We spent a couple of hours at Hoover Dam without doing a single tour, and honestly, I didn't miss them. We paid for the exhibits and walked the top of the dam in both directions - and this is coming from someone who hates heights. I'd go back tomorrow, not for the exhibits again, but for the views we didn't get to (and a lot more photos).
Per person for the visitor centre and exhibits, plus $10 to park. The Power Plant Tour is $25 and the Dam Tour is $40, if you want them.
The visitor centre is open 9am to 5pm, with last entry at 4:15. The dam itself is open 5am to 9pm. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
The tours are optional
There are two paid tours - the Power Plant Tour at $25 and the Dam Tour at $40 - and the Dam Tour is only sold in person on the day, first come, first served, so it often sells out.
We skipped both. Some of that was the price, some of it was the timing, and some of it was that my partner has another dam he really wants to tour, and we didn't want this one to take the shine off it. Either way, the $15 visitor centre ticket and the walk along the top filled a couple of hours on their own.
Getting in
We'd spent the morning off-roading out towards Lake Mead, so we came in from there - about 45 minutes, and a direct, easy drive. We parked in the garage on the Nevada side, right by the visitor centre, for $10, which felt like a decent deal. (If you're in an RV or towing, you park on the Arizona side instead, and two of the lots over there are free.)
There's a security checkpoint on the road in. We rolled down both windows on the driver's side, the officer looked in and asked if we had any guns, and once we said no we were waved through.
The only other screening is at the visitor centre where you buy tickets - a quick x-ray and bag check, nothing overly aggressive. Leave any knife in the car, even a pocketknife, because none are allowed in the buildings. Drones and pets aren't allowed either, though service animals are.
The $15 is the good part
Start with the short history film before the exhibits. I didn't know much about how the dam was built, and the film really started to put the scale into something I could understand - though it's still massive, and still hard to fully take in.
The exhibits themselves are super interactive. There are things you can touch and pick up, videos that start talking to you as you walk up, and photo spots all the way through. It's just really well done.
Walk the top, both ways
Head up to the viewpoint on the roof of the exhibits building first, then walk along the top of the dam in both directions. We didn't make it all the way over into Arizona, but we walked a good way each side.
There's a clock for Nevada time and one for Arizona time - I only got as far as the Nevada one. (In winter, Arizona is an hour ahead, because it skips daylight saving.) There are even bathrooms inside the towers on the dam, which seemed kind of crazy to me.
One thing to know if you're driving: you can't stop a car on top of the dam, not even to drop someone off.
Bring water - there's no shade
It was really hot, and there isn't much shade to be had. There's a small covered area in the middle of the dam if you walk that far, but that's about it, so you have to be careful with the sun.
Bring sunscreen, water and a hat (and hold on to the hat, because it gets windy up there). Water makes it through security, and you'll be glad you're not paying gift-shop prices for it.
There's a cafe with basic food and pricey drinks if you need it. There are a few chances for a bathroom, but they're not that close together, so don't wait until you're desperate.
If you hate heights too
I'm the person who hides behind something solid when I want to look over a tall ledge, and I still looked over this one. I'm so glad I did.
But it's not for anyone who's truly terrified. We watched a kid bawling and hyperventilating while his parents kept trying to get him to pose by the ledge for photos, and it was awful to watch. If someone in your group really can't do heights, let them hang back.
Busy, but not too bad
It was busy, but not terribly - there were parking spaces and room to walk around, so I can definitely see how it could have been worse. It was hard to get photos without people in the background at points, though.
Bring binoculars, and a camera, even if it's just your phone.
Make it shorter or longer
For a short visit, do what we did: the visitor centre and the top of the dam. For a longer one, add the things we didn't get to - the bridge has a walkway with a view back down onto the dam, and there's the Historic Railroad Trail. That's what I'm going back for.
You could also pair it with Nelson Ghost Town on the same day if you're up for it, or do what we did and go off-roading first. We had a cooler of drinks and snacks in the car, which is always nice after a while in the sun.
Hours and prices change, and a renovation of the visitor centre is being planned, so check the Bureau of Reclamation's page before you go.
Who it's for
Everyone who isn't absolutely terrified of heights. You don't need the tours, and you don't need to love engineering - I didn't know much about any of it going in, and I had a grand time.
Go do the scary thing and look over the edge. I hate heights, and I did.