Anyway...so we got to the capitol after a bit of a parking quest, and found neatly kept grounds surrounding the building, depicting such Georgia greats as Jimmy Carter and John Brown Gordon (look him up). The dome is golden-encrusted and shiny, and atop is a small rendition of what looks like the Statue of Liberty, but is a little different.
Inside is a simple layout with the central dome in the middle, with two wings out to the sides. The main floor is decorated with prominent Georgia governors' busts, and the walls adorned with royalty-styled paintings of senators and other Georgia greats like Martin Luther King, Jr., the first Georgian to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
It was a nice entrance to a capitol, as well, on the sunny Tuesday afternoon, because there was a band inside playing traditional American classics. The third and fourth floors display Georgia relics such as the flag and popular notions such as "Georgia on my mind" tabs and lyrics. There are also other random things like a two-headed calf displayed, but mostly historical and relevant policital and Georgia-related items.
Visitors can't go to the top of the dome, so unfortunately we didn't get to see a view of Atlanta from the top. But, you can walk around the central nave from the third and fourth floors for nice views of the Victorian-styled floors below.
Unbeknownst to us, Atlanta was actually the fifth capital selected for the state, but once it was the capitol was erected with a $1 million budget, and $134 leftover, which was deposited into the state's general account. They seem to be quite proud of this.
