El Capitolio de Puerto Rico
El Capitolio de Puerto Rico – the capital building is right at the end of the Puerta de Tierra sector of Old San Juan, just before you get to the old section. To get there, you can walk east from Fort San Cristobal on Muñoz Rivera Avenue (along the waterfront). You can also take the trolley and get off at Stop 18a. It is a short walk from the Old San Juan cruise ship piers and parking decks. You can’t miss the Capital building. It is a huge white marble building with a large dome, just across the street from the ocean.
The dome is magnificent, with mosaics depicting important events in Puerto Rico’s history — like the arrival of Columbus, Spain’s first encounters with the Tainos, the freeing of the slaves, and the end of the Spanish American war. Beneath the dome, in the rotunda, the Puerto Rico Constitution is on display. Inaugurated in February of 1929, the Capital remains a beautiful symbol of liberty and democracy that should make Puerto Ricans proud. It is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places.