The Utah State Capitol building

This building has always been a favorite place of mine. I love to visit here. My wife and I used to come here just to hold hands, and stroll the grounds and chat when we were dating.

The Capitol building serves all three branches of government in Utah.

The capitol building was designed in 1912 by Utah architect Richard K.A. Kletting and completed in 1916. It’s really a beautiful building, in a beautiful location.

The interior dome is fun to see. It’s 165 feet at its highest point. The paintings and decorations of Utah history in the dome are beautiful. The background is painted like a clear blue sky with seagulls flying across. The dome is held up on four piers, each supporting ten million pounds.

There are lots of displays about Utah and Utah history, including lots of art and sculpture. The Governor’s suite contains a desk, table and cabinets that were made from trees that were toppled when a disastrous windstorm hit the Capitol in 1999. They represent Utah’s spirit and resilient nature.

When I was a kid there was a large museum in the basement that was fun to see, but that has changed since the remodeling.

In 2004 the Capitol building was refurbished. Pilings were installed under the building to help stabilize the Capitol in case of earthquake.

Local high schools frequently hold their formal dances here under the dome. The Capitol building in Salt Lake City is beautiful and definitely worth a visit.