Post #5, The Second-Floor Rotunda

This week, we will discuss some of the statues and canvas paintings that are located in the second-floor rotunda of the Kansas State Capitol Building. The Kansas Statehouse displays some of the most exquisite artwork found in all Capitol buildings in the United States. If you visit, you will find that most of the art pieces were actually constructed and created by Kansan's themselves. The following four individuals below are historical Kansan's who are remembered for their bravery and wit. Their actions have influenced the progression of the state as well as the United States as a country. Each statue is made out of solid limestone that weighs in at an average of two-thousand pounds each! It is astounding to consider that these statues were hand-crafted by Mr. Peter F. "Fritz" Felten, Jr. Although these statues are beautiful in all their glory, what is more interesting is that they are considered to be more like time capsules than anything, as all four statues contain important historical artifacts underneath the statue itself. These items are obviously not visible to the naked eye as they are physically behind the granite wall that is impossible to compromise with bare hands. The plaques underneath each statue clearly state the significance of each individual in addition to the time of when the capsules are to be opened. It is uncertain what is actually contained in these time capsules but it intrigues anyone who decides to pass by for a short visit. 

Amelia Earhart, a famous woman known for
aviation expertise set out for the Pacific Ocean
in 1937 and never returned. It is said that Amelia
ran out of fuel and crashed somewhere in the Pacific;
where however, no-one knows.
For further information regarding the conspiracy
of Amelia Earhart's whereabouts refer to the following link
(What Happened to Amelia Earhart?)

According to the plaque, the Amelia Earhart time capsule is
set to be opened on September 17th of 2087.

Dwight David Eisenhower, best known for being
the 34th President of the United States also served
in the U.S. military in World War II as a five star
commander and general. 

According the plaque above, Dwight D. Eisenhower's
time capsule isn't going to be opened until the year 2090.

William Allen White was a famous and notarized publisher
who was the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize on two occasions.

According to the following plaque, the time capsule for
 Mr. William White is dated to open in 2061, which will
 honor the two-hundredth anniversary of state progress.

Arthur Capper was the first native born governor
of the state of Kansas and hosted and owned
many radio stations and later served in the U.S. Senate.

Arthur Capper's bicentennial time capsule will be opened on
July 4th of 2076 which will honor the nation's two-hundredth
anniversary.

Panoramic view of the second-floor rotunda.

The gorgeous view of the inner dome from the
second-floor rotunda.

The following video highlights the breathtaking journey up the 296 steps that lead individuals into the outer dome. The Kansas State Capitol holds these tours Monday through Friday starting at 9:15 in the morning and continuing each hour until 3:15 in the afternoon (9:15, 10:15, 11:15, 12:15, 1:15, 2:15, & 3:15). Please visit the following link for further information regarding dome tours in the Kansas State Capitol Building! Dome Tours in the Kansas State Capitol Building

If you would like to know any further information about the four statues in the second-floor rotunda, then please visit the 

Kansas State Historical Society at http://www.kshs.org/p/kansas-state-capitol-online-tour-second-level-felten-statues/16615.

The following are links for the statues that were discussed earlier in this blog post!

Amelia Earhart (Amelia Earhart Statue)

Dwight David Eisenhower (Dwight D. Eisenhower Statue)

William Allen White (William A. White Statue)

Arthur Capper (Arthur Capper Statue)

Thank you for joining me for yet another wonderful week. 

Be sure to check back up soon for another informational blog post about our State Capitol Building.

*Fun Fact: Did you know that the Kansas State Capitol Building is taller than the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C.