Once called the ninth wonder of the world, the Oroville Dam - 770 feet high - is the tallest dam in the United States, besting Hoover Dam by more than 40 feet. Completed in 1967, and dedicated by Governor Ronald Reagan in 1968, the Oroville Dam is comprised of a concrete core and more than 80 million cubic yards of earth, mostly leftover mining tailings.  Although tours inside the Hyatt Powerplant are no longer allowed, the Lake Oroville Visitor Center offers programs and limited tours of the dam. Please call (530) 534-2306 for more information.  

The visitor center complex atop Kelly Ridge overlooks the lake and dam. It features interpretive displays, an audio-visual room where films about the dam and surrounding area are shown throughout each day. The visitor center displays feature a history of the Dam construction and State Water Project as well as a historic view of the Native People that inhabit the Lake Oroville Area. A 47-foot viewing tower allows the visitor the opportunity to have a panoramic view of the dam and beautiful Lake.

Lake Oroville Visitor Center has a museum, exhibits, videos and a store. The view from the 47-foot tower, with two high-powered telescopes, is a spectacular panoramic view of the lake, Sierra Nevadas, valley, foothills, and the Sutter Buttes mountain range (smallest in the world).