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     Tallahassee was named Florida's capital in 1824, midway between the then-largest cities in the state, St. Augustine and Pensacola.

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     The Capitol Complex design was a joint venture of the architectural firms of Edward Durell Stone of New York City and Reynolds, Smith and Hills of Jacksonville. It was built according to Stone's signature style of "Neoclassicism," with an ornate grill surrounding a white-columned box. The design symbolized the growth and development of Florida.

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The Capitol is usually referred to as a twenty-two-story building with a height of 345 feet. However, including the 3 underground floors, it is a 25-story building (the 6th floor is only accessible through the freight elevator). The Governor and the Cabinet members have their offices on the Plaza Level of the Capitol. Floors two through four of the base structure of the Capitol are used for the chambers of the Senate and House of Representatives; the offices of the Senate President, Secretary and Sergeant at Arms; the House Speaker, Clerk, and Sergeant at Arms; some legislative committee offices and meeting rooms; and Member offices.

The Legislative Chambers are on the fourth floor with their respective public viewing galleries on the fifth floor. The floors between the observation deck and the first five floors are executive and legislative offices. There is a cafeteria on the Lower Level, a snack bar on the tenth floor, and the Florida Welcome Center just inside the west Plaza Level entrance. Guided tours are conducted by Florida Welcome Center staff and are available for groups of 15 or more and self-guided tours are available during normal business hours.

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