News Release Archive

Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner John Keys announces expansion of tour, opening of new exhibits at Hoover Dam

Media Contact: Robert Walsh , 702.293.8421, 04/04/2006 23:24

For Release: April 04, 2006

Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner John Keys III announced today that, on Friday, April 7, the tour route at Hoover Dam will be expanded to include the Nevada penstock viewing platform, enabling visitors to view a portion of the dam that has been closed for nearly five years.

He also announced that Reclamation will re-open the exhibit gallery in the dam's visitor center on April 7. The exhibit gallery has been closed since September 2005 while new exhibits were being installed.

Expanded Tour

Following the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., the historic tour of Hoover Dam and the popular "hard hat" tour were discontinued. The dam's visitor center was re-opened within weeks, but it wasn't until December 2001 that tours into the dam were re-initiated. For security purposes, however, the tour was restricted to the balcony overlooking the generators in the power plant's Nevada wing.

"We are thrilled to be able to expand the tour route to again include the penstock viewing platform," Keys said. "We think this will significantly increase 'the Hoover Dam experience' for our visitors."

Keys noted that the tour expansion did require the installation of some physical barriers along the expanded route, but did not require any changes in security procedures.

New Exhibits

In 2002, Reclamation conducted an analysis of the exhibits installed in 1995 and surveyed Hoover Dam visitors to determine if those exhibits were meeting people's information needs. The study led to a decision to replace the original exhibits to focus more specifically on the dam's historic and the technical aspects of its construction, operation and maintenance.

The new exhibits, which will open to the public at 9:15 a.m. PDT on April 7, include interactive and static science displays, detailed dioramas, and an almost full-size cutaway display of a hydroelectric turbine generator that visitors can walk through to learn about the internal components and workings of these units.

The lobby of the dam's original exhibit building, located across the street from the visitor center, has also been renovated. It features information about the Bureau of Reclamation, the agency that built, operates and maintains Hoover Dam. It also includes a replica of the bas relief sculpture found on the Nevada elevator tower on top of the dam, and other informational materials.

"We think these new exhibits will greatly contribute to and enhance the visitor's understanding of Hoover Dam -- why and how it was built, how it operates, how it is maintained, where its water and power products go," said Keys. "People come to Hoover Dam from around the world, and we want to ensure they have an educational -- and enjoyable -- visit."

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.