 
California's State Capitol is the official meeting site of the State Senate and State Assembly. The Speaker of the Assembly and the President pro Tem of the State Senate have offices in the Capitol as do members of their senior staff. The building also provides hearing rooms, cafeteria, rotunda and meeting rooms. Individual members of the legislature, the Governor, Lt. Governor, additional hearing rooms and staff offices are housed in the Capitol annex. The historic Capitol was renovated in the 1970s to prevent its collapse in an earthquake. The building's Roman Corinthian architecture was executed by Architects M. F. Butler and Ruben Clark as work began on the Capitol in 1860. Portions of the structure were occupied in 1869.
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 The Capitol annex first floor hallways feature displays from California's 58 counties. The Capitol features the official portraits of the state's governors. A museum provides visitors with an insider's perspective of the historical development of the Capitol. Special displays open a window into the reconstruction of the Capitol building following the 1971 Sylmar earthquake. Also in the lower level, the rotunda features murals depicting different eras in the development of California. The murals were created by artist Arthur F. Matthews in 1913. Tours are provided by the State Parks and Recreation Department.
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The Capitol is surrounded by a 40-acre park featuring mature trees from around the world, a rose garden, and monuments including the California Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the California Veterans Memorial, a statue of Father Junipero Serra and a Civil War Memorial Grove planted in 1897 with saplings taken from the battlegrounds.
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