Gov. Charlie Baker descended the Massachusetts State House front steps Wednesday evening surrounded by throngs of cheering and tearful supporters, staffers and family members as he ceremonially exited the capitol for the conclusion of his two terms in office.

Bakers Lone Walk featured performances from the University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band, as well as a 19-gun salute. Baker, who in March will serve as the president of the NCAA, had a hectic final day at the State House, as he and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito shared words of encouragement with incoming state representatives and senators before administering their oaths of office.

As he spoke to reporters earlier Wednesday, Baker choked up as he called his final day at the State House bittersweet.Read more: See Gov. Bakers final walk out of the State House (photos)

Ill miss it. Im going to leave it at that, said Baker, who did not deliver formal remarks during the Lone Walk. I really believe in (state government). I think it matters, and its important. And I like to think we did right by the people of Massachusetts, and I certainly hope they feel that way.

Bakers symbolic Lone Walk began at his executive suite, down a long red carpet passing the House chamber, weaving down the Grand Staircase and out the rarely used front steps of the State House.

Baker at times was flanked by First Lady Lauren Baker, as well as Polito and Second Gentleman Steve Rodolakis. All four linked hands or arms as they bounded down the stairs, though Baker also walked alone as he paused to shake hands, take selfies and bid farewell to a slate of former and current Cabinet members.Read more: Could Karyn Polito run for governor one day? Heres what she said

In a tweet at around 6:30 p.m., Baker shared a photo of his hand locked tightly with his wifes, his arm around Polito, and the lieutenant governor holding Rodolakis hand.

Thank you, Massachusetts, Baker said on Twitter. It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve you as Governor.

Polito shared the same photo on Twitter.

To the residents and communities of Massachusetts: Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Lt. Governor, Polito said on Twitter.

The pageantry comes less than one day before Gov.-elect Maura Healey and Lt. Gov.-elect Kim Driscoll are sworn into office. Baker, Polito, Healey and Driscoll participated in a traditional symbol exchange earlier Wednesday at the governors office.

Baker, a Republican leader in an overwhelmingly blue state, has been ranked the most popular governor in the nation. Striking a moderate tone, Baker often pushed for bipartisan collaboration on Beacon Hill, as he eschewed political extremism roiling the Republican Party and social media fueling a constant stream of siloed information.Read more: As Charlie Baker departs, outgoing governor gives nod to Western Mass.

In a brief farewell speech Tuesday, Baker listed some of his administrations major accomplishments over the last eight years, including bridging the digital divide in Western Massachusetts.

We brought broadband access to Western Mass. so kids could research homework, parents could work from home, and businesses could grow and succeed there, Baker said. We delivered major infrastructure projects long-promised but never done. We passed the first major housing reform bill in decades, so we could finally do something about the cost of owning a home.

Outgoing Gov. Charlie Baker waves to members as the public as he enters a black SUV after taking his "Lone Walk" on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2022, the ceremonial leaving of the State House each governor takes at the end of their time in office. (Chris Van Buskirk/MassLive)

Baker guided Massachusetts through the COVID-19 pandemic, including the sprawling outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers Home that ultimately claimed the lives of 84 veterans.

That tragedy forged the worst moment of the pandemic, Baker told MassLive last week. During the summer of 2020, Baker called more than 100 family members following the deaths of their loved ones.

Some of those conversations were short and some of them lasted for over an hour. The hard part there was you couldnt have a meeting, couldnt put everyone in one room, Baker said, referencing the physical gathering restrictions prompted by the virus. But I wanted to give people a chance to be heard, and that was the only way I could think of that could actually give people a chance to be heard.

Baker will start his new role as president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association in March. Baker, who played basketball at Harvard, was initially skeptical about the position when Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy suggested him for the opportunity to NCAA recruiters.

My initial reaction was: I cant imagine why you think that, Baker told MassLive last week. But then the job started to make sense.

The more I talked to them, the more I realized that somebody whos very familiar with distributed decision-making models, somebody who understands the importance of big dialogues where youre trying to get a lot people to go in a particular direction, where theres a big, sort of important, overhang with public policy, I started to see why they thought I might be a good person for this job, Baker told MassLive. But its obviously going to be a ton of work.

Hours before outgoing Gov. Charlie Baker took his so-called "Lone Walk" down the front steps of the State House, he walked across one of the building's balconies to survey the scene in front of Massachusetts seat of state government. Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. (Chris Van Buskirk/MassLive)

After the governor left the State House, in a poignant walk spanning nearly an hour, he and First Lady Lauren Baker were escorted away in a private car.

The State House steps had been under construction for months, though fences were removed in late November, reopening access to the entrance, which is often used for press conferences and protests.

Security bollards now frame the Beacon Street frontage. The General Hooker entrance, shuttered for more than a year, has now reopened to staff and visitors.