Hoover Dam is a modern wonder.
Just forty-five minutes southeast of Las Vegas is one of man’s most wondrous industrial achievements, the Hoover Dam. Utah Construction Company, Morrison-Knudsen, Pacific Bridge Company, Henry J. Kaiser & W.A Bechtel Company, MacDonald & Kahn ltd, and the J.F Shea Company formed Six Companies, Inc and won the bid on the Hoover Dam project in 1931.
When news spread about the dam, families migrated to the Nevada desert seeking employment opportunities. Squatter camps and dingbat houses sprouted around the construction site. The population and workforce grew, while Six Companies built bunkhouses along the canyon wall for single men and others with families lived in Ragtown until the construction of Boulder City was complete.
Hoover dam was completed two years ahead of schedule in 1935. Over 21,000 people worked on the dam from all over the United States. The Dam is a National Historical Landmark which symbolizes the true grit of American Industry and Engineering during an uncertain time.
Today close to a million people tour and visit Hoover dam. To visit the dam from Las Vegas, take US Highway 93 to Nevada State Route 172. For those of you with GPS navigation you can use the coordinates: N 36.016222, W-114.737245 to locate the site. The Hoover Dam does not have an address.
Not only does Hoover Dam hold great historical achievements, but it is also a beautiful architectural design by Gordon B. Kaufmann complemented with the floors and walls decorated by artist Allen Tupper True. Oskar J.W. Hansen designed many of the sculptures around the dam. Hansen created a “star map” on a terrazzo floor which depicts the Northern Hemisphere sky at the moment President Roosevelt’s dedication of the dam. Two 30 feet bronze statues dubbed “Winged Figures of the Republic” are next to the amazing star map. Locals often touch or rub the toes of the winged figures for good luck.
Hours of operation Pacific Time:
Parking garage: 8am – 6:15 pm Parking Fee $7.00
Visitor Center: 9:00am – 6:00pm
Tours: Summer: First tour is at 9:15am. Last tickets sold at 5:15pm
Winter: First tour is at 9:15am. Las Tickets sold at 4:15pm
The Hoover Dam is open everyday of the year expect for Thanksgiving and Christmas days.
