Government Building sights in North America
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USS Potomac
The 50m (165ft) USS Potomac was once Franklin D Roosevelt's presidential yacht; he fondly referred to it as the 'floating White House'. It's now moored by the ferry dock and is open for dockside tours. Two-hour history cruises are also held several times a month from April to October; call for reservations.
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Texas State Capitol
The 1888, stunning, pink-granite Texas State Capitol is really 15ft taller than the US Capitol in Washington, DC.
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Capitol
The political center of the US government and geographic heart of the District, the Capitol sits atop a high hill overlooking the National Mall and the wide avenues flaring out to the city beyond. The towering 285ft cast-iron dome topped by the bronze Statue of Freedom, ornate fountains and marble Roman pillars set on sweeping lawns and flowering gardens scream: ‘This is DC.’
Since 1800, this is where the legislative branch of American government – ie Congress – has met to write the country’s laws. The lower House of Representatives (438 members) and upper Senate (100) meet respectively in the south and north wings of the building.
The visitor center (202-225-68…
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City Hall
This elegant, cupola-topped marble hall, located in placid City Hall Park facing the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge, has been home to New York City’s government since 1812. In keeping with the half-baked civic planning that has often plagued large-scale New York projects, officials neglected to finish the building’s northern side in marble, due to objections about cost. Finishing the northern facade in brownstone and reducing the size of the building overall made a compromise. The domed tower was rebuilt in 1917 after being damaged by two fires, and the original marble (and brownstone) facades were replaced with limestone over a granite base in 1954–56. Its beautiful res…
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White House
Unlike many sites of similar caliber, the White House feels more uplifting than somber. Maybe that’s because this is, at the end of the day, a home as well as a symbol. The White House stuns visitors with its sense of pomp and circumstance, yet it also charms with little left traces of those who have lived here before, which includes every US president since John Adams. Icon of the American presidency? Yeah. But it’s also someone’s front yard.
The Presidential Palace – as it was once known – has changed a great deal over history. It was not originally white, for example. After the British burned the building in the War of 1812, it was restored and painted. Teddy Roo…
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Hôtel du Parlement
The National Assembly building is a Second Empire structure completed in 1886. It’s home to the Provincial Legislature. Free tours are given in English and French year-round. The 30-minute visits get you into the National Assembly Chamber, the Legislative Council Chamber and the Speakers’ Gallery. The facade of the building is decorated with 23 bronze statues of significant provincial historical figures, including explorer Samuel de Champlain (1570–1635), early New France governor Louis de Buade Frontenac (1622–98) and battle heroes like James Wolfe (1727–59) and Louis-Joseph Montcalm (1712–59), the English and French generals who met, fought and received mortal wound…
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Ali'iolani Hale
The first major government building constructed by the Hawaiian monarchy in 1874, the 'House of Heavenly Kings' was designed by Australian architect Thomas Rowe to be a royal palace, although it was never used as such. Instead, the Italianate building houses Hawaii's Supreme Court and was once home to Hawaii's legislature. It was on the steps of Ali'iolani Hale, in January 1893, that Sanford Dole proclaimed the establishment of a provisional government and the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. Peek inside to find displays on Hawaii's judicial history dating back to the time of Kamehameha the Great.
Outside, a bronze statue of Kamehameha the Great stands in front of Ali'…
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US Custom House
The fortress-like US Custom House covers a square block. Construction on it began in 1849 and was supervised by Lieutenant PGT Beauregard, who later commanded Confederate forces. During the Reconstruction period after the Civil War, it served as the headquarters for African Americans in the Republican party. Blacks held a majority in the Louisiana legislature, and two African Americans filled the office of lieutenant governor: Oscar J Dunn and Pickney Benton Stewart Pinchback. Meetings took place in the enormous 'Marble Hall' on the 2nd floor.
