Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam is the reason Las Vegas exists at its modern scale — 726 feet of concrete arched across Black Canyon, holding back Lake Mead and generating power for three states. Construction ran from 1931 to 1935 during the depths of the Depression, employed 21,000 workers, killed 96, and gave a name to the workers' town of Boulder City. The dam is Art Deco through and through: sculpted eagles on the intake towers, terrazzo floors inside the visitor gallery, and the winged 'Figures of the Republic' bronze at the Nevada abutment.

Park at the visitor center garage ($10) on the Nevada side and start with the exhibits — construction footage, a working scale model, and the vast picture window overlooking the dam and Lake Mead. Two tour tiers exist: the Powerplant Tour ($30, 30 minutes) takes you down 500 feet to the generator room; the Dam Tour ($50, 60 minutes) adds a walk into the actual inspection tunnels through the concrete. Both include the visitor center. Outside, walk across the crest road for free between Nevada and Arizona — the border is painted on the road surface halfway across.

Come early — the visitor center opens at 9am and tour tickets sell first-come. Summer temperatures on the dam hit 110°F with zero shade; October to April is far more pleasant. The Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Bridge, 1,500 feet downstream on US-93, gives the classic photograph looking down at the dam — walk it from the parking lot on either bank, no fee. Book the dam tour online at usbr.gov to skip the ticket queue. Boulder City (6 miles) has restaurants and 1930s workers' cottages worth a stroll after.

Hours & entry

Free to walk across the crest road and view from the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman bridge

Visitor Center Mon-Sun 9:00-17:00 · Powerplant tours 9:00-16:15 · Dam tours 9:30-15:30

What to see

• Powerplant tour to the generator hall 500 feet down — Departs from the Nevada Visitor Center every 15 minutes
• Winged Figures of the Republic bronzes — Nevada abutment plaza at the north end of the dam crest
• View from the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Bridge walkway — Pedestrian walk on US-93, park in either the Nevada or Arizona lot

Tips from the ground

• Book the Dam Tour online — walk-up sells out by 11am from March through October.
• The bridge walkway is free and gives a better dam photo than any spot on the dam itself.
• Boulder City is the only Nevada town where gambling is banned — locals go for pancakes at Coffee Cup on Nevada Way.