It’s easy to feel small walking up the steps to the Colorado State Capitol building in Denver. The tall arched doorways and Corinthian pillars that greet you give you an immense sense of grandeur.

This was the first visit to the capitol for most of the fourth graders from Nederland Elementary School. They were excited and more than ready to walk up the granite steps into their state capitol building.

Inside, the fourth graders, their teacher, Rebecca Vosteen, and the parent chaperones were met by their tour guide, Ms. Kathy.

In the awe-inspiring north foyer of the capitol, Ms. Kathy stopped us to look at three flags, representing the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Tribe, and the Ute Indian Tribe. The Ute tribes were a few of the original Indigenous people of what later became known as Colorado.

We then found a quieter space where we could learn about the Women’s Gold Tapestry, and more about the capitol building.

The hand-stitched embroidery and applique tapestry is a wall-sized work of art commemorating Colorado’s first 100 years. It remembers the courage and perseverance of women in Colorado. Over 3,500 people worked on this tapestry.

Ms. Kathy explained that the building was designed by Elijah E. Myers. It is intentionally reminiscent of the United States Capitol building, with the Greek Cross (even arms) floor plan. The capitol in Denver was completed under Frank Edbrooke in 1908, taking 15 years to build.

The building is composed largely from materials native to the state. The exterior is made of granite from near Gunnison. The marble floors are white Yule marble from Marble. This same kind of marble is used at the Lincoln Memorial and at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

There are walls of Colorado Rose Onyx, a rare rose marble. This stone comes from Beulah. This color of onyx has not been found anywhere else in the world, and most of it is in the Colorado State Capitol building.

The tour included a visit to the dome. The fourth graders loved this part of the tour. There was a steep stair up, but once at the top, the view of Denver and beyond was amazing.

Originally, the capitol had a copper dome. However, Coloradans did not think that grand enough for the Centennial State, so since 1908 a golden dome has crowned the building.

After coming down from the dome we were given the opportunity to watch the Colorado House of Representatives in session. The students were very quickly captivated when they realized the legislators were debating a bill about education. The students did not understand the details, and we were not in there long enough to hear more than two Representatives speak, but the kids knew that the conversation could affect them. They all agreed that this was a highlight of the day.

As we walked by the Old Supreme Court Chamber, we stopped to see the stained glass Heritage Windows that honor ethnic groups that helped build our state. We were specifically looking for Clara Brown, who lived in Central City in the 19th century. The kids knew her likeness because it is also part of a mural at Nederland Elementary School.

The inner rotunda is a stunning 181 feet in height. The grand staircase is impressive, with 57 steps and 176 brass balusters. Going up into the dome was a thrill, and watching the Colorado House of Representative in action was an experience I do not think any of us will soon forget.

After the tour, we crossed the street in front of the capitol and sat down in a park to eat our lunches. What do mountain kids do on a warm March day in Denver? They start playing a game of tag. They ran around until it was time to get on the bus and head back to the mountains.

It was a beautiful day in the city learning about the Colorado State Capitol building. A perfect capstone to the fourth grade social studies lessons about Colorado government.