Grand Coulee Dam Tour
Summary: Built by the Army Corps of Engineers between 1933 and 1942, Grand Coulee Dam was the largest concrete structure in the world for decades. With the expansion of the third power station in 1974 made it the largest power plant in the world at the time. It still remains the largest power plant in the USA with a capacity of over 6 GW in three power stations. It also has a large pumped storage facility of several hundred MW that links to the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project. As the center-piece of the Columbia Basin Project, the dam's reservoir supplies water for the irrigation of 671,000 acres.
Tour Summary:
The tour will start at 12:00 noon at the Visitor Center where we will receive a safety briefing. We will then get into USBR vans and tour may go the Crown Point Viewing Area, North Dam, Banks Lake Headworks, Pumping Generating Plant, 3rd Powerhouse and top of dam. Then back to the vans and visitor center by 4:30. Tour sites will depend on weather and what facilities are not under construction.
Visit Requirements:
· This is a hard hat, VIP tour of an operating power plant so closed toe shoes and sensible clothing is required. Shorts, dresses, sleeveless shirts, tank tops, high heels are not permitted.
· Photo ID is required for this tour. Unfortunately, US Citizens only due to the time it takes to perform background checks. US citizens will be asked to provide a copy of their ID sent directly by email or mail to the USBR at least one week in advance of the tour and will be required to present their driver’s licenses or valid ID the day of the tour. The email address of where to send your ID will be provided after registration.
· No backpacks, fanny pack, bags, purses, etc., are allowed. Wallets fitting in a pocket are OK. Water will be provided along the way.
· This is a technical tour for IEEE members and their quests. There is a shorter tour available for the public that may be more appropriate for others such as younger children. More info on the public tour can be found at https://www.usbr.gov/pn/grandcoulee/visit/index.html
· Coming early or staying late, the daily nightly laser show starts at 8:30 pm.
· There is a significant amount of standing, walking and climbing stairs on this tour.
· Photos are allowed in most areas of the tour. Restricted areas will be pointed out
- To attend this tour, you will need register by August 30th, 2024. Registration opens Monday August 5th.
- There is a $5.00 members and their family and $10 non-member registration fee to attend this tour. If a family member or guest is attending with you, they will need to be registered separately.
Date and Time
Location
Hosts
Registration
- Date: 12 Sep 2025
- Time: 07:00 PM UTC to 11:30 PM UTC
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- Highway 155
- Grand Coulee, Washington
- United States 99116
- Starts 25 July 2025 07:00 AM UTC
- Ends 29 August 2025 07:00 PM UTC
- Admission fee ?
Agenda
Agenda
12:00 pm – Welcome and Introductions
12:30 pm – 4:30 Tour of the switchyard, Banks Lake Headwork, Coulee Dam and Powerhouses
Parking:
- Parking is in the Visitor Center parking lot on HWY 155.