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Use of the Capitol Visitor Center Policy

Adopted October 1, 2014

The ground-floor visitor center comprises the Capitol Store, information desk, lobby, exhibit spaces, classroom, and auditorium. These spaces are administered by the Kansas Historical Society. The visitor center spaces are for the purpose of educating the public on the history, culture, and government of Kansas.

A. Use of the auditorium by other than the Kansas Historical Society:
    a. If the auditorium is not in use by the Kansas Historical Society it may be used
        with prior approval by public groups with the following requirements:
         i. Each event must be sponsored by a state agency or an elected official of
            the state of Kansas.
         ii. An application may be submitted to the Historical Society up to a year in
             advance but no approval will be granted earlier than 90 days prior to the
             planned event. Each applicant will be limited to a maximum of three events in
             a planned six-month period.
         iii. No organization shall be granted permission to use the auditorium to conduct
             planned programs in which participation is limited or restricted on the basis of
             race, cultural heritage, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, age,
             or disability.
         iv. Fees will be charged for the use of the auditorium outside of regular visitor
             center hours to cover the cost of supervision, security, and maintenance. An
             application may be denied if resources are not available to accommodate
             events outside of regular public hours.
    b. The following conditions apply to the use of the auditorium:
         i. Activities in the auditorium must not result in damage or destruction of state
            property.
         ii. The permanent art work may not be removed from the walls. Picture rails are
            provided for temporary display of visual content. Nothing may be adhered to
            the walls.
         iii. No food or drink is allowed in the auditorium. A public dining area is available on a first
             come, first served basis. No intoxicating beverages or substances are allowed. The
             Capitol is a no smoking building.
         iv. The noise level of the event cannot interfere with the business of the Capitol.
         v. No unauthorized merchandise may be sold and no money may be collected in the Capitol
             except as provided in section 6 and section 8.5 of the Policy for Statehouse and Capitol
             Complex. No drawings, raffles, or fund-raising events in which money is collected will be
             permitted in the Capitol except in the following instances:
             1. The drawing, raffle, or fund-raising event is sponsored by a state agency in conjunction
                 with United Way or Project Topeka activities.
             2. The drawing, raffle, or fund-raising event is sponsored by a state agency with other
                 charitable fund-raising activities sponsored by a state agency and approved by the
                 secretary or a designee; or
             3. The fund-raising activity is conducted in a parking lot pursuant to the requirements of
                 section 6 of the Policy for Statehouse and Capitol Complex.
         vi. No candles or any other device that produces an open flame will be permitted.
         vii. The life safety paths may not be obstructed or blocked.
         viii. No live flowers or plants may be left in the facility for more than 24 hours as they may
              contain insects that can damage the exhibits.
         ix. Groups must adhere to the approved hours and must leave the facility in the same
            condition they found it. This requires the proper disposal of all paper and trash.
         x. Parking spaces in the parking garage cannot be reserved or guaranteed.
         xi. All people in attendance must follow the security procedures established by Capitol Police.
         xii. Any disruptive activity or violation of this policy will result in immediate
              revocation of the permit, removal from the premises and loss of future privileges.
B. Use of the classroom by other than the Kansas Historical Society:
     a. The classroom is used by the Kansas Historical Society to teach Kansas school-age children
         therefore the room is set up as a learning environment. On rare occasions the space may be
         used with prior approval by public groups with the following requirements.
         i. Each event must be sponsored by a state agency or an elected official of the state of
            Kansas.
         ii. An application may be submitted up to a year in advance but no approval will be granted
             earlier than 10 days prior to the planned event. This allows school groups to have priority
             use of the space. Each applicant will be limited to a maximum of three events in a
             six-month period.
         iii. No organization shall be granted permission to use the classroom to conduct programs in
              which participation is limited or restricted on the basis of race, cultural heritage, national
              origin, ancestry, religion, sex, age, or disability.
         iv. Fees will be charged for the use of the classroom outside of regular visitor center hours to
             cover the cost of supervision, security, and maintenance. An application may be denied if
             resources are not available to accommodate events outside of regular public hours.
     b. The following conditions apply to the use of the classroom:
         i. Activities in the classroom must not result in damage or destruction of state property.
         ii. The set-up of the room is as a classroom and may not be altered without
             advance permission. Nothing may be adhered to the walls. Equipment is specialized and
             can only be used with prior training and permission.
         iii. No food or drink is allowed in the classroom. A public dining area is available on a first
             come, first served basis. No intoxicating beverages or substances are allowed. The Capitol               is a no smoking building.
         iv. The noise level of the event cannot interfere with the business of the Capitol.
         v. No unauthorized merchandise may be sold and no money may be collected in the
             statehouse except as provided in section 6 and Section 8.5 of the Policy for
             Statehouse and Capitol Complex. No drawings, raffles, or fund-raising events in which
             money is collected will be permitted in the Statehouse except in the following instances:
             1. The drawing, raffle, or fund-raising event is sponsored by a state agency in conjunction
                with United Way or Project Topeka activities.
             2. The drawing, raffle, or fund-raising event is sponsored by a state agency with other
                 charitable fund-raising activities sponsored by a state agency and approved by the
                 secretary or a designee; or
             3. The fund-raising activity is conducted in a parking lot pursuant to the requirements of
                 section 6 of the Policy for Statehouse and Capitol Complex.
         vi. No candles or any other device that produces an open flame will be permitted.
         vii. The life safety paths may not be obstructed or blocked.
         viii. No live flowers or plants may be left in the facility for more than 24 hours as they may
             contain insects that can damage the exhibits.
         ix. Groups must adhere to the approved hours and must leave the facility in the same
            condition they found it. This requires the proper disposal of all paper and trash.
         x. Parking spaces in the parking garage cannot be reserved or guaranteed.
         xi. All people in attendance must follow the security procedures established by Capitol Police.
         xii. Any disruptive activity or violation of this policy will result in immediate revocation of the
              permit, removal from the premises and loss of future privileges.
C. The Capitol Store, information desk and lobby, and exhibit space are not available for events or
    displays sponsored by outside groups.
D. Application procedure.
     a. To ask a question about the application procedure and to confirm possible availability
         contact the Capitol Visitor Center coordinator, 785-296-3966; kshs.capitol@ks.gov.
     b. The application form can be found at kshs.org/facility_rental
     c. The individual submitting the application should be the person in charge of the event. This
         person should serve as the contact during the event as well.
     d. If the application is accepted the applicant will be sent an agreement that must be signed
         and returned at least one week before the event.
E. Grounds for denial of application.
     a. If an application is denied, the requesting party will be notified by email or regular mail. An
         application may be denied on the following grounds.
         i. The event does not have a state agency or an elected official as a sponsor.
         ii. The application is incomplete and/or does not meet the stated policies.
         iii. The space(s) requested is not available at the time and date requested.
         iv. The proposed event will present a possible danger to public safety or has the potential to
             damage state equipment.
         v. The size and the nature of the event cannot be accommodated.
     b. Approval of an event is revocable if applicant violates state policies. The ranking Capitol
         Police supervisor in charge may revoke approval if state laws and policies are violated.


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