October 28, 2024, Indianapolis.
On our way from Marceline Missouri to Jackson Center Ohio where we are going to get some warranty work done on the Airstream, we saw Indianapolis right on the drive path. Bonus! Another stamp in our State Capitol passport and a place to stretch our legs.
We found a few empty spaces on the street that fit our truck and trailer. Tim plugged some money into the parking meter and off we went, hoping we wouldn’t get a ticket.
Unfortunately they only had two guided tours today, and we missed them both. But, Tim once again acted as our tour guide, and he does a pretty good job 😂. They do have a nice self-guided tour brochure which describes the important places of interest.
Play video with sound on for the full effect. 🔉
This building is referred to as The Statehouse, and we never figured out why during the tour, so I did some research on good ol’ Google to learn more. This website was very helpful. Capitol buildings are categorized in three ways: statehouses, domed capitols, and executive towers. There is also one “roundhouse” that serves as a Capitol in New Mexico.
The shape of the building, when it was built, and architectural style all play a factor into which category it belongs. Indiana has a statehouse because it is has a flat front, square windows, and a federal front. The dome in the center was under construction while we were there, but you can see the rotunda from inside. This building is not the first statehouse. The original building still stands in another location, but we didn’t get to see that piece of history on this trip.
The chandelier in the Indiana Supreme Court is the heaviest in the Statehouse, weighing 1,500 pounds. This room has been largely unchanged since it was built in 1888.
Senate and House of Representatives.
We sat in those comfy blue leather chairs in the Senate Chambers. They are nicer than most in the Capitols we have seen.
The first Meditation Room in a State Capitol. It’s an interfaith chapel, in memory of those who have laid the foundation for this state.
Tim with his hand in the candy jar. 🤪😂
Walking around various floors held some unique finds. Busts of famous people including Benjamin Harrison, the only U.S. President from Indiana and the one who saw more states come into the union than any other president. I didn’t get his picture, but I did get Abe Lincoln.
Here’s a picture of another Abe, the Bison presented for Indiana’s bicentennial.
I enjoyed walking around the grounds under a beautiful autumn sky. There were several opportunities for great photos of the Capitol.
Our original plan was to boondock in a local parking lot, but after driving around downtown it didn’t feel like the safest place to stay overnight. It was still daylight so we went a little further down the road to get out of the city traffic and boondocked in a Cracker Barrel parking lot. In case you don’t know, boondocking is dry camping, without any hook-ups to electricity, water, or sewer. We used the water from our fresh water tank, and battery–operated lanterns to save our batteries (Batteries are one of the reasons we going to get warranty work done).
À la prochaine fois … hasta la próxima vez … Until next time!