Hoover Dam is a major engineering landmark on the Nevada–Arizona border, about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas. You can plan a day trip around its visitor center, guided tours and current access rules.
- Location: Nevada–Arizona border, southeast of Las Vegas
- Visitor Center and tours: open daily, with exceptions on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day
- Ticket basics: tour prices vary; Guided Dam Tour tickets are sold in person only
What to see at Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam spans the Colorado River and sits within a landscape shaped by the river and Lake Mead. The Bureau of Reclamation manages, operates and maintains the dam and its associated powerplant. Its visitor program hosts nearly 1 million visitors each year.
A visit can focus on the dam itself, the powerplant or the visitor center. The Guided Dam Tour includes historic tour tunnels, the original elevator to the top of the dam, inspection tunnels inside the structure, a view through an inspection ventilation shaft and a guided powerplant tour.
If you want to see inside the dam, this is the tour that covers those areas.
The Guided Power Plant Tour focuses on the powerplant, while the Self-Guided Visitor Center Tour gives you a visitor center option without a guided tour. Check the Bureau of Reclamation’s official site before you go for current tour details, admission prices and access rules.
How do you get from Las Vegas to Hoover Dam?
Hoover Dam is about a 45-minute drive from Crown Motel, a hotel in Las Vegas. For the Nevada-side approach, the Bureau of Reclamation directs drivers to take I-11 S/US-93 S/US-95 S through Boulder City, take Exit 2, then follow NV-172/Hoover Dam Access Road.
The dam is open to the public daily from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, while the Visitor Center and tours follow a shorter schedule. If you are driving, follow the posted approach and checkpoint instructions; all vehicles entering the site are subject to inspection at the Nevada security checkpoint.
The drive passes through Boulder City, making it a natural place to add a stop before or after the dam. Allow for possible periodic delays on the approach, especially during holiday and summer travel periods. For a broader overview of getting around Las Vegas, consider how a day trip fits with your other transport plans.
Tours, tickets and visitor access
The Visitor Center and tours are open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day; doors close at 4:15 p.m. and the last tour departs at 4:10 p.m.
Guided Dam Tour
The Guided Dam Tour costs $40 per person, and children age 3 and under are free. Tickets are sold in person only on a first-come, first-served basis, so plan around availability rather than assuming you can reserve a place in advance.
The tour includes access to historic and inspection tunnels, the original elevator to the top of the dam, the ventilation shaft view and a guided powerplant tour.
Guided Power Plant Tour
The Guided Power Plant Tour costs $25 for adults and $15 for ages 4–16; children age 3 and under are free. It is accessible to wheelchairs, motorized scooters and strollers.
Self-Guided Visitor Center Tour
The Self-Guided Visitor Center Tour costs $15 per person, with children age 3 and under free. America the Beautiful and other interagency passes are not accepted for Visitor Center admission or guided tours.
Tour prices, hours and access arrangements can change, so check the official site before you go.
Security, parking and crossing the dam
Allow time for security screening and parking before entering Hoover Dam’s visitor areas. The Nevada-side parking garage near the Visitor Center costs $10 per vehicle. Oversized vehicles, recreational vehicles and vehicles with trailers must park on the Arizona side: Lot 9 costs $10, while Lots 13 and 14 are free.
Most passenger vehicles can cross the dam, but all vehicles entering the site are subject to inspection at the Nevada checkpoint. The Bureau of Reclamation prohibits firearms, explosives and fireworks at Hoover Dam; visitors with prohibited items will be turned away at that checkpoint. Drones and marijuana are also prohibited on dam property.
Visitor Center screening includes removing metal objects from your pockets and person, and personal items are physically inspected before ticket purchase. Weapons and knives of any size, including pocketknives, are not allowed in Hoover Dam buildings. Bottled water is permitted; sealed food and drinks may be brought inside but cannot be consumed in the buildings.
Service animals specifically trained to aid a person with a disability are allowed. Pets and comfort animals are not allowed on top of the dam or in buildings, and animals cannot be left unattended in vehicles. The Guided Dam Tour does not allow strollers or motorized wheelchairs, and its ventilation shaft is not accessible to manually operated wheelchairs.
Adding Boulder City or Lake Mead
Boulder City lies on the Nevada driving route, so you can include it as a stop around your dam visit. Lake Mead National Recreation Area is another nearby landscape to pair with the trip; its shoreline gives the day a different focus from the dam’s tours and visitor facilities.
If you plan to spend additional time at the lake, use this Lake Mead National Recreation Area visit guide to plan that part of your day. Keep the dam and lake portions distinct in your schedule, since the last tour departs at 4:10 p.m.
FAQs
How far is Hoover Dam from Las Vegas?
Hoover Dam is about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, on the Nevada–Arizona border.
Can you drive across Hoover Dam?
Most passenger vehicles can cross the dam. Vehicles entering the site are subject to inspection at the Nevada security checkpoint.
Can you buy Guided Dam Tour tickets in advance?
Guided Dam Tour tickets are sold in person only on a first-come, first-served basis.
Are interagency passes accepted at Hoover Dam?
America the Beautiful and other interagency passes are not accepted for Visitor Center admission or guided tours.