The construction of the building is also interesting. A cofferdam surrounded the excavation while the foundation was under constru…
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Federal Reserve
‘The Fed, ’ which resembles a cross between a Greek temple and a Soviet-era bunker, is the Olympus of the Gods of the American Economy. Unfortunately, you won’t see too much fiscal action on tours; these focus on the architecture of the Eccles Building, which houses the reserve. You do get to visit the board room, which looks like the place where the world’s economy is batted about like a big ball of yarn between some very powerful cats. That said, the tour – which must be pre-arranged by calling at least two weeks in advance – is recommended for adults only (kids will likely get bored). Visitors can also view the Fed’s art collection, part of which is displayed in the at…
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Pentagon
The US Department of Defense is housed in what may be the world's biggest office building, which took just 16 months to build back in WWII. About 25,000 people work in the massive polygon, which has more than a dozen miles of corridors and five sides surrounding a 5-acre courtyard. But while the formidable edifice appears impenetrable, 184 people were killed here on September 11, 2001, when American Airlines flight 77 crashed into the side of the building. Just outside of the Pentagon is a tranquil memorial to these victims (including passengers of flight 77); the grounds consist of 184 benches engraved with a victim's name, shaded by 85 paperback maple trees. Since the a…
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Province House
Charlottetown's centrepiece is the imposing, neoclassical Province House. The symmetry of design is carried throughout, including two brilliant skylights reaching up through the massive sandstone structure. It was here in 1864, that 23 representatives of Britain's North American colonies first discussed the creation of Canada. Along with being the 'birthplace of Canada,' the site is home to Canada's second-oldest active legislature.
Several rooms have been restored, and in July and August you may find yourself face to face with Canada's first prime minister: actors in period garb wander the halls and regularly coalesce to perform reenactments of the famous conference. Enj…
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Hôtel de Ville
Montréal’s handsome City Hall was built between 1872 and 1878. Far from being a humdrum administrative center, it’s actually steeped in local lore. Most famously, it’s where French leader Charles de Gaulle took to the balcony in 1967 and yelled to the crowds outside ‘Vive le Québec libre!’ (‘Long live a free Québec!’) Those four words fueled the fires of Québécois separatism and strained relations with Ottawa for years. Peer into the Great Hall of Honor for some scenes of rural Québec and busts of Jacques Viger, the first French-speaking mayor (1833–36), and Peter McGill, the first English-speaking mayor (1840–42).
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Senado de la República
The upper house of Mexico’s federal congress, the Cámara de Senadores, meets in a building on the east side of the Museo Nacional de Arte. It’s usually in session from September to December. The Distrito Federal’s elected assembly, the Asamblea Legislativa del Distrito Federal (ALDF), uses the old Cámara de Diputados building around the corner at Donceles and Allende. The Cámara de Diputados itself, the lower house of the federal congress, now uses the modern Palacio Legislativo on Av Congreso de la Unión, about 2km east of the Zócalo. It, too, is in session from September to December.
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Antiguo Palacio del Ayuntamiento
The two buildings on the south side of the Zócalo may look similar with their stately arcades and handsome carved window frames, but the Ayuntamiento (the one on the right) predates its twin by over 400 years. The mayor has his office there, while various city departments occupy the east building. Recently restored and opened for public viewing, the grand Salón de Cabildos, on the upper level of the Ayuntamiento, was the place where the city council traditionally convened to settle local disputes. The entry hall contains a gallery of portraits of all 62 Spanish viceroys.
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Treasury Building
The 1836 Greek-revival colossus (each of its 30 36ft-high columns was carved from a single granite block) is decorated as befits a treasury, with golden eagles, ornate balustrades and a two-story Cash Room, constructed with eight types of marble. US currency was printed in the basement from 1863 to 1880. Unfortunately tours of the building have been suspended, but the website offers a virtual tour under Education.
This building no longer prints any money, but is often confused with the present 'money factory,' the Bureau of Printing & Engraving, south of the Mall.
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Old Government House
The magnificent stone palace that is Old Government House was erected for the British governor in 1826. The representative of the queen moved out in 1893 after the province refused to continue paying his expenses, and during most of the 20th century the complex was a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) headquarters. It now evocatively captures a moment in time with tours led by staff in period costume.
