must-visit in Las VegasSquare & Landmark

Hoover Dam

📍 Hoover Dam, Mohave County, Arizona, United States

1 photos

4.7/ 5.0

★★★★★

Quick Facts

Location: USA, Las Vegas
Category: Square & Landmark
Duration: 1-2 hours
Opening Hours: Parking and tours daily 8:00-17:00, closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
Ticket Price: Visitor center $15, dam tour $30
Address: Hoover Dam, Mohave County, Arizona, United States
Coordinates: 36.0157, -114.7375

Introduction

Hoover Dam straddles the Colorado River on the Nevada-Arizona border and is one of the greatest engineering marvels of the 20th century. The 221-meter concrete arch-gravity dam, begun in 1931 and completed in 1936, was once the world's highest dam and still impounds Lake Mead, America's largest reservoir. The dam tamed Colorado River floods and provides hydropower and irrigation to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, while becoming a symbol of American industrial confidence during the Great Depression. Art Deco towers, monuments, and marble floors give the dam aesthetic as well as engineering value. The visitor center offers tours deep into the dam, with elevators descending to the turbine level to feel the roaring hydropower, making it the most popular day trip from Las Vegas.

✨ Highlights

221m Engineering Marvel

The 221-meter arch-gravity dam was once the world's highest, one of the greatest engineering marvels of the 20th century.

Lake Mead

Impounds America's largest reservoir, supplying water and power to Las Vegas, LA, and Phoenix.

Art Deco Towers

Art Deco towers and monuments give the dam aesthetic as well as engineering value, a 20th-century design masterpiece.

Inside the Dam Tour

Elevators descend to the turbine level to feel roaring hydropower, a rare chance to enter a giant dam.

Great Depression Symbol

Built 1931-1936, the dam became a national symbol of American industrial confidence and resilience.

🛈 Practical Info

→Best Time：October to April is cooler; avoid July-August extreme heat

→Transport：About 45 minutes southeast of Las Vegas on US-93

→Duration：About 2 to 4 hours

→Parking：Top-of-dam lot $10

→Opening Hours：Parking and tours daily 8:00-17:00, closed Thanksgiving and Christmas

→Ticket Information：Visitor center $15, dam tour $30

💡 Tips

• Powerplant Tour slots are limited and need online reservation; visitor center tickets can be bought on site.

• July-August top of dam can hit 45 C; visit October-April, or bring water and sun protection in summer.

• The Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge is just 270 meters away, the best full-dam photo spot.

• Combine with Lake Mead National Recreation Area for boating and fishing, a rare water outing near Las Vegas.

FAQ

What are the opening hours of Hoover Dam?

Parking and tours daily 8:00-17:00, closed Thanksgiving and Christmas

How much is the admission for Hoover Dam?

Visitor center $15, dam tour $30

Any practical tips for visiting Hoover Dam?

Powerplant Tour slots are limited and need online reservation; visitor center tickets can be bought on site. July-August top of dam can hit 45 C; visit October-April, or bring water and sun protection in summer.