A tour minus the bus ride

Everything you ever wanted to know about Nebraska's state Capitol — and more — is detailed in a new state World Wide Web site.

Facts from the practical (How long are tours? Can we eat inside?) to the obscure (Who was the architect? What do the eight winged figures in the dome represent?) are included. So is a virtual tour that takes Web surfers through the rotunda, the chambers and even into the governor's suite.

There is also information about preservation, Nebraska government and what to do if you think you're in possession of a lost Capitol artifact.

The state hopes the Web site will allow even more people to get a glimpse of the historic building, which is visited by an estimated 100,000 people annually.

No tax dollars were used for the site. Money came from the Cooper Foundation, the Architectural Foundation of Nebraska and the Nebraska Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

See the site at www.capitol.org.