The Colorado State Capitol Building opened its doors in November 1894. A grand neo-classical monument in the West, it used local materials to capture some of the feel of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Over the decades it’s become, like many statehouses across the country, a trove of artwork, history and curiosities. The building is also the frequent site of protests, rallies, celebrations and a variety of other public events, a “People’s House,” if you will. 

In this repeat episode of Purplish, which first published last fall, we shift the conversation from the consequential laws and debates that happen in the state’s seat of power to the building itself. CPR’s Bente Birkeland and Stephanie Wolf travel from top to bottom to explore what’s on its walls and in its halls — and phone a friend for a rare look into what’s down below the basement. Their reporting reveals that the building, and its many collections, open up bigger conversations, not just about history but about the state right now. 

Read more of our reporting:

• CPR News: Portrait donated by White House will hang temporarily in capitol where painting Trump despised used to be
• CPR News: Should Colorado Display A Rediscovered Portrait Of Its KKK Governor?
• Rocky Mountain Community Radio: How a wonky radiator helped uncover the Capitol’s bygone glory
• Denverite: Meet the ‘Bloody Espinosas’ and other Colorado Capitol legends on these free ghost tours

Purplish is produced by CPR News and the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Startup funding for the Alliance was provided, in part, by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Sound design and engineering by Shane Rumsey. The theme music is by Brad Turner. Other music in this episode is courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions. Megan Verlee is CPR News’ executive producer of podcasts.