AUSTIN — A tradition that’s more than two decades old is ready for purchase at the Texas State Capitol Gift Shop.
The Texas Capitol Ornament has featured a special part of the building since its beginning in 1996. This year’s ornament is designed with the State Capitol underneath a star-filled sky. The 24-karat gold ornament was designed in-house is supposed to commemorate the 1888 dedication of the building.
The back of the ornament features Temple Houston’s famous quote from his speech at the dedication, “Here glitters a structure that shall stand as a sentinel of eternity.”
“People love it,” Texas State Preservation Board Retail Marketing Manager Carolyn Rzeppa said. “People order this ornament all around the world, actually. It’s something that Texans really treasure.
People collect this for their families. They give it as gifts for Christmas. It’s just something that is very important in the hearts of Texans.”
They’re sold at $22 each. The proceeds benefit the Texas State Capitol preservation and educational programs for its annual visitors.
“We’ve raised over $9 million since 1996 in the Texas Capitol Ornament program and all of the proceeds go towards Texas State Capitol preservation and educational programs,” Rzeppa said.
Shoppers can purchase the past ten years of the ornament both in the gift shop and online.