The Hoover Dam was constructed in 1931 and was completed in 1936. Hoover Dam brings in more than 7 million visitors a year and is a major tourist attraction in Nevada and Arizona. The construction required the work of 200 engineers and 7,000 workers. The Hoover Dam was completed two years before its scheduled completion date.
The Hoover Dam Visitor center was created in 1995 and hosts several exhibits, as well as information about the history of the dam itself. The visitor center emphasizes the benefits that Hoover Dam has on electrical power, recreation and agriculture to the area surrounding it. The center is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Tours are offered from the visitor center between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (No one is allowed on the top of the dam after 5:30 p.m.) One of the most popular tours is the Hoover Dam Discovery Tour. This tour is self-paced and features information presented at the dam itself by the guide staff. The tour takes about two hours to complete. Tourists are also allowed to take elevators down into the inner workings of the dam. Refreshments are available throughout the tour.
More than 20,000 vehicles cross the Hoover Dam each day. Because this is such a popular tourist attraction, the visitor center recommends that tourists see the natural attraction by bus, to decrease the amount of traffic around the area. Visitors are advised to spend at least two hours at the dam, to have time to see the inner workings of the structure.
More information about the dam can be found on the official Hoover Dam tour website. This website offers directions to the dam as well as a list of special events taking place there. It also gives the cost of each type of tour.
