Nanseann: Day 295 August 5 New York State Capitol

Today is Jessie's 18th Birthday......Happy Birthday to you!!!!!

This is our last day in Albany. We have an afternoon appointment with Garmin so we are off to the Capitol building for the noon tour....

Corning Tower as we reach the Plaza

Walk across the Plaza to the Capitol Building

Albany was named the capital of New York in 1797 with a population today of 100,000. When, the chateau-like State Capitol, a massive stone building with Renaissance flourishes, was completed at the then staggering cost of $25 million, it was the most expensive building in the country. It took five architects and 32 years to complete. It was 1899 before Governor Theodore Roosevelt declared the building complete. Today, there are signs of ongoing restoration work,

The 3-acre, five-story building remains the jewel of downtown Albany. It is the last great monumental structure to be built entirely of masonry and cost twice as much as the US Capitol in Washington DC.

The Capitol building's staircases are quite extraordinary. the so-called Million Dollar Staircase boasts more than three hundred portraits by stone carvers of famous New Yorkers. Now for your guided tour.....

Senate side of the building

Senate Elevator

Assembly Elevator

Walked up to the 4th floor....the walls are hand painted

Skylight just replaced and is massive

Assembly Chamber....building's largest room

This is the 3rd ceiling installed

Example of the first ceiling

Skylight just finished in the Senate Chamber wing

Staircase to the Senate Chamber

Senate social area

Senate Chamber

Ceiling out of Oak

Fireplaces never used....but Senators have private "chats" in them

Senate Chamber

Governor's Wing with every Governor's portrait

Governor holds press conferences here and our guide George

Fireplace in this area....never used

Wing with hand painted ceilings

Beautiful

16 marble columns....display featuring horse racing in NY

Million Dollar Staircase

elaborate stone carvings

Stairs climb up to three grand archways

This is hard to explain...just look

Restored skylight above the staircase now shines a natural spotlight of this impressive feat of design and craftsmanship

This alone is worth the trip to visit the State Capitol

And if this isn't enough....there is one Demon in the basement

The capitol expense proved to be relatively small compared with the more then $1-billion Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza. This is another centerpiece of downtown Albany.....all 98-acres...where most of the government's 11,000 employees show up for work each day. Ten dazzling skyscrapers surround an open plaza with fountains, the Corning Tower and an under-ground concourse for the winter time.

Looking again at the Museum

Government at Work

Lots of fountains today

Lunch at the Vendor's

What a beautiful day

Our last stop is the Corning Tower which is 42 stories and is the state's highest building outside New York City. We take the express elevator to the Corning Tower Observation Deck.