New Brunswick's lieutenant governor lives on the 3rd floor and his limousine with a single crown for a license number is often parked outside.
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Misión Nuestra Señora de Loreto
Featuring a floor plan in the shape of a Greek cross, the mission suffered serious damage when the ceiling and bell tower collapsed during the 1829 hurricane. It has only been restored over the last 25 years and today is splendid sight both inside and out.
Above the entrance to Loreto's mission, the inscription Cabeza y Madre de las Misiones de Baja y Alta California (Head and Mother of the Missions of Upper and Lower California) attests to Loreto's role as the first capital of the Californias.
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Edwards Air Force Base
Southeast of Mojave, Edwards Air Force Base is a flight test facility for the US Air Force, NASA and civilian aircraft, and a training school for test pilots with the 'right stuff.' It was here that Chuck Yeager flew the world's first supersonic flight; the first space shuttles glided in after their missions; and in 2004, SpaceShipOne became the first civilian aircraft to reach suborbital altitudes - twice. At press time, the base was open to visitors on a limited basis.
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Alaska State Capitol
Next to the City Museum is the Alaska State Capitol. Built in 1929-31 as the territorial Federal Building, the capitol looks like an overgrown high school. Stuffed inside are legislative chambers, the governor's office, and offices for the hundreds of staff members who arrive in Juneau for the winter legislative session. Free 30-minute tours are held every half-hour and start from the visitor desk in the lobby; a self-guided tour pamphlet is also available.
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Alberta Legislature
Home to politicians, debate and some nice art is the Alberta Legislature. Where Fort Edmonton once stood, the Leg is a grand old building. With its iconic dome and marble interiors, it has grown to become a local landmark. There are free tours to take you behind the scenes and the grounds themselves are a splendid place to spend a warm day. To hook up with a tour, head to the interpretive center/gift shop in the pedway at 10820 98th Ave.
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United Nations
Welcome to the headquarters of the UN, a worldwide organization that oversees international law, international security and human rights. The building is located on a patch of technically international territory, overlooking the East River. Take a guided tour of the facility and you’ll get to see the General Assembly, where the annual convocation of member nations takes place every fall; the Security Council Chamber, where crisis management continues year-round; and the Economic & Social Council Chamber. If you’re lucky you might even catch a meeting in progress. There is a serene park to the north of the complex, which is home to Henry Moore’s Reclining Figure as well as…
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Rideau Hall
Home to the governor general, built in the early 20th century. There are free 45-minute walking tours of the posh residence, with poignant anecdotes about the various goings-on over the years. Tours are offered throughout the day in summer, or you can stroll the grounds all year. At the main gate, the small changing of the guard ceremony happens on the hour throughout the day from the end of June until the end of August.
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US State Department
The headquarters of the American diplomatic corps is a forbidding, well-guarded edifice, all modernist, blocky and unfriendly. In stark contrast are the elegant grand diplomatic reception rooms, where Cabinet members and the Secretary of State entertain visiting potentates amid ornate 18th-century American antiques. Call at least a month beforehand to reserve a tour spot, and bring photo ID; no kids under 12 are admitted.
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Kilauea Visitor Center
The Kilauea Visitor Center is an excellent place to start. On the hour (from 09:00 to 16:00), a small theater shows a free 20-minute film on Kilauea, with spectacular eruption footage. Attractive new exhibits, listening stations and life-size dioramas introduce the area's geology, flora, fauna and conservation issues. Out front, rangers give regular talks around the scale model of Hawaii.
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State Office Building
Across from the Juneau-Douglas City Museum is the State Office Building, known locally as the SOB. From the outdoor court on the 8th floor there is a spectacular view of the channel and Douglas Island, while in the lobby is a massive Kimball organ dating back to 1928. Every Friday at noon a performance is given, a good reason to join state workers for a brown-bag lunch.
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