New tour highlights Capitol Campus memorials
Tours at Capitol Campus aim to reveal the history of Washington: its cultural heritage, its form of government, and the stories that make the campus special.
The Department of Enterprise Services (DES), which stewards the Washington State Capitol Campus, has developed a new way for visitors to explore the campus: free public tours of memorials honoring Washingtonians who’ve served and sacrificed for our country. The tour lasts about an hour and expands on the backstory of six memorials on campus.
Tours Coordinator Jesse Morrow says the new tour is a logical way to branch out and reveal more stories about the lives of people who call Washington home. Veterans, their families, and anyone else interested in memorials or campus history might enjoy the tour, says Morrow.
To plan the tour, Morrow dug into state archives and consulted with the Office of the Secretary of State, which operates the Washington State Library. As her work continued, Morrow gained new appreciation for the evident commitment of public officials, artists, designers, community members and planners to affect memorials.
For example, the Winged Victory Monument was first envisioned in 1919 but only finished in 1938, on the eve of another world war. That long journey is impressive, but a small feat compared to the achievements and sacrifices of those whose names grace the memorials for ages to come.
Several DES staff and members of the state Veterans Employee Resource Group recently participated in rehearsal runs of the tour. This helped staff deepen their knowledge and appreciation of the memorials. To instill the historical and sentimental significance of the memorials and the people they honor, the tour is required training for buildings and grounds professionals who work on campus.
Visit Memorial Tours for more information.
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