind Denisa is the opening to a cave with an exit on the other side that bridges to another section of the park.
We really like Missouri State Parks because they don't charge admission fees, making this quick hike a cheap possibility. The board walk took us down many stairs to the opening of yet another cave.
If we would have had more time (and the required three light sources for each person) Mark would have loved to go spelunking through this cave system.
This underground cave runs for 6.5 miles in this area. A river runs through the cave, making it necessary to swim or canoe through many sections. There are also sections like this one, where the cave roof has collapsed allowing some light in. It looks like quite an adventure!
It was an interesting park, and a beautiful place for a hike on a cloudy day. We had lots of stairs and changes in elevation, as we can see Denisa high up on the rocks from where Mark was standing near the caves.
Have you figured out the mistake in the mural at the state capitol? Since you have been so patient, we reward you with the tale of the mistaken tail. The tour guide pointed out the old plow, that the artist originally intended to be pulled by an oxen. But when he changed it to a mule, he forgot to change the back end of the animal. That is definitely not a mule's tail! And that's the end of our tale of the tail we saw during our trip to Missouri's state capitol.
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