Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam is the highest concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere, standing at more than 725 feet above the Colorado River. Work started in 1931 and the dam was completed in 1936. Students can visit the site and take a tour of the facility to learn more about this awe-inspiring man-made structure, and assess the costs and benefits the dam has had on the local people and environment. On the way to the dam, you will pass through Henderson (Green Valley), and Boulder City. The Hoover Dam Power Plant Tour begins with a brief video show depicting the history of Hoover Dam and how it came to be. This is followed by a up-close look at the power plant generators housed at the base of the dam, you will also see the original diversion tunnels and stand atop a giant, 30-foot pipe where they can feel the rumble of Colorado River water racing through it. The view from the dam also offers a breathtaking look at Lake Mead, the USA’s largest man-made reservoir.