Pennsylvania State Capitol

Since Pennsylvania's foundation in 1682, its capital have been located in the cities of Philadelphia, Lancaster and Harrisburg. The construction of the new Capitol building for Harrisburg begun at noon on May 31, 1819 and finished it on January 2, 1822 at a cost of about $ 135,000. On February 2, 1897, the Capitol burned down. On May 5, 1904 the cornerstone for the new Capitol was laid. Built and furnished at a cost of $13 million, the building was designed in the classic renaissance style.

At the dedication of the Capitol building in 1906, President Teddy Roosevelt described this structure as "the handsomest building I ever saw". The capitol dome rises 272 feet. This vaulted dome weighs 52 million pounds, and was modeled after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. It's beautiful staircase looks like one from the Paris Opera.

Harrisburg is a city that boasts a past rich in accomplishment and a future full of promise. More than three centuries ago, when William Penn founded Pennsylvania, he created a society built on the ideas of community, individual freedom, and representative self-government.

As a City, Harrisburg cherishes the historical, social and cultural arts of its people and its various communities as emblems of enduring significance and influential character to the entire Commonwealth and nation.

Traveling around downtown and the adjacent neighborhoods, you will discover the qualities that make this City such an enriching place to visit  —the goodness of its people, the richness of its historical significance, and its geographic diversity.

Today, Harrisburg continues to be the area hub for government, big business, the arts, entertainment and tourism (which, shortly, is expected to replace agriculture as the state's No. 1 business.) Harrisburg offers all kinds of sports, dozens of art galleries, a variety of eating-out opportunities, all kinds of real estate options, and unmatched parks and recreation activities. Additionally, one of it's biggest pluses is its nearness to virtually everything else, be it big city activity or country-quiet streams.