Travel Thursday: Washington DC US Capitol

Hi friends! Happy Thursday so that means it's time for a Travel Thursday! I've never been to the east coast but I was finally able to experience it in Baltimore Maryland. While I was at Baltimore, I took the train down to Washington DC Capitol for a personal tour which I was so excited to be part of. I've never been to Washington DC so I was so excited to see what it's like and I was able to get a personal tour guide with my group I traveled with! I learned so much from this tour and now I want to share my experience with you all. The Capitol is where Senate and the House of Representatives have gathered for more than two centuries and houses many important American art collection. There are so much history of The Capitol as it was built back in 1793, burnt, then rebuilt, extended in the 1850s, and restored. [caption id="attachment_17635" align="alignnone" width="600"] US Capitol[/caption] I was just amazed being able to stand in front of the US Capitol and see it with my own eyes!! [caption id="attachment_17634" align="alignnone" width="600"] United States Capitol Visitor Center[/caption] [caption id="attachment_17638" align="alignnone" width="600"] Where Abraham Lincoln sat as a representative from Illinois[/caption] Just imagine, you're standing right where Abraham Lincoln's desk used to be at. [caption id="attachment_17637" align="alignnone" width="600"] A bit of the Berlin Wall under the Reagan statue.[/caption] From the tour I learned that there's actually a layer of the Berlin Wall under the Reagan statue. Unfortunately no one can touch it since it was blocked by a velvet rope and a security guard. [caption id="attachment_17631" align="alignnone" width="600"] Where lawyers had to go to pass the "bar"[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_17629" align="alignnone" width="600"] Structure of the Capitol[/caption] [caption id="attachment_17627" align="alignnone" width="600"] Statue of Abraham Lincoln[/caption] [caption id="attachment_17633" align="alignnone" width="600"] Masonic Commemorative Cornerstone Plaque[/caption] This Corner Stone hold a lot of history and symbolism  as George Washington laid the cornerstone at the southeast corner of its foundation to mark the building od the nation's most important and impressive building back on September 18, 1793. It states the following: LAID MASONICALLY SEPT. 17, 1932 IN COMMEMORATION OF THE LAYING OF THE ORIGINAL CORNERSTONE BY GEORGE WASHINGTON [caption id="attachment_17632" align="alignnone" width="600"] Original bullet on the pillar[/caption] [caption id="attachment_17640" align="alignnone" width="600"] APOTHEOSIS OF WASHINGTON[/caption] Here is the Apotheosis of Washington which was painted in 1865 by Constantino Brumidi. The artwork depicts George Washington rising to the heavens by female figures representing Liberty and Victory and surrounded by six groups of figures. [caption id="attachment_17630" align="alignnone" width="600"] Large bronze and crystal chandelier hung in the Small Senate Rotunda[/caption] Be sure to check out this amazing Large bronze and crystal chandelier hung in the Small Senate Rotunda. Did you know that its been hung here since 1965 and was purchased for $1,500? [caption id="attachment_17636" align="alignnone" width="600"] Large bronze and crystal chandelier hung in the Small Senate Rotunda[/caption] It's such an amazing chandelier that I had to get to the 2nd floor to get another glimpse. [caption id="attachment_17628" align="alignnone" width="600"] US Capitol star[/caption] While on our personal tour, the guide told us about this famous star in the center of the floor that everyone just loves to step on. Its stepped on so much over the years its actually rubbing off the layer in which the star is made of. This star denotes the point from which the streets in Washington are laid out. Hope you enjoyed this section of Travel Thursday so I hope you plan to make a trip here soon!   Washington DC Capitol is located at United States Capitol, Washington, DC 20515.