The Tennessee State Capitol, set on the highest hill in downtown Nashville, is one of the few state capitols in the country built in pure Greek Revival rather than with a Roman dome. Completed in 1859, the limestone building is modelled on a Greek Ionic temple and stands above the city without a rotunda — there is a small interior lantern instead. The grounds are also a hilltop park, with an equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson and the tomb of President James K. Polk and his wife.
Free guided tours run hourly on weekdays. The capitol grounds and the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park that runs down the hill on the north side make a pleasant half-hour walk; the bicentennial mall includes a 200-foot granite map of Tennessee laid flat in the pavement.