Old State Capitol Building in Springfield Closed Beginning Wednesday for Restoration Project

The Old State Capitol building in Springfield will be closed to visitors beginning Wednesday through late April while contractor crews work on a repair and restoration project at the state historic site.

The project will install a new roof on the drum that supports the Old Capitol dome, and restore the drum columns and drum windows. The project will also involve painting of the interior and exterior of the drum, as well as plaster repair and painting of interior ceilings and walls.

The project was awarded for just under $1.5 million.

The Old State Capitol was reconstructed as part of a historic preservation restoration project in the 1960s after serving as Illinois' statehouse from 1840 to 1876.

You can take a virtual tour of the Old State Capitol online at http://historicspringfield.dnr.illinois.gov