Capitol Steps — The 48 States in Stone

Louisiana built the tallest state capitol in America and gave it a foundation of names. Forty-eight broad granite steps rise to the main entrance, each carved with the name of a state in the Union as it stood in 1932. Alaska and Hawaii hadn't joined yet — the roster stops at forty-eight, frozen at the moment the building opened. Most visitors climb without looking down. The names are underfoot, permanent, weathering under thousands of footfalls. It's a geography lesson that depends entirely on whether you pause to read it — Louisiana at the bottom, the others rising in some order toward the doors, each state granted one step and equal footing. The steps are open during Capitol hours. Look down.