Hoover dam is located 30-35 miles east of Las Vegas, (depending upon where you start from) and you will have to drive there. That can become expensive. Using your own transportation is the cheapest way to see Hoover Dam but you will still have to pay for parking and for the dam tour.

    If you didn't drive to southern Nevada and do not want to rent a car while you are in Las Vegas, the best option is to get a guided bus tour of Hoover Dam that begins in Las Vegas. This is a practical alternative even if you did drive to Las Vegas or you are renting a car. This is because the cost of guided tours are competitive and the drive to Hoover Dam can be challenging and parking can be a nightmare.

    If you are unfamiliar with the roads in southern Nevada, we recommend that you take your family on guided tour that is available. Hoover Dam tours range from the basic tours to the really deluxe tours that will also take you on a cruise of Lake Mead and include a dinner cruise. Guided Hoover Dam tours usually begin in Las Vegas where they either shuttle you from your hotel to their location and then take you to the dam or they pick you up on the way to Hoover Dam.

Hoover Dam Visitor Center
    Completed on June 21, 1995, the $87.9 million Visitors Center has tours of Hoover Dam, several exhibits about its history and its impact on the region plus commemorative art recognizing the achievements of Hoover Dam and its benefit to agriculture, electrical power and recreation.

Tour Hours:
    The operating hours the Hoover Dam Visitor Center begin at 9:30 AM and continue until 5:00 PM Pacific time (Las Vegas time). Ticket sales for the last tour of the day will begin at 4:15 PM. The Visitor Center is closed only on two days of the year, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Hoover Dam Tours:
One of the tours currently available is called the "Hoover Dam Discovery Tour". This is a self paced tour that features talks presented by the guide staff at a number of locations both within the center and at the top of the dam. They are presented in 1.5 hour intervals beginning at 9:00AM. This tour is estimated to take about 2 hours.

Photos:
The photo at the top looks at the Visitors Center from the Arizona side.

The picture on the right looks down at the Colorado River from right next to the Visitors Center.