Last December, the State Preservation Board took the capitol press corps on a tour of some rarely-visited corners of the Texas State Capitol Dome to explain why they would be renovating the roof. Yesterday morning, it was time for yet another trip to some normally off-limits areas of the legislature, and we got footage of the experience.

As Dave Stauch, of construction firm HS&A, and Facilities Director Lee Baker explained, the project is big and it’s on a fairly tight timeline. However, it’s currently on schedule, and everything should be completed in time to put the Christmas decorations up in the House chamber.

As Baker admitted, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get up close to some of the more remarkable architectural components of this downtown landmark. Since these areas are unlikely to ever be opened in the public, this video may be your best chance to see the view from out on the sixth floor.

This article appears in August 13 • 2010.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.