Boulder City
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Boulder City is a city of 15,000 people (2021) in Southern Nevada, which was built for construction workers of the nearby Hoover Dam. It is one of only two cities in Nevada where gambling is prohibited.
Understand
- 1 Boulder City Chamber of Commerce and Welcome Center, 100 Nevada Way, ☏ +1 702-293-2034. M-F 9AM-5PM.
Get in
By car
US Route 93, also signed as Interstate 11 between Henderson and the Arizona state line, connects Las Vegas to Kingman (Arizona), bypassing Boulder City. The former route of US 93 through the city is now signed as US Route 93 Business.
By plane
Get around
- RTC Transit, ☏ +1 702-228-7433. Route HDX serves the downtown area including the hotels that are in downtown Boulder City. It also provides service between Las Vegas and Boulder City.
See
- 1 Hoover Dam, Nevada Route 172 (east of Boulder City), ☏ +1 702-494-2517, toll-free: +1-866-730-9097, hooverdamcomments@usbr.gov. 5AM-9PM (dam accessible), 9AM-5PM daily (visitor center); 8AM-5:15PM (parking garage). Straddling the Colorado River between Nevada and Arizona, this was the world's largest dam when completed in 1935, and instrumental in generating power and providing irrigation via Lake Mead, which was created behind the dam. Even though through traffic no longer crosses the dam, instead crossing a bridge just downstream that opened in 2010, tourist traffic (and occasional employee traffic) to the dam can still be quite bad so plan your trip with extra travel time. $10 visitor center, with powerplant tour $15, in-depth tour $30, parking garage $10 at the visitor center & free parking on the Arizona side.
- 2 Boulder City and Hoover Dam Museum, 1305 Arizona St. (Located in the Boulder Dam Hotel), ☏ +1 702-294-1988, fax: +1 702 294-4380, info@bcmha.org. M-Sa 10AM-5PM; closed Jan 1, Thanksgiving, Dec 25. Tells the story of the construction of the Hoover Dam and origins of Boulder City. $2, children and students - $1.
Do
Gambling
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If you win...
Chances are that, if you win it big near Boulder City and you are not a U.S. citizen your winnings will be subject to a 30% withholding tax from the Internal Revenue Service. That $10,000 slot winning can dwindle quite quickly if that is taken off the top. Not to worry though you can reclaim your gambling winnings tax through a 1042-S form. You should get this from the casino so don't lose it: it is your starting ticket to getting your gambling winnings back. |
The popular Nevadan pastime of gambling is not allowed in Boulder City (alongside Panaca), but two casinos are located at the edges of town just outside the city limits.
- 1 Railroad Pass, 2800 S Boulder Hwy, Henderson (to the east (on a parcel of private land within the boundary of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area)), ☏ +1 702-294-5000, rboschetti@railroadpass.com. 24 hours. Railroad Pass (opened 1931) is the oldest casino in Clark County, and offers a self-guided historical exhibit of the casino and the local area. Free.
- 2 Hoover Dam Lodge (formerly Hacienda), 18000 US-93 (to the west in Henderson), ☏ +1 702-293-5000.
Excursions
- 3 Skydive Las Vegas (at the Boulder City airport), ☏ +1 702 759-3483. Offers the chance to jump out of a perfectly good airplane and get a great view of Lake Mead at the same time.
- 4 Kayak Las Vegas, 1647A Nevada Highway, ☏ +1 702 293-5026. Paddle the Colorado River from the base of Hoover Dam to Willow Beach Arizona, hike to hot springs from the river. Paddle to island beaches for a swim at Lake Mead.
- 5 Nevada Southern Railroad Museum, 600 Yucca St (Nevada State Railroad Museum), ☏ +1 702 486-5933. Scenic railroad that operates between Boulder City and Railroad Pass using restored 1911 era passenger cars. Air conditioned in summer, heated in winter. Operates Sa Su year round. Engineer for an hour allows you to be your own engineer or rent the entire train for a birthday or wedding.
Buy
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The Historic Downtown district has a number of antique shops.
- 1 Sherman's House of Antiques, 1228 Arizona St, ☏ +1 702-293-1818, brenda.bwright@gmail.com. 10AM-6PM.
- 2 Goatfeathers Emporium, 1300 Wyoming St, ☏ +1 702-294-0602. M-Sa 10AM-5:30PM, Su 10AM-5:30PM.
- 3 Boulder City Antique Market, ☏ +1 702-293-2733.
Eat
The Historic Downtown district offers a number of places to eat, ranging from pizza to restaurants with sidewalk tables.
- 1 Southwest Diner, 461 Nevada Hwy, ☏ +1 702-293-1537, info@southwestdinerbouldercity.com.
- Fox Smokehouse BBQ, 930 Nevada Way, ☏ +1 702-489-2211, info@foxsmokehousebbq.com.
Drink
While gambling is not legal in Boulder City, alcoholic beverages are. The Historic Downtown district offers a number of establishments.
- 1 Boulder Dam Brewing Co., 453 Nevada Hwy, ☏ +1 702-243-2739, info@boulderdambrewing.com. Su-Th noon-8PM, F Sa noon-10PM.
Sleep
- 1 Quality Inn (formerly Best Western Lake Mead Inn and then Lighthouse Inn), 110 Ville Dr, ☏ +1 702-293-6444. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM.
- 2 Boulder Dam Hotel, 1305 Arizona St, ☏ +1 702-293-3510, fax: +1 702 293-3093, info@boulderdamhotel.com. Historic hotel, built in 1933 to accommodate visitors during the construction of Hoover Dam. Wireless internet access, cable/satellite TV, complimentary breakfast, coffee & tea in the lobby, free local calls, complimentary toiletries, clock radio and wake-up calls, cribs on request $75-115.
- Lake Mead Resort and Marina, 322 Lakeshore Rd, ☏ +1 702-293-2074.
- 3 Milo's Inn at Boulder, 534 Nevada Hwy, ☏ +1 702-294-4244. Quiet bed and breakfast at Milo's Wine Bar. Remodeled rooms.
- 4 Nevada Inn, 1009 Nevada Hwy, ☏ +1 702-293-2044.
- 5 El Rancho Boulder Motel, 725 Nevada Hwy, ☏ +1 702-293-1085.
- 6 Sands Motel of Boulder City, 809 Nevada Hwy, ☏ +1 702-293-2589.
- 7 Western Inn, 921 Nevada Hwy, ☏ +1 702-294-0393.
Go next
- Las Vegas — 20 mi (32 km) away
| Routes through Boulder City |
Las Vegas via  ← Henderson ← |
N  S |
→ Kingman via → Phoenix |
| Las Vegas ← Henderson ← | N  S |
→ Searchlight → Needles |