General information: (702) 294-3517
Reservations: (702) 597-5970,(866) 291-TOUR or fax(702) 798-3651
website
- Hours: Open daily except Thanksgiving and December 25
- Reservations: Not required, but may be helpful during the busy season
- Cost: Admission charged for the tour, parking fee
- Location: 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas on the Nevada-Arizona border, see driving directions below
- How Long: Allow two to three hours to see everything, an another hour to two to get there and back from Las Vegas
- Best Time to Visit: Hoover Dam is less busy in January and February, and the first two tours of the day are always the least crowded. During the busy season (spring break and late May through early September), go early to avoid traffic jams. Any time of year, arrive by 3:00 p.m. to be sure you have time to see everything.
- See It Now: Photo Tour
Hoover Dam Review
Hoover Dam may be one of the twentieth century's greatest engineering achievements, and its sheer size is one of the best reasons to go see it. Rising 726.4 feet from foundation to the roadway on top, it's built from over 6 million tons of concrete, enough to pave a highway 15 feet wide stretching from San Francisco to New York City.Hoover Dam Discovery Tour
You can buy tickets for the Hoover Dam tour in the reception lobby, or reserve them in advance by calling the phone numbers listed above or sending email to hooverdam@vegas.com. The Hoover Dam Discovery Tour includes:- A live presentation given by a tour guide describing the construction of Hoover Dam.
- A view of the generators, reached by taking an elevators 500 feet down into the wall of Black Canyon and walking through a 250-foot tunnel drilled out solid rock.
- Exhibits explaining the region's natural history and how Hoover Dam works.
- An overlook view of Lake Mead and the Colorado River.
- Photo displays, a 1930s-model generator and a map showing the dams on the Colorado River, located in the Old Exhibit Building.
Creature Comforts at Hoover Dam
- Concession stands and souvenir shops can be found next to the parking garage and in the Spillway House near the dam.
- Restrooms are located on the bottom level of the parking garage, the Theater level of the visitor center, next to the Exhibit Gallery and beside the Old Exhibit Building.
- Pedestrians are not allowed on the top of the dam after dark.
- It gets HOT here in the summer (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit), and most of the best views are outside. Wear light clothing and a hat, use sunscreen, wear sunglasses, and drink lots of water.
- Pets are not allowed anywhere at Hoover Dam, and there are no kennel facilities.
A Word About the Bureau of Reclamation
While Hoover Dam is undeniably a noteworthy feat of engineering and construction, it sometimes feels like it's also a commercial for the Bureau of Reclamation. For a different view of their activities, read Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water by Marc Reisner.Getting to Hoover Dam
From Las Vegas, follow I-515 southeast. The Interstate highway becomes US 93, continue to follow it until you get to Hoover Dam. During spring and summer school vacations, traffic can back up, causing delays of an hour or more.There's a 459-space parking garage (automobiles and motorcycles only) near the Hoover Dam Visitor Center (parking fee charged). This garage is the most convenient place to park, and you can probably get a parking spot in the shade here, but there are also free parking lots on the Arizona side of the dam. The parking structure closes an hour after the visitor center.
If you're in Las Vegas without a car and want to go to Hoover Dam, you can reserve an express tour or a deluxe tour through Viator.com. You can print a voucher at home and they guarantee low rates.
