The Ohio Statehouse

The crown jewel of Columbus Ohio’s historical sites. The Statehouse is one of the best surviving examples of neoclassical architecture. Imagine politicians of today trying to get a place like this built. A grand setting for the important decisions that get made to run the state.
A massive rotunda is flanked by House and Senate legislative chambers, ceremonial offices for all the statewide elected officials, and a hallway to the Atrium, where events and speeches are hosted. The attached Senate Building that used to house the state Supreme Court is a grand edifice, too. Tour the whole facility.
It’s amazing to stand here knowing that presidents cut their teeth in this building.
If you live in Ohio, this is your house, so come home. If you are a visitor from afar, come to see how Statehouses should look.
As for the politics? Well, we the people are responsible for that, too.

It’s very interesting to tour this old building, hear about the history, and stand on the spot where Lincoln’s casket was placed for public viewing. Seeing first hand the magnificent, palatial rooms and halls, and being in the presence of so much history, inspires awe.
There are a few historical artifacts on display and there’s an interactive mini museum to learn about state government and historical figures. It’s a great place to learn about Ohio government for kids but will still appeal to adults.
There are free daily tours that you can take, originating downstairs. Ask a guard for directions; you’ll never find it on your own. I strongly suggest you take the tour because for one, the building is a confusing labyrinth of multiple expansions and renovations done throughout its history that goes back to the Civil War. It’s sort of like a Lego project that your kid just keeps trying to make bigger without really trying to build something that makes sense. You’ll get lost in this place immediately without the tour guide. And second, the history that the guide gives you on the tour is the most interesting part.
There is also the requisite gift shop with the over priced trinkets you don’t need with Ohio printed on them somewhere. There are also some really nice things in there you don’t expect to find and some Ohio made foods and wines, also overpriced. If you’ve got the money to blow, it’s worth a visit.
The Statehouse is a worthwhile day trip for any true Ohioan or history buff. I’m a New Englander so I think it probably is less emotionally moving to me but to locals it’s steeped in hometown pride. But even for someone who didn’t grow up here like me (I’ve lived here since 2005) the history and splendor of the building makes it worthwhile. I highly recommend doing it at least once.

The space is beautiful. Dizzyingly large. Ornate. Every detail vibrates with historical stories, that you can get to know with a knowledgeable and passionate guide. Staff are friendly and quick to give a greeting but not in a commercial (I want you to buy something) kind of way. Good open space for downtown urban picnics over lunch or a midday promenade. Tours here are a good way to get to know a bit of Ohio.

The Statehouse and its 10-​achre grounds is a park, an art exhibit, and a historical museum. Inside the grand Greek revival building are rooms and rooms of similar interesting exhibits, all to basically house its true function – a clown show. I don’t recommend the show though, as it is more frustrating than it is funny.
On the outside, the grounds twist around and is bigger than it seems passing by on Broad or High. Functioning as an art park, it is a great place to sit on a bench, suck in some sunshine, and have a quick meal for downtown residents. It’s main attraction is its function, the seat of government, and there are free tours to be had or self guided types helped by maps and brochures.
This building predates the House of Congress in Washington – so unlike many state legislature’s homes, Ohio’s is not derivative of it. Inside its colonnades is the rotunda room. Its floor is made of marble from around the world. Sitting on it are two cool pieces of art: a sculpture of Lincoln above a panel depicting the confederates surrendering at Vicksburg; the other is a painting depicting Admiral Perry at battle in Lake Éire. Both are made by Ohio artist, the one actually had Lincoln pose for him.
As for Lincoln, his body lied in state here on the sad way back to Springfield, Illinois.
On the outer grounds is a memorial to the holocaust, a monument to Ohio veterans of wars with heartbreaking letters home chiseled on it, cannons, sundials, a statue of peace, and the These Are My Jewels statue made famous by James Thurber.
The grounds is also attracts weddings. On my last visit two separate parties were taking pictures there. I guess nothing says romance then quorum votes. Obviously, this is a picturesque part of town.
I must see for lovers of art, civics, and history.

