north carolina state capitol

Walking downtown this attraction was just stumbled upon. We took some pictures of the grounds and went inside for a self guided tour. There is security at the entry who asked us to empty pockets etc but once through was friendly. The building is full of history and you can spend an hour in this building reading and looking into the museum areas. I really enjoyed myself even though I knew nothing about NC history prior to this stop. Its a free attraction and I'd recommend this to anyone to stop by.

The North Carolina Capitol building (c.1840) is worth seeing if you like history, architecture or politics. Because I tend to like all three, and have seen almost all 50 states and most of the state capitols, this was a worthy stop. The staff were knowledgeable and friendly, the building feels like a step back into NC history, particularly the library and state geologist/supreme court office.This nice example of Greek Revival architecture is 3-stories with a peek into the governor's office waiting area at times, the House of Representatives chamber, the Senate chamber, and more.There are some wonderful sculptures, plaques, and historical pieces that look like they've not been disturbed for a hundred years. The capitol grounds are also worth a walk thru.The one limitation... Parking. On a Saturday at 3:00pm I had to do a bit of driving to find a space to park. The public parking lot was a zoo, and city streets were packed for several blocks.Though this is 3-story, it is all wheelchair/stroller accessible by elevator. Washrooms are also available.I very much enjoyed my time at the North Carolina Capitol in Raleigh, and would recommend it to others... not just North Carolinians.

I was here on business, but it was very interesting and my kids have visited in the past. Definitely good for our kids to understand what this building is all about.

This capitol is really only used by the Governor anymore. It needs a little bit of love to fix some of the aging that has occurred. Also it is not glitzy and showy like so many other capitols. That said I really felt like regular statesmen used this Capitol. There were no highlighted politicians. The stairs were worn, the desks and chairs had wear. It looked like a snapshot of a great office building of its day. The docent leading the tour was knowledgeable and gave us a few good stories and really tried to involve the kids. A great visit!

The areas you can visit inside are limited but worth a visit. Don't miss library on the third level. It presents a picture of the past unlike today where we rely on Internet and Google for all the information.

This greek revival building was completed in 1840. I would recommend taking the audio tour to learn the full history here. It's free (but they appreciate a donation). Be sure to check their website for the different events. The grounds are also very nice to stroll along.

This historic state capitol building is a must see. It does not take long to tour then entire building and is mind boggling to know our state leaders lead NC in this building not that long ago. I recently was on a visit where I was in the 3rd floor balcony to watch a presentation below in the 2nd floor chambers. Be mindful of the restrooms. Ladies in on the 2nd floor and men's in on the first floor.

If you are visiting downtown Raleigh take 30 minutes of your time to walk through the Capitol. It is a beautiful building a "mini museum" and it is free!

This place appears not to have have changed much since being built in 1840. House and Senate chambers restored to look much like they did 150+ years ago. Beautiful wood in library and interesting Geology room. Worth a visit if you're downtown.

The NC State Capitol in Raleigh is a wonderful place to visit and spend an afternoon. This history going back to the late 1700's, and the current Capitol building from 1840 are amazing. The statues and monuments are well worth the tour. The feeling that you get (That of being a proud citizen) of the Great State of North Carolina when you visit the Capitol is wonderful. Take a tour with one of the qualified docents. They amaze you with stories about the capitol building. If you go during the week the place will have school children on the grounds. The docent led tours on Saturday are really good. My wife and I loved the tour and would recommend it to all. When you are done with the tour go to City Market for a wonderful lunch.

It is cool if you are a history buff but overall pretty darn boring! Not much to see, it is pretty, lots of statues, but not much else

It's my goal to tour all 50 state capitol buildings and this one was number 44. It's not the biggest or most elaborate, but it was still very cool. Everything seems well preserved. We prefer to take the guided tours when possible, it just makes it more interesting than trying to read from the self-guided brochures. Problem is they only have those on Saturdays. Fortunately, I was able to make that fit into our schedule. The guided tour does take you up several flights of stairs, however they have an elevator you can take if needed. The old geologist office & state library were the most ornate rooms.

This is my second visit to the state capital, the first time we came, took the guided tour which was very informative; the guide detailed the history of the area and capital building from the early days in the rotunda area after everyone was checked in before going upstairs,you do have to walk up quite a few stairs, we left after an hour into the tour, it may take longer depending on how detailed the tour guide is (our guide was very knowledgeable - gave us tons of information to absorb). This weekend we opted to walk around the grounds which are beautiful - several statues to view and take pictures of. Conveniently located across from the NC Natural History Museum and NC History Museum, all free places grouped together with adequate free parking if you arrive early.

State Capitols always ooze patriotism and history! This one is no different. Enjoyed seeing all the different rooms and items from history. Outside is Union Square. It is full of statues of influential individuals for NC. Loved learning about them and what they did for this recognition. Do stop and enjoy.

The capitol is fun to go visit but it comes alive when you take a tour. The tour was free and you get a lot of details and it makes you love the state a little. I saw nothing of the haunted stuff but really enjoyed the history and the quirkiness of how it came about.