Hoover Dam Power Plant Tour 2026: Worth It?

Booking choice: The Ultimate tour with lunch, from $59 per person. Check dates Compare the options below

Most people photograph Hoover Dam from the top and leave without seeing a single generator. The walk across the crest is good. The walk underneath it is better.

The official Power Plant Tour is run by the Bureau of Reclamation and it is the minimum ticket for getting inside. Here is what it covers, what it costs and how to book it without paying twice.

The quick answer

The Power Plant Tour costs $25 for adults and $15 for ages 4 to 16. It takes you through original construction tunnels to a platform above a 30-foot penstock and into the generator hall. Five Viator tours bundle it.

A group with a guide beside a row of green generators in the Hoover Dam powerhouse — The generator hall on a guided tour.

What is the Hoover Dam Power Plant Tour?

A guided walk inside the dam, priced at $25 for adults and $15 for ages 4 to 16, with children 3 and under at no charge.

You can buy it online or upgrade on site at the Visitor Center. The Bureau of Reclamation says the tour covers the original construction tunnels, a viewing platform over a 30-foot penstock, and the eight commercial generators of the Nevada Powerhouse.

Wheelchairs, scooters and strollers are accepted on this tour, which makes it the most accessible way inside.

Visitors in the long Hoover Dam generator hall under a red girder ceiling — Inside the Nevada Powerhouse generator hall.

How does the Power Plant Tour differ from the Guided Dam Tour and the Visitor Center?

The Power Plant Tour is the standard way in, the Guided Dam Tour is the deeper $40 version, and the Visitor Center is a self-guided $15 exhibit visit.

The Guided Dam Tour is the one engineers like. It adds the historic tunnels, the original elevator to the top, the inspection tunnels and a ventilation shaft view down to the Colorado River, and it includes a guided Powerplant Tour as well.

Ticket	Price	What it adds	How to book
Power Plant Tour	$25 adult, $15 ages 4-16	Tunnels, penstock platform, generators	Online or on site
Guided Dam Tour	$40	Historic tunnels, elevator, inspection tunnels, ventilation shaft, plus the Power Plant Tour	On site only
Visitor Center tour	$15	Narrated exhibits, observation deck, 3D model	On site

The Visitor Center exhibits and the Power Plant Tour are both in one price on the Ultimate tour.

Check dates for the Ultimate tour with lunch

What do you actually see inside the dam?

Tunnels bored for construction in the 1930s, a platform where you look down a 30-foot penstock, and rows of generators in the powerhouse.

The tunnels are plain, lit by simple lamps along rough concrete walls. The penstock platform is the moment that sticks: you look down a 30-foot penstock running toward the turbines.The generator hall is long and clean, with polished floors and each unit capped by brass fittings.

Expect to be on your feet and to follow a guide at a steady pace.

A long lit hall with rows of generators and an American flag at the far end — Generators lined up along the powerhouse floor.

Is the Power Plant Tour worth it?

Yes, if you have never been. It is the difference between looking at a dam and understanding one.

A crest walk gives you scale, views and a few good photos. It does not explain the thing. Skip the tour only if you have limited time, a small child who will not follow a guide, or you have been before.

The Guided Dam Tour is worth the extra $15 only if you love infrastructure. It is first come, first served and the whole group must be present when you buy.

Hoover Dam: From Above, On Top and Below

A 4.9-rated small group that includes the Power Plant Tour and the walk on top.

★ 4.9 534 reviews · 6 hours · from $100

Explore the From Above, On Top and Below tour

Can everyone take the Power Plant Tour?

Almost everyone. It accepts wheelchairs, scooters and strollers, while the Guided Dam Tour does not.

The Guided Dam Tour cannot take strollers or motorized wheelchairs, and its ventilation shaft is not reachable for manual wheelchairs. Wheelchairs rent for $5 in the garage. Sign language interpretation needs 14 days notice. Visitors must be over 16 to tour alone, and you will be on your feet for the whole thing.

A tall intake tower rising out of the turquoise reservoir beside the rocky canyon wall — An intake tower standing in the reservoir.

When is the Power Plant Tour quietest?

From 9 to 11 am and from 2:30 to 3:45 pm.

Visitor Center doors open at 9 am, close at 4:15 pm and the last tour leaves at 4:10 pm. The dam is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Tours may be cancelled without notice, in which case you get a refund.

If your plan is to drive yourself, the tour or drive yourself guide explains the checkpoint and the garage.

A morning departure gets you to the 9 am quiet window with someone else driving.

Check dates for the 3-hour mini tour

Which Viator tours include the Power Plant Tour?

The Ultimate tour with lunch, the Inside Tour, the From Above, On Top and Below tour, the Tour Trekker Inside and Out and the luxury SUV tour.

The Ultimate tour at $59: 5.5 hours, lunch, Visitor Center exhibit tour, comedy club tickets.
The Inside Tour at $90: 5.5 hours, Visitor Center, generator room, meets at Treasure Island.
The From Above tour at $100: 6 hours, up to 14 guests, a museum stop in Boulder City.
The luxury SUV tour at $129: 3 hours door to door; guests report about two hours at the dam.
The Tour Trekker at $142: 4 hours; if generator room access is restricted, they switch to the Memorial Bridge and the museum.

The back of a white tour van parked on a Las Vegas street — Small-group tours collect you from select hotels in vans like this.

What can you not bring inside?

Anything that looks like a weapon, including a pocketknife, plus drones, pets, and food you plan to eat indoors.

Prohibited items include firearms, explosives, fireworks, drones, marijuana, and any knife of any size in any building. Pets are not allowed, though service animals are welcome. You may carry sealed items and bottled water in, but not eat or drink in buildings. Expect screening with a handheld wand or a pat-down. See the Reclamation FAQ for the full list.