Vacationers and locals alike enjoy visiting the Hoover Dam, which sees nearly 3,000 patrons per day. Those who own homes in Henderson Nevada are just a hop, skip, and jump away from this historical marvel.

Hoover Dam towers at 726 feet, making it the highest concrete arch dam in the US. It has been named one of the seven engineering wonders of America. By damming the portion of the Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada, Hoover Dam created the largest man-made reservoir in the entire country, known as Lake Mead. All of the neon on the Las Vegas Strip comes from the electricity generated there.

Hoover Dam was built for both function and fashion, as you can see from the art-deco designs in the towers and spillways. Two winged, bronze statues adorn the Nevada side, and it is legend that rubbing their toes will bring you good luck.

The dam was named after the president due to tradition, but has also been called the “Boulder Canyon Dam.” Boulder City, just past Henderson, was built to house the workers who built the dam. Back in the 1930’s, it was the state’s third-largest city. To this day, you cannot gamble in Boulder City, and it is the only town in Nevada to impose such a prohibition.

Other fun facts:

Workers who built the dam in the 1930’s made between 50 cents and $1.25 per hour.

Many of the workers who climbed and hung from the canyon walls were acrobats recruited from circuses.

There is enough cement in the Hoover Dam to page a 16-foot wide, 8-inch deep strip from New York to San Francisco.

The base of the dam is larger than the Great Pyramid of Cheops. (3)

Visit the government site at http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/ for more information about the workings and tours of Hoover Dam. Next week: do spooks haunt the Hoover Dam?