TVA set to hold tours of iconic dams to celebrate America’s 250th birthday

The Tennessee Valley Authority is welcoming folks to come celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States of America with them, offering tours of the TVA’s iconic dams.

The TVA will open up Kentucky Dam on July 16, Raccoon Mountain on July 8, Fontana Dam on July 27 and Norris Dam on July 29 for a behind-the-scenes tour that will shine a spotlight on monumental public works that have helped power rural America for years.

These special tours will showcase the grit, determination and visionary spirit that forged both the US and the TVA. To ensure that citizens have an equal chance at the “Built for the People: America 250” experience, the TVA will randomly draw names from submitted requests until the capacity for each tour is met.

If selected, you’ll be sent instructions on how to take part. Registration is open now at tva.com/next250 and will close one week before the tour date.

The TVA is also launching the America 250 Time Capsule, a collection of messages, reflections, and memorabilia that will be sealed in 2026 and opened for the nation’s 300th birthday in 2076. The capsule will be housed at the Norris Dam Visitor Center, near one of TVA’s earliest and most iconic public works projects.