Columbus, Ohio — The Capital Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) offer a free electronic newsletter available to Ohio Statehouse fans in the «Buckeye State» and around the globe by signing-​up through the CSRAB web site,

A family field trip to the Ohio State House is where its at! There are guided tours on the top of every hour and you also have the option of self guided tours that come with maps and wands. We opted for the latter — but only used the wands for a little while. After we were bored of the wands we just explored. We got lost, which was incredible fun.
I could really not believe how beautiful the building and the memorials were! There was a museum that the kids spent forever in. I was totally surprised at how much there was do to in see. Interactive exhibits, the whole nine yards.
We spent about 2 hours in there — free fun. I am somewhat spoiled so I used the parking under the Statehouse…$ 5, but hey — great outing to do with the family.

Ohio’s Statehouse is very interesting, full of a lot of historical fascinations. From the plaque commemorating Lincoln’s visits to the statues of the Presidents who were born or lived in Ohio, it was a great place to spend a couple hours. And don’t forget the gift shop either — there were a lot of locally-​made products and Capitol souvenirs that I spent way too much money on!
The only thing keeping it from getting the fifth star is the fact that I had called the week before to make sure they would have tour guides available on the Saturday I would be there. We showed up at the time for the tour, and we were told the «tour guide wasn’t there.» We were able to use the self-​guided tour brochure as we walked around, but it’s just not the same.

I was in town for the day and love visiting statehouses, so I was happy to visit Ohio’s. This one was not overly impressive from the outside. The grounds seemed a little small, the building not too tall. But it was stately and I loved the Greek Revival architecture.
Inside was quite impressive. The detail was immaculately clean, as if it had recently been refurbished. I’m not sure if this is the case, or they just took very good care of things. The rotunda was simple; with only a monument with a bust of Lincoln on top and a huge painting.
I was free to roam around and wonder at the cornice work and brass lights with the seal of Ohio. Don’t miss going to the lower level for the map room and the huge gift shop. There is a wonderful café as well with salads, wraps, burgers and fries.
They have guided tours every hour on the hour, but I skipped this and just wandered around on my own. If I return again, I’d like to take one. I must admit that several times I stood near the kids on their field trip to listen in.

This is a magnificent building, with some really wonderful architectural design. However, the structure of the building itself can be exceptionally confusing, because they just kept adding on when they wanted more space. Fortunately, free guided tours are available daily from the Map Room by the the Third Street entrance. You are also able to walk around on your own — there are also self-​guided tour brochures available to take with you.
During October, they offer a popular set of Haunted Statehouse Tours that take place after hours at night for a fee. There are also additional events throughout the year, such as free lunchtime concerts on the plaza during the summer.
In addition to the tours and events, there is a shop available that carries a lot of Ohio products, including wines, Charley Harper art (a Cincinnati artist), and more.
It’s a neat place to check out at least once and worth it to check the events calendar periodically to see if there is anything that interests you.

OK, my Unilocal dorkdom is getting pretty bad; this is my third review of a state capitol. My third review! I’m not exactly sure why I haven’t reviewed Iowa’s capitol yet, but I just might, now that I’ve outed myself to all y’all.
I lived in Ohio once. Its politics were ridiculous when I lived there, but they were still slightly civil, albeit quite racist at times and in particular ways. So one would think that I would burst into some strange political rant about people continually voting against their own economic self-​interest, neighbors turning against neighbors, and the ridiculousness of some made-​up past of everyone getting along just well on their own – no poverty, no crime, just good old-​fashioned people looking out for one another; you know, the big lie?
One would be wrong, because I’m going to write about about riding a borrowed yellow bike in the Ohio Statehouse’s horseshoe driveway. State troopers didn’t come out to arrest me, and I wasn’t sent to Guantanamo. What made this moment or collection of moments particularly touching and exciting was the fact that I closed my eyes while riding said yellow bike. And the driveway is on a hill! I was neither arrested nor hurt, and that feeling I had that day sometime in 1996 – three years before I would move to Ohio – was one of pure, unadulterated joy. It’s hard to come by that kind of joy these days, and that’s why I worry for my nieces and nephews’ future.
Oh, and we visited the original Wendy’s, and I saw a real live beaver in the Scioto River!

