Hoover Dam is a popular tourist destination for summer vacation road trips. It’s an iconic landmark, and there’s nothing like getting an up close view from the perspective of a raft. The dam is not only impressive, it also boasts an interesting history that makes a guided tour along the Hoover Dam a must for the curious traveler. What you might not know is that Hoover Dam is also a popular destination for movie producers. Hoover Dam’s claim to movie stardom is credited to these movies that were filmed there.

​1. San Andreas (2015) In this action-packed movie, a dangerous earthquake wreaks havoc on the state of California. There’s nothing like flying boulder and unexpected gaps in the ground to prevent you from getting where you want to be. But for the chopper pilot in the movie, he will move mountains to rescue his daughter. He faces yet another road block when the earthquake takes over at Hoover Dam.

2. Transformers (2007) Cybertronian races. Autobots. Evil Decepticons. A teenager with the ultimate power. If you’re a fan of the Transformers franchise, you’ll love this throwback to the first movie. Check out the cameos of Black Canyon and the Colorado River in this iconic scene where Megatron returns.

3. Superman (1978) As Hoover Dam gets destroyed, Superman comes to save the day! Or is it really just to get the girl? This Oscar-nominated classic from 1978 stars Christopher Reeve as Superman, along with Margot Kidder and Gene Hackman. Filming also took place at nearby Lake Mead.

4. Vegas Vacation (1997) Clark Griswold is at it again. The Griswold’s take a family vacation to see Hoover Dam. Griswold decides to take it upon himself to plug the spouting water holes with chewing gum and then proceeds to get lost when he can’t find the “dam” dam tour. You’d think Ellen would’ve learned after the first three family vacations.

5. Solaris (2002) Hoover Dam doesn’t exactly make a cameo as itself in this movie, but it’s listed as a filming location for this drama starring George Clooney. Ironically, the movie takes place in space, so we think the movie producers got creative with this one.

Ready to star in your own movie at Hoover Dam? Black Canyon river tours bring you close to the action of the Hoover Dam. From the Lake Mead recreation area, you’ll be transported to the Colorado River where you’ll enjoy a tour full of historical information about the Hoover Dam, plus plenty of great photo opportunities. Contact us today to book your excursion! Meta: Hoover Dam is a popular destination for movie producers. Can you guess which movies were filmed there? Here’s a hint: “Clark, this is a family vacation. Could you try to stay with the family?”