The Day in Lansing

I ended up meeting some family up in Lansing yesterday.  Since I was there, I decided to get some pictures.

 It's kind of hard to visit Lansing and not get pictures of the capitol building.  I think it looks really nice with the Christmas tree in front.

 I'm not sure what building this is but I thought it looked pretty cool.

 This is now the Comerica Bank Building but it used to be the bank of Lansing.

 It was built in 1931 and is 15 stories tall.

 I really like some of the decorations on the building.  For some reason this reminds me of someone stealing government.  Kind of funny seeing this on a bank.

 This may be the guy that chopped the top of the capitol building off.

 An elephant.  If there is one thing I like about old buildings, it's that it seems like they took the time to make them look right.  Lots of attention to detail.

 Looking down one of the streets.  It seemed pretty abandoned for a major city.

 This was in a tobacco shop.

 I kind of liked this street scene.

 another look at this street.

 This used to be known as the Strand Theater and was built in 1920.  It so many features that were common in so many movie palaces from the 1920's.  It was renamed the Michigan in the 1940's and closed in the 1970's (probably replaced by a multiplex somewhere).   In 1984, it was transformed into office space.  Not sure what is going on there now.

 This used to be the Cooley Law School.

 Some other angles of the Capitol Building.

 The Boji Tower.  Originally built in 1930 as the Olds Tower and was named after the founder of Oldsmobile.  In 1954, it became the National Bank Tower.  In 2005, it acquired its current name.  It is the tallest building in Lansing.

 Reflected in the marble of another building.

 I kind of liked the reflection of the Capitol Building.

 One of the statues on the Capitol grounds.

 another angle of the building.

 Looking up at the tower.

 This is a statue of Austin Blair.  He was Michigan's governor during the Civil War.  He was a strong supporter of abolition.  He was also a strong supporter of the Civil War.  Prior to the war, he was a leading proponent of the movement to ban capital punishment in Michigan.  After the war, he served as a US Congressman.

 I really love the looks of our Capitol Building.  I still wish its occupants could live up to it.

 This was an abandoned railroad tower.  Apparently, it used to be elsewhere and it was moved to its current location.  There is a Model Railroad Group that is trying to save it and move it somewhere else.

 When I took a picture of this line, I thought it was abandoned.  It certainly looked abandoned but I found out that it is owned by the Adrian and Blissfield Railroad and used at least once a week.

 Then I thought this engine was abandoned.  I'm still not sure who owns it but apparently it is sitting here while people decide what to do with it.  It used to be use to run a dinner ride.

 This is one of several fish ladders on the Grand River.  It was built in 1981 with funds from the Department of Natural Resources and the City of Lansing.

 This is part of what is known as Old Town Lansing.  I think it is Lansing's attempt at something like Depot Town and it looks like they are on their way to succeeding.

 Then I got a shot of the Capitol Building as the sun set.

And one more shot with the trees lit up.