Oregon's capitol is one of the more distinctive statehouses in the country — not the usual Classical Revival pile but a clean Art Moderne building in Vermont marble, completed in 1938. The gold-leafed bronze figure on top is the Oregon Pioneer, a 23-foot-tall pioneer holding a covered wagon wheel, gazing west.
Inside, the rotunda murals depict scenes from Oregon's history: Lewis and Clark at the mouth of the Columbia, wagon trains crossing the plains, the maritime fur trade. Free guided tours run on the hour and take you up into the drum of the dome, where the view across the Willamette Valley on a clear day is worth the climb alone.
The capitol mall stretching south toward the Willamette University campus is a pleasant place to walk, with fountains, sculptures, and the State Library next door.