This building is so accessible. Take the time to wander through. Everyone is friendly and the amount of history inside is stunning.

Well… it’s the Statehouse. Yay?
It’s one of those things you’re obligated to go to when you’re in kindergarten thru senior year of high school. Every year, without fail, there was a field trip to the Statehouse. You didn’t necessarily have to go, but it was better than the alternative (sitting in PEAK or just outside the principal’s office in elementary school, study hall in middle and high school [at least in high school I could sit in the band room]). I thought I was going to cry with Kids Discover Columbus stopped here when I was 12, I was so sick of this place.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a gorgeous building inside. The history behind it is pretty cool, too. But when you live here and you’re coerced into going on the stupid field trip every. single. year, it’s really not that special. In terms of looks, it pales in comparison to the gold-​and-​navy-​domed West Virginia Statehouse in Charleston, WV, which also sits on a river and away from the smelly ocean of concrete. The Ohio Statehouse, obviously, is not on the banks of the Scioto, and it’s surrounded by skyscrapers. That doesn’t exactly fill me with feelings of awe and admiration.
It’s a great tourist attraction, but nothing more.

I’ve actually been here more than you might expect. Apart from just wandering around, I spent some time taking pictures of the rotunda and then going home and manipulating the perspective of the images. I got quite a few prints that are composites of four and five shots. It was interesting.

The Statehouse is exactly what the seat of government should be — powerful, sombering and confusing.
I’m lost more often than found when in the Statehouse. The halls tend to dead-​end with no warning, stairs don’t lead where you think they should, and I’m never quite sure what direction I’m headed. It took five trips to learn the route from my office to the deli downstairs.
That said, it’s a beautiful building, well worth the trip even if you don’t have business there. It’s a convenience place to park for downtown, there’s a great deli, and interesting historical exhibits in the basement. The tours are informative and just the right length.
Bottom line: If you’re a 5^th grader or someone with too much time on your hands, a couple hours can be burned at the Statehouse.

I love the Ohio Statehouse. My office window overlooks Capital Square, and I love the birds’ eye view of all the goings-​on. Sometimes they even shoot the canons outside! Check the website’s Calendar of Events and see if there’s anything fun going on.
If I remember correctly, there’s a haunted tour in the fall! I wanted to go last year, but it sells out quickly.
Wandering around inside is a treat. The architecture, art, fixtures… everything inside makes you feel connected to history and to Ohio. As a citizen, I feel like I have great access to this public space. I’ve wandered into little sitting rooms and such and it’s no problem.
Every time I’ve taken a tour, they’ve been slightly different (usually tailored the the makeup of the crowd), so it’s definitely worth going again if you’ve already been.
If you work downtown in the summer, or find yourself with a Friday off to come downtown, I suggest purchasing a picnic lunch at the nearby Pearl Alley Farmer’s Market and taking in one of the free noontime concerts on the lawn.

The first time I visited the State House I was very young, and I have to admit the place seemed huge to me, and by the end of walking through it I was more than a little fussy to go home. Having grown in years and wisdom (mostly years), I decided I would check out The Ohio Statehouse again, and I so happy that I did!
Since growing up from the bratty kid I once was, I have gotten very interested in history, and I about to finish up my BA in history as well. With that being said, The Ohio Statehouse is an amazing place to visit for someone with similar interests and best of all, its free! Thats right, free. Well, technically our taxes paid for it, but thats whatever.
The architecture and artwork are beautiful, the grounds are home to a number of interesting monuments, and there is even a museum showcasing Ohio’s history and some of its original founding documents inside of the crypts below the main building. Even the lone state patrolmen watching over the place was extremely polite and helpful when it came to navigating the building.
Long story short, come check out The Ohio Statehouse. Its free, only takes about an hour or so, and who knows, you might even learn something about the great state of Ohio!

