A deluxe excursion of the Hoover Dam, one of America’s Seven Civil Engineering Wonders, concentrates on the National Historic Landmark and concludes with a sweet stop tour of a chocolate candy factory.
During a luxury coach trip departing from Las Vegas, an expert guide/driver shares the trivia, mysteries, and myths about the Dam and Lake Mead, the 115-mile-long reservoir formed by damming the Colorado River.
- *Panoramic views and photo opportunities
- Las Vegas Valley and surrounding area
- Narrated luxury motorcoach tour to Hoover Dam and Lake Mead
- Boulder City
- Hoover Dam history and artwork
- Historical film
- Hoover Dam’s W.W.II gun emplacement
- Tour of the dam’s interior included
- Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Botanical Cactus Garden
- Complimentary lunch
Sightseers pass through the picturesque town of Boulder City, the community constructed to house approximately 5,000 Hoover Dam workers and their families. The town is the only place in Nevada where gambling is prohibited, a condition imposed in the 1930s by the federal government, which built the city. A fun note: the historic Boulder Dam Hotel was a favorite haunt of celebrities during the ’30s, and, reportedly, at least two ghosts in the ’90s.
Sightseers pass through the picturesque town of Boulder City, the community constructed to house approximately 5,000 Hoover Dam workers and their families. The town is the only place in Nevada where gambling is prohibited, a condition imposed in the 1930s by the federal government, which built the city. A fun note: the historic Boulder Dam Hotel was a favorite haunt of celebrities during the ’30s, and, reportedly, at least two ghosts in the ’90s.
The Visitor Center has a collection of memorabilia and fascinating information about the area, including the ghost town of St. Thomas that has “risen” from the depths of Lake Mead after being submerged since 1938. There will be information, too, about the W.W.II gun emplacement, the dam’s amazing artwork, such as the two bronze 30-foot winged figures and a marble chart showing the position of the stars when the dam was dedicated on September 30, l935. Close by are the plaque dedicated to a stray dog adopted by construction workers and intricate terrazzo floors with Native America designs. Tours of the dam’s interior to view the immense operating equipment are optional. Built at a cost of $49 million dollars, Hoover Dam was completed two years ahead of schedule, a testament to the project’s engineering creativity and dedicated workers.
Visitors also have an opportunity to tour Ethel M Chocolate Factory in Henderson, watch the confections being made, and receive a sample goodie. Boxes of the sweets are available for purchase at the gift shop. Ethel M’s, known for its 2.5-acre Botanical Cactus Garden and the 350 species of cactus, succulents, and desert plants, can be explored on a self-guided walking tour. During December, the garden is decorated in millions of Christmas lights.
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