Tour - Five Walks Through Montpelier VT: Tour #1 - The Capitol Complex

Five Walks Through Montpelier VT: Tour #1 - The Capitol Complex

Montpelier, Vermont 05602, United States

Created By: Kiltumper Close Press

Tour Information

Note for Mobile Users: When you click "Start Tour" it may take a few seconds for the points of interest to appear on the map as your phone's GPS determines your location.

This tour technically begins at the Visitors Center at 134 State Street and ends farther up this same street near the Capitol Plaza Hotel, but if you are somewhere else along the street, you can really start anywhere, although you might want to begin with the Historical Overview.

Navigation: you can open the description of each point of interest by clicking the numbers on the map, or you may find it easier to scroll farther down this screen and select the points from the list. If choosing that method, just hit the < icon at the top of the screen to return to the list.

Tour Map

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What You'll See on the Tour

Historical Overview: Montpelier Visitor Center - 134 State Street

EARLIEST DAYS Going all the way back to the time before Europeans arrived on the continent, there isn’t much evidence to help us know who lived in this area prior to the late 1700s, but to tell the truth, there haven’t been many concert... Read more

Birthplace of US Senator Patrick Leahy

The house adjacent to the Visitor Center’s garden is the birthplace and childhood home of US Senator Patrick Leahy. During legislative sessions, his parents Alba and Howard rented rooms to lawmakers and also ran a printing press in the ba... Read more

A Painted Lady - 132 State Street

If you were on a mission to visit the State Auditor of Accounts, you probably wouldn’t expect to find such a serious-sounding official in this whimsical, dollhouse setting, right? Such is the charm of small capitals and small government. ... Read more

A Most Beautiful Tax Building

There’s been a lot of activity and a few address changes on this parcel of land over the years. It had two houses on it in the late 1800s which were owned by brothers Charles and George W. Reed. Charles was the State Librarian for many ye... Read more

Montpelier's Sliding Buildings - 128 State Street

This Queen Anne Revival building is the office of the Secretary of State. It was originally owned by Edward Dewey, a member of a very important family in the development of Montpelier through the 19th century. As you can see from the photo,... Read more

American Legion Headquarters - 126 State Street

This house, another Painted Lady, is where the American Legion has its state headquarters office. Don’t look for a bar in there because there isn’t one, but if you’re a member, the Post #3 lodge is farther downtown on Main Street. ...

A Country Doctor and a Hometown Hero - 120 State Street

This building is simply called the State Office Building. More informally, it’s called the DMV – the Department of Motor Vehicles. OUR DMV IS ART DECO BABY! The brick house at 128 State Street that currently houses Vermont's Secretary o... Read more

The Great Flood of 1927 - State House Promenade

If you’re walking along the State House promenade any time between May and October, you’ll probably marvel at the beautifully maintained gardens and lawn. This is essentially Montpelier’s Central Park and it gets a lot of use througho... Read more

Ceres the Beloved - State House Promenade

The statue atop the golden dome is not a historical figure, it’s a goddess. She's Ceres, the goddess of agriculture and fertility, and we’ve had three versions of her atop the dome over the years. The original was carved from Vermont pi... Read more

State House Construction - Third Time's the Charm

When you reach the third level on your way up the steps, you might want to detour off to the right or left for a look at the cannons. They are relics of the Spanish American War, taken from one of the ships that hometown hero Admiral George... Read more

The Battle of Bennington - You Owe Us One! - State House Portico

On the portico itself, to one side there is a statue depicting Ethan Allen, one of Vermont’s founding fathers and a Revolutionary War hero who led his Green Mountain Boys in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga. On the other side is a cannon c... Read more

Vermont Supreme Court and Art Gallery

This is Vermont’s Supreme Court building. It was completed in 1918. Before that, the court officially met in the State House, but it got so crowded that the justices were often chivvied over to a room in the Pavilion Hotel for their delib... Read more

Who Lived Here?! Welll...- 116 State Street

Here at the Department of Agriculture, we are close to the eastern edge of the Capitol Complex and in front of one of the most unusual-looking buildings on the street. It’s done in a style called Richardsonian Romanesque, the most famous ... Read more

The Tragic Demise Of Our Train Station

Through this space between 116 State Street and the bank building, you are looking toward the railroad tracks and the spot where once stood a majestic train station with a clock tower. It was built in 1880 and brought down with the help of ... Read more

The Keeley Cure - 110 State Street

Before it moved two doors down, National Life also lived here for a while as a tenant of the Vermont Mutual Fire Insurance Company, which owned the building. But it is more interesting as the one-time home for the Montpelier branch of a sub... Read more

A Hotel for Presidents and Film Stars - 109 State Street

Here at the edge of the hurly burly of Montpelier’s commercial life, we come to a building that perfectly captures the balance between the city as seat of government and a bustling area of private commerce. During its heyday, the Pavilion... Read more

On the Edge Between Public and Private Life

If you are beginning the tour from this point and would like a historical overview before you get started, click on the point of interest located at the other end of the street on the map that is titled "Historical Overview: Montpelier Visi... Read more