Kids celebrate Oregon’s 161st birthday on February 15, 2020 with hands-on activities in the Oregon State Capitol rotunda. (Courtesy Joel Zak/Oregon State Capitol Foundation)
Oregon’s Capitol may be closed to the public, but you can still take a look around it from the comfort of your living room.
The virtual tour, sponsored by the Oregon State Capitol Foundation, is available online as a lesson in Oregon history and civics that’s told room by room through audio narration. It’s also accessible via smartphone by texting Oregon to 24587.
Virtual visitors can travel through each of the building’s four floors to see the artwork on display. Audio narration explains the scenes depicted in murals, such as the horseback rider bringing word to Salem of Oregon’s acceptance into the U.S.
The tour also covers the building’s exterior, including the surrounding park and World War II memorial. Links within the tour give more information on the timeline of the Capitol’s construction and state seal on the rotunda floor.
The tour is several years old, but the foundation is newly promoting it as a resource to Oregon’s students, who have been out of school since March 16. The Capitol closed to the public March 18.
“The Capitol may be closed at the moment, but this is a great way for anyone — especially curious kids — to learn about Oregon’s history in a fun and interactive way,” said Ed Schoaps, a foundation board member, in a news release.
This article was updated to clarify that the Capitol Foundation sponsored the virtual tour.
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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
