Maine State House in Augusta – The Pine Tree State

Welcome to the Maine State House in Augusta, Maine.  This capitol building, as well as the one in New Hampshire, and Vermont, were just a few of the exciting places and attractions we visited during our Northeast Fall Adventures trip last October. We landed in New Hampshire but made our way to Maine. We stayed the night at a cute little cabin like hotel in Scarborough where we were meeting some friends a couple of days later. Since we had a whole day before they showed up, we made the short hour drive up to Augusta and took a quick little driving tour around the city before making our way to their parking lot.

After going through security nonsense, we made our way to the welcome center and looked around while waiting for our tour to begin. There is information about their tours below this post. After a few do’s and don’ts we made our way up to the second floor and learned a little about their Hall of Flags room. The room is divided into three aisles by two rows of Doric columns. You will also see some Maine battle flags and portraits of some of the state’s most noted political figures.

I think this is also the area where we learned a little about the Maine State House history. Maine was originally part of Massachusetts but they separated and Maine became its own state on March 15, 1820. Temporarily, Portland became the first capitol but it was considered too far south, thus on Februrary 24th, 1827 Augusta was chosen as the state capitol. On July 4th, 1829 the cornerstone for the new capitol was placed and the Maine State House was officially completed in January of 1832.

We continued the tour and made our way to the House of Representatives and Senate Chambers. I always enjoy seeing the chambers, but this one was extra special (I’ll share more in a moment). The House has 151 voting members and 3 non-voting Tribal Representatives, while the Senate has 35 members. After learning a little bit about the House Members we were lucky enough to be able to go up to where the Speaker of the House sits during meetings and hold their gavel! It was SO cool. We have been to at least 30 capitols and haven’t been able to do anything like that before. Kudos to the Maine State House for letting us feel like a part of their government, if only for a sec, lol.

I can’t neglect to mention the rotunda and dome before ending this post. The rotunda rises three stories above the fourth floor, cumulating in an impressive domed ceiling. The dome is graceful as well as remarkable.  The current style dome of copper was originally installed during a renovation to the State House in 1909-1910. In 2014, the Maine State House underwent a renovation project on its copper dome, which is topped by a statue of the Lady of Wisdom made of copper overlaid with gold. It is pretty cool to see in person.

We had a wonderful time exploring the Maine State House. Make sure to take time to visit some of the art they have throughout the building. It was interesting to learn a little bit of history about a state that I did not know much about before our visit. It was quite eye opening. Here is a link to their webiste if you are planning your own trip to the North East. If you have a chance, I highly suggest taking a tour of the capitol one day. Let me know if you have visited and what you think in the comments below. Thanks. Samantha

Maine State House Visitor Information

Address:

230 State Street Augusta, ME 04330

Phone:

207-287-2301

Hours:

8 AM – 4:30 PM Monday – Friday

Tours:

Guided State House Tours

• Guided tours are free of charge and are offered by appointment Monday through Friday at 9:00 am, 10:00 am, 11:00 am, and noon.
• Guided tours are 60 minutes long. They include general information on State House history, architecture, and function.
• Guided tours must be scheduled three working days in advance. Walk-ins are welcome, but a guided tour is not guaranteed. Staff may not be available, or there may be other tours or programs in the building.  Click here to schedule a tour.

Self-Guided State House Tours

• During open hours, visitors may choose to self-guide around the State House. This means walking through the building at your own pace without information or support from State House staff.
• You can find a pamphlet on State House History to help your self-guided experience. They are available at the information desk, located just past the security screening.

All State House Tours

• All tours are limited to 20 people each. If the tour group is a school or camp group, five additional chaperones may accompany each 20-person group.
• Capitol Police will be conducting entry screening of all visitors to the State House, including student groups.
• Food and drinks are not allowed in the State House.

Price:

Free

Directions and Parking:

The State House is located on the corners of Capitol and State Streets in Augusta. The west entrance, facing the Cross Office Building, is open to the public.

To get to the State House from I-95 get off at exit 109 and travel east on route 202 (Western Avenue). Continue to the first rotary where you take the first possible right turn onto State Street. Proceed to the traffic light where you will see the State House in front of you on the right. Turn right at the light onto Capitol Street for access to parking behind the Cross Office Building or in the Sewall Street garage.  If you are using electronic map i.e. Google map type in 210 State Street, Augusta, Maine.  Parking may also be available south of the State House, behind the State Library, Archives and Museum building.

Accessibility:

Wheelchairs are available for use on-site. Contact the Clerk’s Office at 287-1400, or stop by the Legislative Information Office for assistance.

American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreters are available on specific days during the session and can be scheduled to interpret committee public hearings and to help visitors to the State House communicate with Legislators during session.

Public TTY Phones are located on the second and fourth floors of the State House.

Resized and large print versions of bills, committee documents, and other written materials are available upon request and may be obtained in the Law and Legislative Reference Library on the second floor of the State House. Upon request, some materials can be transferred to audio format.