If you ever find yourself in Vegas with the whole family and wonder what you’re going to do with a bunch of little kids, hop in the car and head out to Hoover Dam!
Not only is the ride beautiful, but the hike around the dam is exciting and informative for little ones. They learned facts like: the Hoover Dam is 726 ft. tall, 171 ft. taller than the Washington Monument in Washington D.C. and twice as tall as the Luxor Casino in Las Vegas. They learned that at its base, the Hoover Dam is as thick as two football fields placed end-to-end. And did you know that if you drink water from the tap at Disneyland, Anaheim or Sea World in San Diego, that water is coming from the Colorado River and Lake Mead, 300 miles away?! 
The dam took less than 5 years to build starting in 1931 and was the largest of its time. It is a National Historic Landmark and was named one of America’s Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders. 
It provides water for controlling floods, farming irrigation, cities and towns (and even states), recreational activities, and helps preserve and control fish and wildlife habitats.
As many as 20,000 vehicles a day drive across the 45 ft. wide top of the dam between Nevada and Arizona. It’s awe-inspiring to sit under the bridge that spans across the canyon and to imagine the dam’s power when the generators are running. When operating at full power, the 17 generators can supply all the electricity needed by a city of 750,000 people.
When working at its peak, enough water runs through the generators to fill 15 average sized swimming pools in just 1 second, and each pipe can carry enough water to fill 900 bathtubs in 1 second. Wow!
It’s free to visit the dam and to walk around. You can also pay to get a tour of the powerplant (tickets range from $12-$15, kids under three are free) or the dam itself ($30, no children under age 8 are permitted). There is also a visitor’s center ($10 admission, kids under three are free) and a cafe/gift shop.
We thought this would be a quick visit, but we ended up spending a few hours here. It was a beautiful afternoon and we were spellbound by the massive structures built into God’s glorious nature. It was easy to park (open, free lots or $10 parking garage) and provided a nice, easy family exploration hike.
The dam is located 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas on the Nevada-Arizona border. From Vegas take US Highway 93 to Nevada State Route 172.
The Hoover Dam Visitor Center is open from 9am-5pm every day of the year except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is best to purchase tickets for the tours ahead of time, as they can sell out.
