#1. Start at the Capitol Visitors Center . Find the cornerstone on the northeast corner. This building originally housed the General Land Office. It was built over 30 years prior to the Capitol! The Capitol Grounds Challenge cornerstone of the building was laid on Saturday, August 30, 1856.
At the ceremony of the laying of the cornerstone, The State Gazette reported that the building, "…will command the South-East view of the Capitol, and contrast well with the Governor's Mansion on the opposite site." Could you see the Governor's Mansion from the steps of the Visitors Center?
In the box below, etch any part of the writing or carvings from the cornerstone.
The Texas Capitol, completed in 1888, is surrounded by approximately 22 acres of land rich in natural beauty and history. The Capitol Grounds function as a public park in the heart of downtown Austin.
Directions: Use this guide as you explore the Capitol Grounds to learn about its history, natural surroundings and monuments. A map of the Capitol Grounds is provided in the back of this booklet.
#4. Go to the top of the Capitol steps and find the black cannons. These artillery pieces were donated to the army of the Republic of Texas and were used in the Texas Revolution and the Civil War.
Who was it that donated these cannons? ______
______
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#2 . Follow the sidewalk west until you see the large monument with a series of statues on a Sunset Red granite base. This monument pays tribute to Tejanos, the early Spanish and Mexican pioneers who settled Texas.
How many animals are depicted on the monument? ______How many have horns? ______
#3. Look to your right and find the historical marker titled "Grotto and Lagoon." This area once looked like the photograph on the plaque. Can you imagine this area being filled with water?
What type of flowers and plants do you think might have lived in the grotto and lagoon? #5. Head south, along the ______Great Walk . A bronze statue of a boy decorates this spraying fountain along the east side of the Great Walk.
What animal is the boy holding? ______
#6. Move back to the Great #7. Follow the Great Walk south then turn west. The newest monument on Walk and go south towards 11th Street. Find the plaque that says the Capitol Grounds is dedicated to African Americans who have shaped "Capitol of 1852-53." This plaque Texas. On this monument there is a depiction of this plant that served as a marks the location of the steps major cash crop in Texas. leading up to the old limestone Capitol. This limestone structure Can you identify this plant? was the second Capitol in Austin, but the first statehouse to be built ______on Capitol Square. It was also the first Capitol of Texas constructed of stone.
The 1850s limestone Capitol was completely destroyed by fire in 1881. A nationwide competition was held where contestants submitted designs for a new Capitol. In the box below, draw your own Capitol design.
Bonus: What kinds of animals are featured on the monument?
______
#8. Walk northwest to the Cowboy #10 . Move north around the Capitol and continue until you find the marker for Monument . To the right of the the Tyler Rose. These roses are from Tyler--the “Rose Capitol of Texas.” monument is the spiky shrub known as the Yucca. Yucca plants have How did Cherokee Indians use roses? adapted to several climates ranging from rocky desert to tropical forests. ______The creamy-white flowers bloom best in full sun, during mid-to late- Bonus: Why would roses be effective in marking trails? summer, with some Yucca growing as tall as 10 feet high. ______
How tall do you think this Yucca is?
______
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#9. Move nor th until you reach the Capitol d ri ve then follow the sidewalk up the hill until you find the plaque that reads West Ground Lake. A small lake once occupied the large depression that still exists west of here and at one time was supplied by an underground spring in the area. Why was the lake drained 1926?______
#11 . Head east to a marker near the Capitol . The cistern located below #13 . Go to the northeast corner of the Capitol and find the large this site is one of two underground brick reservoirs built on the north side cornerstone. On March 2, 1885, the 49th anniversary of Texas of the Capitol. What did the cisterns hold? How was this use in the Independence, this 16,000 pound cornerstone was laid in place. Capitol? The massive stone still contains the original zinc time capsule that has ______remained untouched since it was laid. The capsule contains, various kinds of deposits which had been received and arranged by former Governor Francis
Lubbock. Maybe one day Texas will open the stone and display the contents within!
What would you place in a time capsule? ______
______
#12. Head north across the drive to the Vietnam Veterans Monument. Look for the Texas Sage surrounding the monument. This bush is often called the "barometer bush" because its bright purple flowers bloom when it is hot and humid.
Look at the silvery gray
leaves. How do these leaves feel?
______
#14. Travel east to the State Library and Archives Building . Observe the six seals that are located on the doors, #15. Walk west back to the Capitol or the mosaic seals on the front of the building. Grounds . Find the cement block that sits on the walkway between the State Library and the How many of the seals feature an animal or bird? east entrance to the Capitol. Why is this block ______here? ______
Can you list all of the animals featured in the seals? This block holds a U.S. Geodetic Survey
marker, which mark key survey points on the ______, ______, Earth's surface. The Capitol Visitors Center ______, ______. once held the General Land Office, where land surveyors had their notes and measurements Bonus: The seals represent the six sovereign nations that converted into maps. have governed Texas. Can you name all six?
When you return to the Visitors Center for Place your paper over the ______,______,______, your stamp, go up to the exhibits on the second ______,______,______. marker and etch the marker in floor to learn more about land surveyors of the the box below. General Land Office.
If you have time, go inside the
Library Lobby. There is a beautiful mural depicting scenes from Texas history and a few exhibits on display.
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11 13 14 15 Congratulations on finishing the Capitol Nature Challenge.
4 If the Capitol Visitors Center is open, take this booklet there and have it 9 stamped. Or write the date and time of completion in the box below. 8
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