The Ohio Statehouse is commonly known as «The People’s House,» so you owe it to yourself to make a trip!
I do a lot of work in this building, and have for 4 years, so I sometimes get desensitized by its beauty. But let it be known, The Ohio Statehouse is absolutely gorgeous and was named as one of THE best Statehouses in the country, and I can tell you why!
For those who do not know, the Statehouse is where all Ohio State Senators and their staffs have their main offices, and where both the Ohio Senate and Ohio House of Representatives meet for legislative session and committees. Therefore, you will find that the building consists of a LOT of offices (for each Senator), committee rooms, and clerk offices. None of this will be the fun part for you to see. The Governor also has his ceremonial office in here, but that is guarded by a State Trooper at a desk so you won’t have the opportunity to see this part!
There are guided tours on weekdays 8 – 4 and on Saturdays from 8 – 12. For groups under 10, the tours are EVERY HOUR ON THE HOUR. Take this tour! You won’t regret it. Now, I know I am a big history nerd, but I still think that anyone would have a great time on this tour. The architecture is breathtaking! The tour guides will point out all the amazing hidden secrets and facts, such as the fossils embedded in the limestone on the pillars and walls.
You can always do a self-​guided tour if you’d like. They have maps available at the desk at the 3^rd Street entrance. Some of the highlights are:
1. The Map Room: This room has a large map of Ohio on the ground with all of the counties in different gemstones.
2. The Statehouse Gift Shop: Lots of fun local Ohio products (jams, salsa, etc) and Ohio-​related gifts!
3. The Interactive Mueseum: This is a NEW state-​of-​the-​art interactive museum geared toward kids, but with lots of fun facts, games, and activities that even a nerdy adult would enjoy!
4. Statehouse Café: Great food at reasonable prices! You can get quck to-​go items, coffee, or large homestyle meals (turkey, mashed potatoes, etc).
5. House/​Senate Chambers: These rooms are EXTREMELY ornate and are the stars of the Statehouse. These rooms are where the legislators meet to vote (on certain days/​times you may even be able to witness a live session in person).
6. The Rotunda: While on the outside, the Statehouse looks like it does not have a dome, it really does. The Rotunda is the BEST part of the Statehouse. Walk in here and witness in awe the beauty of this dome!
7. The Atrium: This is the large open section of the building that connects the Senate offices to the House offices, which used to be two separate buildings. Ask the tour guide about the metal pigeon that sits above one of the doors for a fun story! Also, you can see the plaque here that indicates where Abraham Lincoln stood and gave a speech when he was running for President!
As you can see, there are plenty of great things to see in the Statehouse, and tons of rich history to learn. It is «The People’s House» so if you are from Ohio, find out who your Senator is and stop in his or her office to say hello.
I give tours for the Statehouse through my work sometimes, and it never gets old :-)

A cool building with unique architecture.
The outside has really interesting architecture and you can get some awesome pics, especially if you’re into photography. One can also easily tour the inside of the building, which has a very traditional look and feel.
If you’re visiting Columbus, this is a spot worth seeing.

