Hoover Tour Information
The Bureau of Reclamation has conducted tours through the Hoover
Dam and powerplant since 1937. Today, close to 1,000,000 visitors a
year take the tour and millions more drive across the dam.
Location:
The dam is located 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas. Take US Highway 93 to Nevada State Route 172. The dam is on the Nevada-Arizona border. Click here for maps and driving/parking instructions,
and directions on where to go after you get here.
Hours of Operation:
Note: All times are for the Pacific Time Zone.
Parking Garage: Open 8:00 a.m. -- Close 6:15 p.m.
Parking fee: $7.00
Visitor Center: Open 9:00 a.m. -- Close 6:00 p.m. (Tickets must be purchased by 5:15 p.m. for access)
Tours/Tickets:
Hoover Dam tours operate under Summer and Winter hours.
(NOTE: We are now operating under the SUMMER hours schedule.)
Summer: First Powerplant Tour departs at 9:25 a.m.
Last Powerplant Tour departs at 4:55 p.m. (Last Powerplant Tour ticket is sold at 4:45 p.m.)
First Dam Tour departs at 9:30 a.m.
Last Dam Tour departs at 4:00 p.m. (Monday through Thursday)
On Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Federal Holidays, the last Dam Tour departs at 4:30 p.m.
Dam Tours (limited to 20 people per tour) may sell-out a couple hours in advance of the last tour
Last Visitor Center ticket is sold at 5:15 p.m.
(Tickets sold from 4:45-5:15 p.m. are for Visitor Center Admission only)
Winter: First Powerplant Tour departs at 9:25 a.m.
Last Powerplant Tour departs at 3:55 p.m.
First Dam Tour departs at 9:30 a.m.
Last Dam Tour departs at 3:30 p.m.
Dam Tours (limited to 20 people per tour) may sell-out a couple hours in advance of the last tour
Last Visitor Center ticket is sold at 4:15 p.m.
(Tickets sold from 3:45-4:15 p.m. are for Visitor Center Admission only)
The Hoover Dam Visitor Center is open every day of the year except for
Thanksgiving and Christmas days.
NOTE: The guided Powerplant Tour takes about 30 minutes, while the Dam Tour lasts nearly one hour. If you take one of these guided tours, and want to discover all the other features at Hoover Dam (not included on the guided tours), plan about two hours or more for your entire visit.
Tour Options and Admission Fees:
|
Category |
Price |
| Adults (Ages 17-61) | $11.00 |
| Seniors (62+) | $9.00 |
| Juniors (ages 4-16) | $9.00 |
| U.S. Military | $9.00 |
| U.S. Military (in Uniform) | Free |
| Children (Ages 0-3) | Free |
Click here to purchase Powerplant Tour tickets on-line - This link will open a new window that takes you to our partner site with Denison Parking where you can purchase tickets in advance of your visit. (Note: You can also purchase tickets at Hoover Dam.)
|
Category |
Price |
| Adults, Seniors, Juniors & U.S. Military | $30.00 |
| NO children under age 8 permitted | |
Note: This tour is NOT accessible for visitors with wheelchairs or crutches |
|
NOTE: Dam Tour tickets CANNOT be purchased on-line - they are available on a first come-first served basis and must be purchased in person at Hoover Dam. Major credit cards and cash are accepted.
Visitor Center Admission - This option allows entry into the Visitor Center WITHOUT access to the tours of the dam or powerplant.
|
Category |
Price |
| Adults, Seniors, Juniors & U.S. Military | $8.00 |
| Children ages 3 and under | Free |
Click here to purchase Visitor Center Admission tickets on-line - This link will open a new window that takes you to our partner site with Dennison.com where you can purchase tickets in advance of your visit. (Note: You can also purchase tickets at Hoover Dam.)
Amenities and Visitation Hints
Restrooms are located on Level 1 of the Parking Garage, on the Theater and Exhibit levels of the Visitor Center, adjacent to the Old Exhibit Building, and in the downstream face towers on top of the dam.
Food is available through a concession service at the base of the Parking Garage.
Gift shop concession is located at the base of the Parking Garage.
Accessibility:
The Hoover Dam Visitor Center and the Powerplant Tour are wheelchair/scooter accessible. The Dam Tour is NOT accessible.
Guests with wheelchairs, strollers and other mobility equipment can enter the Visitor Center (one floor below street level) via an elevator inset into the canyon wall a few yards past the escalator entrance.
Hoover Dam also has wheelchairs available ($5 charge) in the Parking Garage for visitor use for the Powerplant Tour or visiting other locations around the dam site.
Health Advisory:
The tours are NOT RECOMMENDED for anyone who suffers from claustrophobia, or has a pacemaker or defibrillator. Tours are conducted in confined spaces and in a powerplant with generators emitting electromagnetic fields.
Visitation Tips:
- The busiest season at Hoover Dam is in the summer from Memorial Day until Labor Day.
- The slowest months for visitation are January
and February. The least crowded time of day for tours is from opening until 10:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. until closing.
- Traffic around the dam during holidays and weekends can be extremely heavy with long delays on the roadways to the site.
- To enjoy the site entirely, we recommend visitors arrive
by 2:00 p.m. as pedestrians are prohibited from the top of the dam during
hours of darkness.
- Due to periodic elevator malfunctions or unscheduled maintenance issues, Hoover Dam tours may not always be available. Visitor Center admissions are available at all times.
- Hoover Dam is located in a desert climate. It is extremely HOT in the summer. During summer months it is recommended that you wear light clothing and a hat, use sunscreen and sun glasses, and carry water bottles on the tour.
"America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Pass" (replaces Golden Eagle, Golden Age, Golden Access and National Parks passports) discounts are NOT ACCEPTED for admission to the Hoover Dam Visitor Center, or powerplant and dam tours. This pass can be used for admission to parks and facilities that receive benefits and revenues from the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (like Lake Mead National Recreation Area); however, Hoover Dam is entirely self-funded and does not receive revenues through this Act.
Traffic/Parking:
Security:Commercial trucks (18-wheelers) are prohibited from entering the dam site. Most passenger vehicles are allowed to cross the dam, but all are subject to inspection at the Nevada security checkpoint. (Note: Contents of moving vans and enclosed campers must be easily inspected.)
Motorhomes and other high clearance vehicles (with dimensions greater than 10.5 feet high and 23 feet long) CANNOT park in the Parking Garage and must use parking areas on the Arizona side of the dam. For more information, see "Visiting Hoover Dam: A Traveler's Guide" (.pdf file - 45 KB).
- Knives of any kind and weapons are NOT ALLOWED in the Visitor Center.
- Food, chewing gum, canned drinks and drinks in cups are NOT
ALLOWED on tour or in the buildings. Water bottles are permitted.
- All visitors to the Visitor Center are required to enter the facility through a security checkpoint. Cameras, purses, small-size backpacks, and camera tripods are permitted. All carry-in possessions will be scanned.
- Stopping on top of the dam in any vehicle is prohibited.
- Pedestrians are not allowed on the top of the dam during hours of darkness.
- Pets are not allowed anywhere on site; service animals are permitted.
For More Information
For reservation information about Hoover Dam tours,
contact us during operating hours at:
Tel: (702) 494-2517
Fax: (702) 494-2587
Toll free: (866) 730-9097
Note: If you have problems with the on-line reservation system,
please e-mail jmerchen@usbr.gov about your experience.
Last Reviewed: March 2013