RALEIGH—Fact may chill even more than fiction Saturday, Oct. 25, during the State Capitol’s hair-raising but family friendly event, “Scare on the Square.” From 5-9:30 p.m., ‘spooky’ 30-minute guided tours of this 1840s building that has seen so much history will be offered to young and old alike. Free and open to the public, these tours will highlight various mysterious events that have happened within the Capitol’s hallowed walls over its long and storied history. Other activities during the program will include old-fashioned carriage rides around Capitol Square and live bluegrass music performed by the Southern String Band. Advance registration is strongly recommended as this program is popular.
Is that faint scent of cigar smoke some have smelled wafting through the old Senate Chamber from a long-gone senator’s stogie? What have paranormal researchers discovered at the State Capitol? Why do they think that North Carolina has the most haunted capitol in America? These are some of the questions that will be answered (or at least explored) on the “Scare on the Square” tours.
A National Historic Landmark, the N.C. State Capitol is one of the finest and best-preserved examples of the Greek Revival style of architecture in the U.S. It features a domed rotunda and state senate and house chambers, meticulously restored to their 1840 appearance. Until 1888, its granite walls housed all of state government and the legislature met here until 1961. Today, the governor and his staff still occupy offices in the Capitol.
The State Capitol’s mission is to preserve and interpret the architecture, history, and functions of the 1840 Capitol building and Union Square where it is located. In downtown Raleigh, the State Capitol is bounded by Edenton, Salisbury, Morgan and Wilmington Streets. Free parking is available in state lots near the Capitol. To register for the “Scare on the Square” program, call the Capitol at 919-733-4994. For more information on the State Capitol, go to www.nchistoricsites.org/capitol/default.htm.
Administered by the Division of State Historic Sites, the State Capitol is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, a state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Join the Cultural Resources 2008 theme observance of “Telling Our Stories”. For more information, visit www.ncculture.com.