If you’ve read some of my other reviews you may have noticed that I used to work in the Ohio Statehouse for several years. My office was located in the Statehouse, but I didn’t actually work for the Statehouse staff. I’m going to try and write this review as I do all my other ones: For the benefit of someone who’s never been here and knows nothing about the place.
Even though I did come here everyday to go to work and I had a desk/​office up on the third floor, I believe I can remain objective. I was just in here five days a week. And for as awesome as it was to work here and as beautiful as this structure is, I don’t think I can give it 5 stars. I feel as if the Statehouse is somehow disconnected from the public — an opinion I had even during my days of working here.
The thing that I do think is great about the Statehouse is that it’s completely open to the public. Anyone at all can just walk through the front door and walk around. Sure, there are some areas restricted to the general public, such as the Governor’s chambers, but for the most part you are free to roam. In fact, if you come in through the 3^rd street entrance, you’ll find a front desk. The woman who works at that front desk is so sweet. She’ll make sure you get a guided tour if you want one — they offer them every day throughout the day. I think it’s unique how accessible the Statehouse is to the public. And there’s a reason behind it. The Statehouse is called, «The People’s House,» because they wanted to connect the public with the government. They want people to come in and look around. As far as security goes, state highway troopers roam the building and stand at posts all day, and even at night when the Statehouse closes to the public. The open hours are 9 to 5 weekdays, but sometimes they also do weekend events.
If you’re really into history, you might want to take a Statehouse tour. They are pretty informative. When I first started my job they sent me on a tour so I could understand more about where I was going to be everyday. And there’s a reason for that. Please be warned that if you decide to roam around on your own, you’ll very likely get lost. This is such a confusing building to navigate. If I had a nickel for every time I was walking to my office and had to point a visitor in the right direction I’d be rich. I worked there for well over 2 years and still got turned around from time to time. The reason it’s such a maze is because the original Statehouse was too cramped and small so they had to renovate and add on around the already constructed Statehouse. They didn’t want to tear down the historic building. The whole thing has been renovated, but you can tell which parts are newer.
The architecture is beautiful. My favorite parts are usually the ceilings. For example, you have to see the rotunda. The floor is an optical illusion design of checkered tiles and looking up you’ll see a beautiful dome with a stained glass window in the center. I have only found the rotunda in the U.S. Capitol in D.C. to be more breathtaking. If you arrive and House or Senate is not in session, you might get to see the chambers. Sometimes the doors are locked, but if you take a guided tour you might get to see them. They are beautiful rooms, with more stained glass on the ceilings and the daïs looks fit for a king. The carpets are sort of hideous, and like most of the Statehouse everything looks quite gaudy. Too many ornate decorations all in one place. But somehow it works. One floor has green walls. Our hallway to our office on the Senate side had these pinkish/​peach walls. The color scheme is questionable. Alone it’s ugly but somehow altogether it’s a gorgeous mess.
There is the Capitol Café (see my review) in the Statehouse crypt if you want to grab some lunch. The Statehouse hosts a variety of events to the public, such as student choirs at Christmastime, the popular Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, Cannon Firings, Veteran’s Day celebrations, Inaugurations, music events performed on the Statehouse front steps, and a lot more all open to the public, and like the tours, all free. But I don’t think that any of these events are really all that exciting. The Statehouse used to create an ice rink on the front lawn for «Skate on State,» and anyone could come skate. But they did away with that. I thought it was their best event.
It’s neat to be in the same building as Ohio’s lawmakers, but you will feel that disconnection even as you’re walking inside. The officials all have to keep their office doors closed so you’re walking down hallways of shut doors. The events are alright, but not any must-​sees. The tours are neat, and it might be a good way to waste an afternoon to learn a bit and see the majestic design. But I wish the Statehouse did more to invite the public and hosted more exciting events. I don’t think it’s reaching its fullest potential as a place for the people. The fact is, most Ohioans have never been here and would never think of it.

I was walking aimlessly around Columbus when I first moved here and just randomly walked into the Statehouse. I was greeted warmly at the counter, and a lady walked up and offered me a tour of the place. An hour later I had been led through the Statehouse maze and knew everything there was to know about Ohio history.
Boring as that seems, I thought it was pretty great. The place is amazingly open to visitors. I imagine that’s because they don’t get a lot of wanderers off the streets. They let you have free reign of the place even without a tour guide, as I found out today. I just walked in and said, «is anything in session?» They said no, and gave me directions to the chambers. I walked in, took some pictures, exchanged restrained smiles with some suits, and walked out. I had way more access than I would have thought.
The atmosphere is as uptight as you would imagine. But i entertained myself by checking out all of the great art/​architecture in the place. The architecture is seriously mismatched in a lot of places, but I like that. It’s a metaphor for politics. Lots of opinions and no real unifying ideology. But I doubt that was the intention.