Rhode Island State House open for tours on Saturday, Dec. 7

The public has an opportunity to see the Independent Man up close during special opening hours at the Rhode Island State House on Saturday, Dec. 7, before the statue returns to its place atop the State House’s marble dome after nearly a year on the ground.

After a year earthbound, Independent Man to reascend to top of Rhode Island State House

The Saturday hours — hosted by Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore and the State House Restoration Committee — run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with tours departing every 30 minutes from the State Library.

The Independent Man has been in temporary residence inside the State House lobby since May after restoration work on its gold coating was completed. The statue was also available for public viewing from December 2023 through the first week of January 2024 before being removed.

Gov. Dan McKee’s office announced last week that repairs to the Independent Man’s supporting dome atop the State House have been completed. Weather permitting, the statue will be lifted back to its perch sometime between Dec. 12 and 20. The final date is expected to be announced soon.

The Independent Man’s descent to solid ground last December was only the second since the statue was installed in 1899. 

State House tours bring guests through the neoclassical building’s storied architecture, including the Roman Pantheon-inspired Senate chamber as well as its companion, the House chamber. Also on a typical tour agenda is the State Reception room — which sports Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington — and the much-loved State Library, which features an ornately arranged collection of legislative history as well as moon rocks and a distinctive ceiling. The State House’s inner rotunda is decorated with a mural of historical scenes and figures, like state founder Roger Williams and Narragansett sachems Canonicus and Miantonomi.

Throughout the building, visitors will see Georgia marble and Italian Renaissance-influenced architecture, both reflective of aesthetic trends in vogue at the time of the State House’s planning and construction in the late nineteenth century.  

Guided weekday tours are also available during their regularly scheduled time slots, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. You can request a tour on the Secretary of State’s website.