Exhibition Hall - Capitol Dome Model Interior View

At the center of the Visitor Center’s Exhibition Hall stands an 11-foot-high touchable model of the Capitol dome. The dome model will provide visitors with an intimate look at this iconic symbol of representative democracy. The polyurethane model is tough, durable, easily cleaned, and it never needs to be painted since color is impregnated into the mold. Architectural features of the Capitol dome, both interior and exterior, have been meticulously replicated. The front of the model shows the exterior of the dome from its base to the Statue of Freedom. The back side of the model depicts a cutaway showing the construction of the inner and outer cast iron dome. Also visible is the fresco masterpiece in the Rotunda ceiling, the “Apotheosis of Washington” by Constantino Brumidi, was carefully replicated using a combination of photographs and hand painting.