Occupying the first level of the historic Boulder Dam Hotel in Boulder City, Nevada, the Boulder City/Hoover Dam Museum features several exhibits on local history. You'll learn about the construction of the Hoover Dam, which is located just outside of the city's limits. The museum primarily highlights Boulder City's role in accommodating the workers who built this massive infrastructure, which has been a major tourist attraction since the 1930s. Click to book A Hoover Dam Express.
History and Features
In the early 1930s, the United States government invested heavily in public projects in an aggressive effort to deal with the economies woes of the Great Depression. Land near Lake Mead and the Colorado River seemed like an ideal location for a massive dam that would generate hydropower for Southern Nevada. Click to book A Hoover Dam Express.
The construction of the Hoover Dam required thousands of workers, but there was a severe housing shortage in the area. Las Vegas was a quiet community that lacked adequate infrastructure to accommodate a massive workforce. Therefore, Boulder City was established specifically to support people who were involved in the construction of the Hoover Dam.
Born in the Netherlands, Saco Rienk de Boer was the master planner of the newly incorporated city. In 1933, American architect Jim Webb designed the Boulder Dam Hotel in the heart of the rapidly growing downtown district. This Colonial Revival property opened specifically to meet the lodging needs of visitors to the Hoover Dam. Celebrities, politicians, athletes and industrialists frequently visited this high-end hotel that provided some of the most comfortable amenities of its time.
During World War II, tourism to Boulder City and the Hoover Dam severely declined. Consequently, the rooms in this popular hotel were essentially empty for years. In the early 1990s, the iconic hotel was renovated and restored to its original glory.
Today, the Boulder Dam Hotel is still open for reservations. Featuring more than 20 rooms, this cosy hotel offers boutique-style lodging with contemporary amenities. Original columns, windows, fireplaces, chandeliers and other fixtures highlight the vintage charm of this landmark building.
Hotel guests and visitors will enjoy the free self-guided tours of the history exhibits on the first floor of the museum. Most of the galleries include photographs and illustrations of the early years of the city and the dam. The museum also encourages you to take the Walk Boulder City tour through the downtown district.
After checking out some other local landmarks, you can relax at Wilber Square and Bicentennial Park. Of course, the hotel and museum offer plenty of helpful resources for official visits to the Hoover Dam, which is located less than 10 miles away.
Visiting Boulder City/Hoover Dam Museum
Standing at the corner of Arizona Street and Nevada Highway, the Boulder City/Hoover Dam Museum is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the downtown district of Boulder City. There is plenty of outdoor parking space available at the Hotel Plaza and other nearby streets that cut through the downtown area.
Interstate 515 links the charming Boulder City with Henderson and Las Vegas. This busy interstate highway branches off into the Boulder City Parkway, which leads to the main commercial areas of Boulder City.
Public transit in this small city is provided by the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada. The Henderson & Downtown Express (HDX) bus route stops near the Boulder City/Hoover Dam Museum. You could also make smooth transfers between the HDX line and other buses that run through the Las Vegas Strip and Downtown Las Vegas.
Location:
1305 Arizona Street, Boulder City, Nevada, USA, 89005
