At the height of the Depression, thousands of men and their families migrated here and worked in excruciating conditions, dangling hundreds of feet above Black Canyon in 120°F (about 50°C) heat to build this massive 726ft-high dam, completed ahead of schedule and under budget in 1936. Ninety-six workers lost their lives building the iconic art-deco styled structure, which redefines the stark landscape. Tours of the dam structure begin at the Hoover Dam Parking Garage & Visitor Center.
©Ray Laskowitz/Lonely Planet
Hoover Dam
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