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Engineering work · Boulder City, Nevada
Hoover Dam
A concrete dam over 200 meters high on the Colorado River, on the border between Nevada and Arizona, built in the 1930s. It has a visitors center and guided tours of the power plant.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Discover
About Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam was built between 1931 and 1936 in Black Canyon, a narrow canyon of the Colorado River on the border between Nevada and Arizona. It is a concrete arch dam about 221 meters high that formed Lake Mead and began to control the river’s floods and generate power for Nevada, Arizona and southern California. The project employed thousands of workers during the Great Depression.
The road crosses the dam crest, and pedestrians can walk across it to see, on one side, the lake and the intake towers and, on the other, the face of the dam descending to the river. The towers and the Art Deco details, including clocks that show the time on each side of the border, are part of the original design.
The visitors center next to the dam has an exhibit about the construction and an observation terrace. The guided plant tour goes down by elevator to the original tunnels and shows the generators; the more extensive tour, with limited spaces, also goes through inspection corridors inside the dam. All visitors go through security screening.
Just below, the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Bridge, completed in 2010, carries the highway over the canyon; a pedestrian walkway on the bridge offers a head-on view of the dam.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
Two to three hours with the visitors center and a guided tour.
Best time
In the morning, before the groups that arrive from Las Vegas and the stronger heat.
How to get there
By car, about 50 km from Las Vegas via I-11, with paid parking at the visitors center. Organized tours leave from the Strip hotels.
Tip
Buy the plant tour in advance, as it usually sells out; the most complete tour is sold only on site. National park passes do not cover the dam tours.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Hoover Dam
Can you visit Hoover Dam without paying?
You can walk across the crest and see the dam from the outside without a ticket; parking at the visitors center is paid. The visitors center and guided tours require separate fees; check the current fee schedule.
Which tour should I take at Hoover Dam?
The power plant tour goes down to the original tunnels and shows the generators and is sufficient for most visitors. The more extensive tour includes corridors inside the dam, has few spaces and is sold only on site.
Where can you see Hoover Dam head-on?
From the pedestrian walkway on the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Bridge, just below the dam. There is parking and a short trail to the bridge.