Movie Under the Stars 2013

The Utah State Capitol Preservation Board is excited to announce this year's Movie Under the stars feature event. Now that summer is upon us, the Capitol Preservation Board and the Utah Film Commission have teamed up to bring locals an enjoyable night filled with entertainment and music, perfect for all ages.

2013 Movie Line-up

• July 12: The Amazing Spider-man
• July 26: Wreck-it Ralph
• August 9: The World's Fastest Indian
• August 23: Hotel Transylvania

Event Information

These screenings will take place on the southwest corner of the Capitol lawn. Local bands will perform live shows starting at 7:30 pm, continuing until dusk when the movies begin. Admission is free, and seating is available on a first come, first served basis. Feel free to bring friends, snacks, and a blanket. Chairs are also allowed, as long as they are low to the ground and won't disrupt the view of other guests.

For questions or comments, please contact Visitor Services at 801-538-1800 or check out our facebook page. We can't wait to see you there!

Holiday Choir Performances at the Utah State Capitol

Courtesy of t.spang at Flickr

This year, enjoy the holiday season at the Capitol by catching one (or more) of the many upcoming choir performances. During the month of December, choirs and professional choral groups perform in the echoing expanse of the Capitol rotunda. Whether accompanied by piano or sung a cappella, these performers are sure to please.

Thursday, Dec. 6
Preston High School, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Toole High School, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 7
Ability and Choice Services Choir, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Dixie High School, 3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 12
Paradigm High School, 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 14
Butler Middle School, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. 

Murray High School, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. 

Pine View High School, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. 

Hurricane High School, 4 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 21
Snow Canyon Choir, 9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Hark and the Holly Berries, 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Happy Halloween! Ancient critters at the Capitol

Halloween is a holiday full of mythical creatures and ancient symbols, from greedy ghouls to flame-lit gourds. But did you know that the Capitol has some of its own mythical creatures and ancient symbols?

The head of a ram adorns light fixtures throughout the Capitol, symbolizing solar energy and fire. Rams were valuable sacrificial animals in ancient times. When used classical architecture, they represent determination, leadership, and authority - fitting for a government building!

Can you spot the oval shapes underneath the light? This classical molding pattern consists of alternating eggs and darts, perhaps to symbolize the duality of life and death. Eggs are ancient symbols of new life, luck, and health; darts can be quite lethal.

Kids love finding the eight wyverns that crouch in the corners of the Capitol atrium. In medieval heraldry, a wyvern was a guardian figure with magic powers of protection for warriors serving a powerful lord in battle. The Capitol wyverns are fierce two-legged dragons with serpent tails and bright orange wings.

And check out the egg-and-dart molding underneath the wyvern!

Some scholars say that Halloween has roots in ancient Celtic harvest festivals. The pine cones shown above are ancient symbols of agricultural growth and bounty of the earth. In the architectural style of the Capitol, the pine cone stands for spring and rebirth.

While all of those symbols were purposefully included in the Capitol architecture, some appeared quite by accident. On the second floor, large panels of diamond-cut Georgia marble boast beautiful symmetrical patterns. These patterns are nothing more than the natural swirls and veins that develop during rock formation, but some people like to look for pictures in the marble.

Do you see anything peculiar in the marble pattern, above?

Photos taken by Joanna Oldham, Director of Visitors Services. Blog post inspired by Romy Mahyera, Capitol Docent.

Movie Under the Stars

The time has finally come!!! We are more than pleased to announce the schedule for Movie Under the Stars 2012:

June 29th: Puss in Boots
July 13th: Princess Bride
July 27th: The Muppets
August 3rd: John Carter
August 17th: Sandlot

Make sure to put the above dates on your calendar. Free admission and popcorn!

Word of the Day

Tuscan Order - The simplest of the Orders of Classical Architecture. The shaft of the column is never fluted, and the capital has a square abacus. *For definitions of other words, see our older posts.