The Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines, Iowa

Eric and I settled the motor home in the parking lot of a Walmart in West Des Moines, IA.  We quickly unhitched the Jeep and took off for the State Capitol.  The last tour of the Capitol starts at 1:30 pm and we had seven minutes to drive 5.7 miles, park, find the Information Desk and ask for a tour.

Rain slick stairs 

didn't slow us down.

World Food Prize - 

There's much to say 

about that, later.

  

We found a public entrance to the Capitol and entered to find a security scanner with buckets for our personal items and guards.  I was wearing a rain coat with multiple buckles, so I beeped.  The nice security guard asked me to open my coat and saw my silver belt buckle.  He waved me through.

Marcia was happy to see us, as we two were her last tour of the day.  She clearly loves her job and did a wonderful job sharing the Capitol with us.  A man from Seattle joined us as the tour progressed. 

Construction on this, the third State Capitol ended in 1886.  It is the only capitol in the country with five domes.  Restoration has been underway since 1983.  So far the price tag is 90 million dollars.  The cost includes new heating, cooling, wiring, security....  Hence, the security scanner and guards.

The Rotunda

The Bell from the

USS Iowa

A model of the USS Iowa
on loan from the US Navy

Former Supreme Court Chamber

The State Justice Department moved

another building just south

of the Capitol.

Beautiful ceiling
work

Skylight

Marcia in the Senate Chamber

The desk is the Senator's office.

The Law Library is

five floors.

The Card Catalog still
has its cards.

The State

Assembly Chamber

The Rotunda from up

in the dome

The lights beneath

the flag in the Rotunda

The Dome of Whispers...

Talking into the walled section

 underneath the marble columns

 is heard clearly on the other 

side of the dome.

 The view from up

in the dome

The stairway down
from the dome has
130 stairs.

Tonight the Iowa State Capitol hosts

the  2012 World Food Prize Award.

 

This year's winner is Dr. Daniel Hillel of Israel for his "micro irrigation method" which brings water to arid and semi arid areas in an effort to feed a hungry world.