Beneath Idaho's Capitol dome, Bob Geddes lost his bearings. Not his political bearings; the Soda Springs Republican remains Senate president.

But in an underground hallway excavated during $122.5 million worth of expansion and renovations these past two years, Geddes recently became disoriented. Pointing toward Senate meeting rooms, he said, "This is the House side. I think."

The eight-term lawmaker is to be forgiven. The century-old Capitol is now 50,000 square feet bigger.

While Geddes kept his office outside of the Senate's third-floor chambers, other less-senior lawmakers face the task of acquainting themselves with the fastest route from new underground quarters to wherever they're heading: Honduran mahogany-paneled hearing rooms, the basement gift shop or maybe "statuary hall," a fourth-floor public area with barrel ceiling and beaux arts columns that mirrors its 1912 appearance _ only with wireless public Internet.

After two sessions in the cramped old Ada County Courthouse, there may still be a few hiccups.

"That is going to be one of the biggest challenges, people finding their way around," said Robyn Lockett, Capitol services coordinator. "It's a whole new world over here."

Maps will be available at the visitor's desk located in the basement, what Capitol officials call "the garden level."

The Capitol won't officially open until a Jan. 9 ceremony, though officials like Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter have already reoccupied their traditional quarters. Otter's are on the second floor.

Gone is the fourth-floor "Gold Room," previously the building's biggest meeting room.

A west-wing auditorium, complete with a sloping theater-style seating area, is more than twice the size, with capacity for 240. Nearby, the Senate and House dining room has space for 76 hungry lawmakers, family members or guests. As always, no lobbyists or reporters are allowed inside.

And the small dome above where budget writers meet on the third floor has been shored up, in case of earthquakes. That's probably not a bad thing, considering the expected rumble over cost cutting needed to close another $50 million 2010 budget hole.

Just who is paying for this work, including the $2 million restoration on green-veined faux marble called scagliola that adorns rotunda columns?

Cigarette smokers.

Annually, $20.1 million of the roughly $44 million raised by Idaho's 57-cent-per-pack tax goes to pay off $130 million in bonds sold in 2006. The final installment, about $12 million, will be made in 2014.