Here in Las Vegas, we’re used to things going XXL, but what’s draped over the Hoover Dam right now tops them all. For the United States’ 250th birthday, a giant American flag was unfurled on the dam’s south face on Memorial Day as part of America250, the national commemoration of July 4, 1776. Installed in partnership with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, it’s scheduled to stay up through July 4.
150 by 300 feet of patriotism
This isn’t a backyard flag:
- Size: 150 feet by 300 feet, about 45m x 91m
- Weight: nearly 2,000 pounds (around 900 kg)
- Scale: almost as large as an American football field
It took dozens of riggers and two cranes to put it in place, and it’s visible from US Route 93, especially from the Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, which is the best photo spot. The same flag has been used before for celebrations at Indianapolis Colts and Las Vegas Raiders games.
The LVCVA spent $55,000 on the flag itself, and the total display budget, lighting included, is estimated between $750,000 and $1 million.
Desert wind, a tear, and a quick fix
Southern Nevada has been tough on it. Just days after the debut, strong winds forced the first precautionary takedown, the protocol is to lower it when sustained gusts hit 25 mph or higher.
Then, on the evening of Tuesday, June 9, the Bureau of Reclamation took it down again after a large rip developed along the red-and-white stripe section. Hoover Dam’s Facebook post confirmed the flag “unexpectedly tore”.
Good news for visitors: the LVCVA is spending an additional $35,000 on sewing and modifications, and a spokesperson said repairs were underway with the flag expected back up by the weekend.
The show goes on, even without fabric
While the flag is down, the nightly red-white-and-blue light display continues as usual, running from dusk until 10 p.m. each night through July 4.
Hoover Dam summed it up well after the raising: “Hoover Dam is a symbol of American ingenuity, determination and unity”. For America250, standing on its crest is more than watching a light show, it’s experiencing the scale of a structure that shaped the American West.
PlaneteVegas tips if you go
- When: arrive 30 minutes before sunset. The light show starts at dusk and the top of the dam often closes at 7:30 p.m. on windy evenings.
- Where to park: Nevada-side visitor center lot, then a 10-minute walk to the bridge.
- Best viewpoint: middle of the Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, facing south. Bring a telephoto lens, it’s windy up there.
- Check first: Hoover Dam’s Facebook page posts real-time wind takedowns.
It’s so Vegas: even to celebrate America’s 250th, we go big, get hit by a gust, sew it back up, and turn the lights back on. If you’re near Boulder City this month, look up, the flag should be back in time for the July 4 finale.