The magnificent Texas State Capitol building is actually bigger than the United States Capitol- because everything in Texas has to be bigger and better, right?

The building’s ornate architecture is composed of local, naturally occurring resources like the Red Texas Granite donated for its foundation- you can still see the 12,000-pound cornerstone which was placed in 1885.

Sitting on 22 acres of land in the heart of downtown Austin, you’ll find lots of fun exhibits and information at the Visitor’s Center. Taking a free tour of the Texas State Capitol and its grounds is worth doing at least once!