BOULDER CITY, Nev. (KLAS) — In this part of the world, it’s normally the Las Vegas Strip that has the reputation for luck. But just outside of Las Vegas is the third-luckiest place on Earth — at least according to psychicworld.com.
It lists the Hoover Dam as the third-luckiest place in the world. Topping our colossal testament to human ingenuity is the Trevi Fountain in Rome (there’s also one on the Strip) and the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey.
The luck at the Trevi Fountain comes from standing with your back to the fountain and tossing a coin over your shoulder. This is to bring you good fortune and secure a return trip to Rome.
At the Hagia Sophia, there is a bronze hole on the “sweating column.” If a visitor touches it with their thumb at a 360-degree angle, it is believed to make any wish come true.
But at the Hoover Dam, your luck is in the toes. On the Nevada side of the dam are two 30-foot-tall bronze statues depicting the “Winged Figures of the Republic” created by sculptor Oskar Hansen. The luck is found in their toes that you can rub. And from the worn and shiny look of them, there have been more than a few visitors passing by that have rubbed them in hopes of striking it rich back in Las Vegas.
It’s actually unclear what the statues represent, but the most common belief is the power and stability of the Hoover Dam. Both winged figures sit on massive blocks of solid black diorite on either side of a 142-foot-tall flag pole.
Astronomy and possibly astrology also play a part in these luck statues. At the top of the flag pole is a golden sphere representing the sun. At the bottom and all around the statues is a celestial (planet and star) chart carved into the terrazzo floor that depicts the night sky on the night of September 30, 1935. This was the day President Franklin D. Roosevelt stood at this spot and dedicated the Dam, first known as the Boulder Dam.
The Psychic World website published it’s top 10 luckiest places, the Hoover Dam is one of only two sites in the United States.
- Trevi Fountain, Rome – toss coin into fountain standing facing away for good luck and a future return to Rome.
- Hagia Sophia, Istanbul – touch your thumb at a 360-degree angle in a bronze hole on the “sweating column” to make any wish come true.
- Hoover Dam – rub the toes of the Winged Figures of the Republic for good luck.
- Charles Bridge, Prague – touching the Statue of John of Nepomuk, the oldest and only bronze figure on the Charles Bridge, is said to bring good fortune and a swift return to Prague.
- Blarney Castle, Ireland – kiss the Blarney Stone to get the gift of gab on whoever kisses it.
- Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine, Japan
- Sensoji Temple, Japan
- Pont des Arts, Paris – Bridge of Love, covered in locks
- Charging Bull, Manhattan, Wall St. – rub the bull statue’s testicles for luck
- Casa di Giulietta, Verona, Italy – Known as Juliet’s House of the fictional Romeo & Juliet, it is home to the Juliet Balcony.