If you’re planning Las Vegas flights and a Hoover Dam day trip, the dam is a public landmark on the Colorado River, about a 45-minute drive from A Fisher's Inn Motel, a motel in Las Vegas. You can visit the dam, tour parts of its power plant and see exhibits and river views at the Visitor Center.
- Location: On the Colorado River.
- Public access: Daily, 5:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. PST.
- Visitor Center and tours: Daily, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., with exceptions on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
- Visitor Center ticket: $15 per person; children 3 and under are free.
What a Hoover Dam visit includes
A Hoover Dam visit can combine the Visitor Center’s exhibits and observation deck with a guided tour, depending on the tickets you choose. The dam sits on the Colorado River and is managed by the Bureau of Reclamation’s Lower Colorado Dams Office. The Bureau says construction took place in the 1930s.
The Visitor Center ticket covers narrated exhibits, the Original Exhibit Building and an observation deck with views of the dam, Colorado River, Lake Mead and Hoover Bypass Bridge. That gives you a self-guided option before or instead of joining a tour.
For a wider look at the surrounding water and recreation area, you could pair the dam with a visit to Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
Tours and visitor facilities
The Visitor Center ticket is the simplest way to see the exhibits and observation deck; guided tours add access to power-plant or dam areas. Choose your tour based on what you want to see and the accessibility requirements that apply.
Visitor Center
The self-guided ticket costs $15 per person, and children 3 and under enter free. It includes narrated exhibits, the observation deck and the Original Exhibit Building.
Guided Power Plant Tour
The Guided Power Plant Tour costs $25 for adults and $15 for ages 4–16; children 3 and under are free. It includes original construction tunnels, a viewing platform above a 30-foot-diameter penstock and a view of eight commercial generators in the Nevada Powerhouse.
This tour is accessible to wheelchairs, motorized scooters and strollers. The Bureau of Reclamation says it is least busy from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 to 3:45 p.m.
Guided Dam Tour
The Guided Dam Tour costs $40 per person, with children 3 and under free. Tickets are sold only in person, first come, first served, and the entire group must be present to buy them.
The tour includes historic tour tunnels, the original elevator to the dam top, inspection tunnels, a view through an inspection ventilation shaft and the Guided Power Plant Tour. Strollers and motorized wheelchairs are not allowed, and the ventilation shaft is not accessible to manually operated wheelchairs.
Wheelchairs can be rented in the parking garage for $5. Sign-language interpretation for guided tours can be requested at least 14 days in advance, excluding holidays, by calling 702-494-2518 or emailing Tourinterpretation@usbr.gov.
Driving, parking and security checks
Most passenger vehicles can cross Hoover Dam, but you must stop for inspection when security personnel request it. Plan for security screening if you enter the Visitor Center: personal items are inspected and visitors pass a hand-held metal detector wand, though you may request a pat-down instead.
The Nevada-side parking garage near the Visitor Center costs $10 per vehicle. Oversized vehicles, recreational vehicles and vehicles with trailers must use Arizona-side parking: Lot 9 costs $10, while Lots 13 and 14 are free.
Weapons and knives of any size, including pocketknives, are not allowed in Hoover Dam buildings. Firearms, explosives and fireworks are prohibited on dam property.
Service animals specifically trained to aid a person with a disability are allowed. Comfort animals and pets are not allowed on top of the dam or in buildings, and animals cannot be left unattended in vehicles. For broader transport options in the city, how to get around Las Vegas covers transit, taxis and the monorail.
Sample day-trip timing
For a day trip, start with the drive and allow time for parking and security before choosing a tour.
The Visitor Center and tours open at 9:00 a.m.; the last tour departs at 4:10 p.m., doors close at 4:15 p.m., and the facilities close at 5:00 p.m. The dam itself is open to the public from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. PST.
If you plan to join the Guided Dam Tour, arrive with your whole group ready to buy tickets in person. For the Power Plant Tour, the stated quieter periods are 9:00–11:00 a.m. and 2:30–3:45 p.m.; build the rest of your visit around the tour time you can get.
Before you go: Hours, prices and access details can change, so check the Bureau of Reclamation’s official site before you go.
FAQs
How much does the Hoover Dam Visitor Center cost?
The self-guided Visitor Center ticket costs $15 per person. Children 3 and under are free.
Can you buy Guided Dam Tour tickets in advance?
No. Tickets are sold only in person at the site, first come, first served, and the whole group must be present to purchase them.
Is parking available at Hoover Dam?
Yes. The Nevada-side garage costs $10 per vehicle. Arizona-side Lots 13 or 14 are free, while Lot 9 costs $10 and is required for oversized vehicles, recreational vehicles and vehicles with trailers.