Everything is bigger in Texas, including the field trip. The Texas State Capitol, sunset-red granite and taller than the nation’s Capitol in Washington, welcomes families with free guided tours that turn state history into a treasure hunt.
Kids count the stars and seals worked into the floors and doors, whisper across the rotunda and look straight up into the dome, where the Goddess of Liberty keeps watch from the top outside. Guides are storytellers at heart, full of tales about the 1888 building, the heroes in the portraits and the cannonball scars of Texas legend.
Outside, the Great Walk of the Capitol grounds rolls past monuments, cannons and shady live oaks, perfect for burning off wiggles, and the Capitol Visitor Center in the old General Land Office adds hands-on exhibits and the essential gift-shop stop.
Tours run daily and cost nothing, which makes this giant the best bargain in downtown Austin. Happy City News families leave walking taller.
