Tunnels, paper trails under the State House
In the State House chambers, legislators battle over bills and political philosophies, but the tunnels below offer their own intrigue
The Maryland State House is known mostly from the top. The dome marks the heart of Annapolis, and the building it sits on is where, for three months each year, lawmakers duke it out over legislation.
What most don’t know about is the underground hive that supports the work above.
Under the floors where lawmakers convene, a team of workers connected by a tunnel system labors to keep legislators and Annapolis residents informed about the actions overhead. These tunnels are also how legislators slip between the State House and their offices — or to lunch — without being seen by protesters and folks outside.
State House tour guide Patricia Harrison has been walking the tunnels for 20 years. In the three months of the year the General Assembly is in session, she’s part of a team that gives tours to 8,000 people.
She handles the 4,000 people who take tours during the rest of the year mostly on See TUNNELS, page 4
What most don’t know about is the underground hive that supports the work above.
Under the floors where lawmakers convene, a team of workers connected by a tunnel system labors to keep legislators and Annapolis residents informed about the actions overhead. These tunnels are also how legislators slip between the State House and their offices — or to lunch — without being seen by protesters and folks outside.
State House tour guide Patricia Harrison has been walking the tunnels for 20 years. In the three months of the year the General Assembly is in session, she’s part of a team that gives tours to 8,000 people.
She handles the 4,000 people who take tours during the rest of the year mostly on See TUNNELS, page 4
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