State Capitol Renovations on Track for Completion by End of 2026

Renovations at the Tennessee State Capitol and surrounding grounds are set to be complete by the end of this year.

For the past several months, upgrades have been underway to fix leaks in the Capitol's copper roof as well as the cupola. Exterior windows and doors throughout the building (which was built in 1859) have also undergone restoration.

Officials with the Office of the State Architect said at a State Capitol Commission meeting Aug. 10 that all renovations to the building will be complete by the end of the year, just in time for the January inauguration of Tennessee’s next governor.

As part of the upgrades, a bronze statue of frontiersman David Crockett will also be placed in front of the Capitol, visible from the street. This replaces a statue of early-20th-century U.S. Sen. Edward Carmack, which was toppled by protesters in 2020.

Also expected to be complete by the start of 2027 are major upgrades to Legislative Plaza. The site will be home to a visitors' center state officials have touted as a “gateway” to the Capitol. It will include a Capitol history museum and a military branch museum, officials noted last month. Also included in the upgrades are the addition of sidewalks along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Additional enhancements are being made to the landscaping and retaining wall surrounding the Capitol.

This summer, crews completed $106 million in restorations to the War Memorial Auditorium — a state-owned office building, which served as home of the Grand Ole Opry between 1939 and 1943. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Upgrades to the site include renovations to both the interior and exterior, the reopening of the building’s light well, and improvements to the auditorium, office spaces and conference rooms.

In addition, renovations to combine the old state library and archives building with the current Tennessee Supreme Court Building to result in additional offices are set to begin in the first half of 2027 and last roughly two years.

This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.