A great place to visit in each state is a state’s capitol building. I love the history, the stories behind it, the architecture, and that visiting capitol buildings is free!

Most capitols also have free tours available, so you can hear more stories.

There are two issues to remember…you may need to go through a metal detector. Also, parking can be difficult in these cities. Parking an RV would be very difficult. Instead, drive your toad.

Here are four intriguing capitol buildings:

Stained glass in the Old Louisiana State Capitol.

1. Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Baton Rouge has both a gorgeous old capitol and a fascinating new capitol building. The Old State Capitol looks like a fort and has amazing stain glass. Be sure to see the film from the viewpoint of a ghost.

The new building is the tallest capitol building in the U.S. and was built when Huey Long was governor. On the first floor, look for the bullet hole in the marble column where Huey Long was assassinated.

After you’ve seen the floors built from lava basalt from Vesuvius and the gorgeous marble walls on the first floor, go to the 27th floor to see the view of the city.

Outside, see Long’s tomb and statue. The story is that Huey Long had the new capitol built in only two years but without him, it took five years to build his grave. To top off your visit, be sure to visit the Capitol Park Museum.

Stairs in the Kentucky Capitol.

2. Frankfort, Kentucky

The marble in this capitol building is amazing! There is Georgian marble (white), Tennessee marble (gray), Italian marble (green), and 36 columns of Vermont granite.

There are hand-painted walls that look like tapestries. The walnut furniture is hand-carved. Both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis (President of the Confederacy) were born in Kentucky, and statues of both can be found at the capitol.

You can also rub Lincoln’s left boot for luck. Look for the floral clock behind the capitol building. The coins thrown into the fountain water below go towards charity.

The Rotunda in the Texas Capitol.

3. Austin, Texas

Since everything is bigger in Texas, this is the largest square footage of the state capitols. The author O. Henry worked here for several years starting back in 1887.

I especially remember this capitol because a high school choir was performing in the rotunda. The sounds were incredible. Walk the grounds to see the various statues and monuments.

The Rotunda in the Arkansas Capitol.

4. Little Rock, Arkansas

This capitol is known as a scale replica of the U.S. Capitol and has been filmed as such for several movies.

Besides a beautiful rotunda, there are many changing exhibits to view. An interesting part of a tour of this capitol is that in the Treasury vault you can hold tax money in your hand…$500,000 of it!

The Little Rock Central High School is less than a mile away and is also well worth your time.

What capitols do you like to visit?