WASHINGTON -- Late one recent night, when the hallways were nearly deserted, a large group of Arkansans wandered through the U.S. Capitol, stopping by places that are usually off-limits.
They passed through the vice president's office, peeked inside a lawmaker's desk, raided the Senate candy drawer and admired the view from the House speaker's balcony.
They strolled through the Senate chambers. The House chambers, too.
While unable to pound any gavels, they were welcome to lounge in the lawmakers' chairs.
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman served as their tour guide for about two hours Wednesday, rattling off historical details and describing what it's like to attend the State of the Union address.
That's the spot in the gallery where the first lady sits, he said, gesturing toward the upper seats. Those are the doors that the president walks through, he explained.
"If you want to shake the president's hand when he comes down the aisle, you have to get here early," the Republican from Hot Springs said.
Two hours early, to be precise.
"There's not assigned seating in the House. It's kind of first-come, first-serve," he said.
And be prepared to sweat. With the chamber packed and the television lights glowing, the temperature tends to rise, he said.
"It's like you're a piece of chicken at the convenience store," Westerman said.
Several insurance agents, in Washington for a convention, were in Wednesday's audience. There were tourists, too, and a doctor in town for a medical conference.
There was even a politician, former U.S. Rep. Marty Russo, D-Ill.
He served in the House from 1975-93, but said he was unaware, until recently, that visitors could roam the halls after hours.
"I never heard of a night tour, and I've been here 42 years. This is something new to me, and it's a wonderful experience for the constituents that come here and for Bruce and his staff, [who] put all this time and effort into it," he said. "On a regular tour, you don't get to see one-third of this."
Most lawmakers don't offer evening tours on a regular basis. Many don't offer them at all. But Westerman, who sleeps in his office rather than renting an apartment, offers them nearly every week that the House is in session.
Constituents who stop by the office are liable to get invited if Congress is in session.
Occasionally, U.S. Sen. John Boozman also appears. The Republican from Rogers, the dean of the state congressional delegation, has been offering night tours, off and on, since 2001.
"It's just a really, really fun thing," he said. "It's a joy every time I experience that."
Boozman gives Westerman high marks as a tour guide.
"Bruce does a good job," he said.
When Westerman is leading the way, the tour wanders through the rotunda, past the place where dignitaries lie in state. It cuts across Statuary Hall, the room where inaugural luncheons are held.
Westerman can point out the spot where U.S. Rep. John Quincy Adams suffered a fatal stroke, years after serving as president. It's not far from the place where U.S. Rep. Abraham Lincoln, R-Ill., had a desk, years before winning the White House.
In the Senate, Westerman shows guests the chocolate stash. There's a seemingly endless supply of Pennsylvania chocolate (Hershey's kisses and bite-size Three Musketeers bars on a recent visit) at the desk of U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa. Visitors are free to take a sample.
In the House, there's a bullet hole in a desk, a reminder of the 1954 terrorist attack that wounded five lawmakers. In the Senate, there are scars on a desk that belonged to Jefferson Davis, the former senator who went on to become the president of the Confederacy.
Union soldiers attacked the desk with bayonets in April 1861.
During Wednesday's tour, Westerman and the former congressman from Illinois took turns telling stories, pausing to greet U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, a Texas Republican, who also offers evening tours.
Gohmert gave a brief rundown of the art in the Capitol rotunda, pointing out that a barefoot Indian in one of the paintings has six toes. Another artist has portrayed rivals Thomas Jefferson and John Adams side by side. Look closely, Gohmert said, and you'll notice that Jefferson is stepping on Adams' foot.
Before walking away, Gohmert told the guests that his wife has family in England, Ark. He also expressed fondness for Westerman.
"Thanks for sending Bruce," he said. "We really like him."
By the time the Arkansans exited the Capitol, the clock was inching toward midnight.
Asked why he'd stayed up past 11:30 p.m., shepherding guests from room to room, Westerman said: "It's their Capitol, and it's just an honor to get to take people around and show it to them.
"A lot of people, this may be the only chance they get to come to D.C.," he said. "I remember how I felt the first time I got to walk in here. It's neat for others to get to have that experience."
Brent Thompson, a Farm Bureau insurance agent from Malvern, said he scrapped plans to attend a Washington Nationals baseball game so he could see the houses of Congress up close.
"I thought this was a much more unique opportunity, to spend the night touring the Capitol with one of our representatives," he said.
Helena Drolshagen, a student at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and a Fort Smith resident, said the tour "brings to life a lot of the things you read about but don't necessarily see."
"I've never been so close to where all the action is," she said.
Mike Hickman, a radiologist from Hot Springs, said he was blown away by the visit.
"This is one of the most amazing tours of a historic building I've ever been on. The living history, the people describing it, the traditions we have, being able to see where the laws of the country are made. It's all wonderful," he said.
Metro on 05/28/2017