Hoover dam - Finally!

[Exterous]

I've been out to Vegas quite a few times but have never been able to see the inside of the dam despite two other attempts to take the tour. The first I had to pass up because the times before I had to leave for the airport were sold out. The second because the elevators were broken. So finally on attempt #3 I was able to get in. I just love walking around major engineering projects so I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. It's no Seoul trip but I figured I would share.

 

[Micrornd]

Did they mention if they ever expect to return the water behind the dam to it's former level?

 

[Ajay]

Cool beans. Thanks for sharing!

 

[BoomerD]

I went on the tour in the 60's. Pretty impressive piece of engineering and construction.

 

[sdifox]

I went the same year the twin towers fell. No stopping on the dam, we just crossed it slowly

 

[Exterous]

I went the same year the twin towers fell. No stopping on the dam, we just crossed it slowly

The bypass is there so its just tourists now - with a quick security checkpoint before the dam

Did they mention if they ever expect to return the water behind the dam to it's former level?

They're expecting a pretty good year in terms of water level. Apparently the snowpack is doing well

 

[deadlyapp]

I've got some really great pictures of a dam in Washington state that I was on a rebuild project for. Looks like you aren't probably able to see a lot of the most interesting parts of the dam on the tour you took.

Couple pictures of the new turbine runner coming across the top of the dam and then another of us lifting it getting ready to move it down into the turbine pit.

 

[ponyo]

One of the world's engineering marvel. I hope to see it next time I visit Vegas. Thanks for the pics!

 

[clamum]

It's really quite the incredible engineering creation. My dad, brother, and I took the tour when we went to Vegas when I was in 7th grade (so I think in 1995 maybe? Or 96 in 8th) but I can't say I remember much of it.

 

[Captante]

Really cool pics ... been out that way a few times but that's one place I've never been.

 

[manly]

I beat the OP there by a couple months, but didn't have time for the grand tour (just the power plant tour).

How could the water level in Lake Mead ever return to past heights? There's more people in the Southwest than ever, Las Vegas is again a boom town, and Americans use more water from the river than is sustainable. They had to bore a new deeper intake a few years back just to be able to get water to LV.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Awesome pics, family is headed there next week, hope we can get spots for the full tour. Website says you can't buy ahead.

 

[manly]

Awesome pics, family is headed there next week, hope we can get spots for the full tour. Website says you can't buy ahead.

I was there on a random Saturday in late October, weather was good but a touch warm. The next slot for the full tour was 2 hours out, and I wasn't willing to wait. You can buy the tour tix immediately, then walk across the dam and kill some time before your tour slot arrives.

I wasn't even aware of the bypass bridge, so didn't consider that part of sightseeing.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Skookum as frig. Screw the casinos and bars if ever I'm in Vegas I want to go see that!

 

[ch33zw1z]

I was there on a random Saturday in late October, weather was good but a touch warm. The next slot for the full tour was 2 hours out, and I wasn't willing to wait. You can buy the tour tix immediately, then walk across the dam and kill some time before your tour slot arrives.

I wasn't even aware of the bypass bridge, so didn't consider that part of sightseeing.

Ok cool, thanks for info!

 

[ch33zw1z]

bump - tour was awesome. The pics in the OP are great, no plan to post any. The engineering of the dam is a modern marvel. I learned so much and appreciate the southwest economy and life support quite a bit more. I strongly recommend the full tour, it's well worth the $30/ea

 

[Exterous]

bump - tour was awesome. The pics in the OP are great, no plan to post any. The engineering of the dam is a modern marvel. I learned so much and appreciate the southwest economy and life support quite a bit more. I strongly recommend the full tour, it's well worth the $30/ea

 

[BoomerD]

I got to tour Hungry Horse Dam in Montana in the 60's as well. Hella cool.

Montana: Hungry Horse Dam (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

I've also been into the innards of Grand Coulee in WA plus Don Pedro and Lagrange in NorCal. (Worked on all 3 during my years in construction)

 

[Genx87]

Did this tour in 2007 and was impressed. I also like the art deco style. The statues and some of the murals was different. Not something we usually see in the United States, looked like something out of the USSR.

 

[kn51]

It's all awesome, but the one that got me were the size of the spillways (which will probably never be needed again.) The scale of looking down at the size of those things is nuts.