Virginia State Capitol Building

This capitol building's big claim to fame is that it was partially designed by Thomas Jefferson. He supposedly based the structure on the Maison Carrée temple (located in Nîmes, France), which he greatly admired. And in addition to learning about the capitol's design trivia, area visitors also like to stroll the grounds and snap photos. The surrounding area, known as Capitol Square, has several monuments dedicated to the Civil Rights Movement, as well as to prominent Virginians like Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and Edgar Allan Poe.

The capitol is free to the public Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. You can take a guided tour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on most days, or you can walk through the public areas yourself. Keep in mind that this is still the seat of government for Virginia, so you might want to visit the official website for details on the assembly meetings as well.