Friday, February 12, 2010

The Great State of Ohio



The stained glass of the Seal of Ohio is on display in the education area. We took our neighbor homeschooling friends. All the kids had a great time together.

We were all looking forward to a field trip to the State House organized by a fellow home school mom, especially Kyle. We had a great time! I haven't been to the State House since I was in third grade when I was studying Ohio History. Definitely been quite awhile!

Here are some highlights from the day.


The House of Representatives


The Speaker of the House


The ceiling was beautiful and very ornate. The sky lights were to allow as much natural light to come in the room before electricity.




The rotunda was beautiful. My pictures do not do it justice. In the very center circle of the stained glass is the Seal of Ohio.


The Battle of Lake Erie, September 10, 1813, hangs in the Rotunda.


The Senate, a much less ornate building, due to the firing of the original architect. The original architect was fired because the government wanted the building to look less like a palace since it was a building for the "people".


Girls finally got the right to vote in 1920. Lindy was not happy to realize that she was not able to vote in the "mock" election of 1860 because women did not yet have the right to cast their vote.


But the boys were more than happy to vote!


This chandelier in the Senate had sculptures that represented prosperity, justice, science, and another we can't remember!


The carpet was beautiful and replicated from an original sample when the State House was renovated. Believe it or not this was considered masculine many years ago, pink roses and all!


The rotunda floor was an extremely complex design. The center had tiles that represented the original 13 colonies and three rings that went around the 13 tiles. The first represented the Northwest Territory. The second represented the Louisiana Purchase. There were 32 spikes coming out of these rings represented the 32 states at the time the State House was built. The last band that went around all of them represented the Constitution.






There was a great interactive educational area for the kids. I was joking when I told everyone there would be a quiz on the way home but there really was!


Governor Miller giving his State of the State Address, reading from the teleprompter.


This was really cool, the kids were able to manipulate the state budget and see (literally) what the results would be.



Money, money! Paige trying to save her budget!


Ethan signing the official visitor book.


We then met Bill at Spaghetti Warehouse for lunch. After we ate, Lindy talked all the boys into trying to win her a stuffed animal. No luck but it was not for a lack of trying and a lot of quarters!
Executive lunch break
A great homeschooling day and a great way to kick off our state study of Ohio!

4 comments:

Rob M. said...

You sure take some AWESOME pictures, Margot!

I used to take pictures of the outside of Capitol buildings when I traveled the U.S. (I've been in 49 states!), and one summer, looking at all my pictures, there was one I couldn't remember what it was. Ohio, of course! I've never been INSIDE the Ohio Capitol building. I don't know why. I've been in Kentucky's!

U.B.

Laura said...

What a great idea for a field trip! It looks like everyone had a great time and learned lots of fascinating Ohio history!

Gretchen said...

What a great experience!! I certainly don't remember going as a kid should probably visit as an adult. The architecture is beautiful, glad everyone had fun!!

Jennifer James said...

Great photos! We are going to have to make it down there!
Love the picture of Paige over the $! Hilarious!