Walk down the world famous Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the immense grandeur of the resorts and casinos that make Vegas the world’s largest adult playground. Each building it seems is an awe-inspiring work of art in its own right.
Yet, for all of the amazing architecture in Las Vegas, one of the world’s most intriguing architectural wonders is located about 30 miles southeast of Vegas. Hoover Dam, a massive concrete arch-gravity dam sits in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between Arizona and Nevada.
When completed in 1936 after 5 years of construction, the dam was the world’s largest hydroelectric power generating station and the world’s largest concrete structure. Today it remains a working masterpiece of technology and architecture while also being a National Historic Landmark.
Named after Herbert Hoover for his role in the dam’s construction, first as Secretary of Commerce and later as the 31st President of the United States, the dam created a huge reservoir called Lake Mead which has become a popular recreational area and the nation’s largest man-made lake.
Hoover Dam, considered one of the Top 10 Construction Achievements of the 20th Century, is now also one of the Las Vegas area’s biggest draws and attracts more than one million visitors per year.
The highest concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere, Hoover Dam rises 725 feet above the Colorado River and offers 17 generators that produce 4 billion kilowatts of electricity per year.
Vegas visitors can tour the dam and power plant. The approximate two hour tour offers an opportunity to choose the locations you want to see. After a brief video about the history of Hoover Dam, a guide escorts visitors to an elevator for a 500-foot descent and a close=up look at the power plant generators located at the base of the dam.
Highlights of the tour include standing atop a 30-foot pipe where you can feel the power of the Colorado River water rushing through it, and an observation deck providing a panoramic view of the Colorado River and Lake Mead. There are also several intriguing stops along the top of the dam.
A second tour option takes visitors inside the dam, entering through inspection tunnels, where they can see original inspection markings and peek out of vents to the river below.
The history of the dam is in stark contrast to one of the most recent architectural wonders back on the Las Vegas strip, the 52-story PH Towers by Westgate. The area’s newest luxury resort sits adjacent to the existing Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino and offers guests exceptional shopping, dining, gaming and entertainment options plus an exotic tropical pool surrounded by white sand.
For more information about Hoover Dam and all the other amazing attractions in Las Vegas, NV visit www.VegasVacationStore.com. Or for the latest discount Las Vegas vacation packages and hotel and resort accommodations, go to www.WestgateReservations.com.
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