The promenade leading from Congress Avenue to the Capitol's south entrance is called the Great Walk. Completed in 1889, the Great Walk was considered one of the most significant features of the Capitol grounds, formalizing a connection with Austin's most important street. In 1996, the 107-year-old Great Walk was removed due to its deteriorated condition, and replicated. The checkerboard-patterned concrete walk is 25 feet wide and 500 feet long, with rounded limestone curbs. The trees which flank the Great Walk were originally sycamores, although elms and live oaks were planted, and reproductions of the 1907 slat-style, steel park benches were installed. The existing light fixtures along the walk are original; they were installed in 1915 and restored in 1996.
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