Playing “I Spy” While Touring the Maine State House in Augusta, Maine
This past summer, we enjoyed a few days in Augusta, the state capital of Maine. One of the highlights of exploring the city was our guided tour of the State House.
The original state house was built in Portland in 1820, when Maine became the 23rd state in America, separating from Massachusetts. In 1827, Augusta was chosen as the location for the permanent state house because of its central location. Construction of the 34 acre complex, with the second largest state house at the time, was completed in 1932. In 1890 the West Wing was added, and from 1909-1911 the building was redesigned and expanded to include rooms on either wing and a fourth floor, which has 16 windows that are lit up every night for the 16 counties in Maine. There is also a 15 foot copper statue, named Lady Wisdom, on top of the dome, whose torch is lit every night.
The State House welcomes visitors all year to explore its public spaces, adjacent Maine Museum, governor’s mansion, and Capitol Park. Note: the Maine Museum is located in the same complex as the State House; however, it is under renovation until 2026 so we could not visit. Blaine House, the governor’s mansion located across the street, is also available for guided tours (reserve a tour ahead of time) but was also closed for some construction during the summer when we visited.
Travel Tips:
Playing I Spy while Touring the State House:
- Check for the fossils embedded in the black limestone strips that run across the floor on the second, third, and fourth floors of the Capitol– the fossils date back 500 million years. While you’re checking out the floors- note the size of the hand laid, original 1832 tiles in the main vestibule.
- Count the replica flags representing Maine’s involvement in major conflicts dating all the way back to the Civil War in the Hall of Flags. The original flags are preserved in the Maine Museum next door to protect them from deterioration, so replica flags were made for display. 2nd floor rotunda
- Peek inside the Library that has all archives of every bill and law signed and passed.
- The original fireplace in the third floor west wing, with a plaque above it depicting and honoring the volunteers returning from the Civil War.
- Peek inside the self-serve Post Office, where representatives and senators send outgoing correspondence and collect mail from their personal mailboxes. Second Floor
- Count the portraits of all Maine Supreme Court justices, appointed every seven years.
- See the portraits of all Maine governors on the 3rd floor. A governor’s portrait is only allowed to be displayed once they have left office, and then all other portraits change their location to make room for the new portrait. Maine governors serve four year terms.
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- Walk the House of Representatives Chamber, designed in “earth colors”, includes 154 desks for the 151 Representatives and 3 tribal nation members. The representatives, elected every two years, do not have an office in the Maine State House. Note the three buttons on each desk for voting, reps are not allowed to abstain from a vote if they are present in the chamber. The upstairs gallery can seat 130 people from the public and media to observe proceedings.
- Sit at a desk in the Senate Chamber is designed in colors of the sky. There are 35 Maine senators, elected every two years, with their own desk in the chamber (no official offices in the Maine State House). There are several paintings hung on the walls of the senate chamber depicting important moments in Maine’s history. See more info about the paintings here.
- Step out onto the porch on the 3rd floor and sit in the rocking chairs, which overlooks the 20 acre Capitol Park and Blaine House, the governor’s mansion. There are also eight columns, each weighing 20,000 pounds and made of solid granite, on the veranda.
- See animal dioramas set in each season, created by Klir Beck in 1957, in the Underground Connector between the State House and the Cross State Office Building.
Bonuses: When walking around the outside of the Capitol, keep an eye out for a replica Liberty Bell (donated by the US Department of Treasury to every state in 1950), Public Safety Memorials (honoring Law Enforcement, Fire Fighters, and Emergency Medical Technicians) along State Street, a Civilian Conservation Corps statue located near the museum, Samantha’s Dream for Peace statue located next to the state museum, and leave time to walk through the Capitol Park, which has several hiking trails.
Looking for other adventures in Augusta? Check out our feature of Old Fort Western. And see our features of the State Capitols in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Arkansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. And follow along on our adventures on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.
