Here's what we do know about Area Today, the U. Air Force uses the 38,acre patch of desert as a training site. Sometimes called the Nevada Test and Training Range, the base is located next to a salt flat called Groom Lake and is home to some of the longest runways in the world. The closest town is Rachel, Nevada, population The airspace above the base is extremely off-limits.
And the land around it is peppered with warning signs to would-be trespassers. We also know that workers aren't commuting there by car. Air traffic control audio out of a private terminal at Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport suggests that government-owned passenger jets flying under the name "Janet Airlines" make daily flights to and from… somewhere in the Nevada desert.
Not much was happening on this swath of land before World War II. In , prospectors discovered silver and lead around Groom Lake salt flat. A man named Patrick Sheahan built a humble homestead and founded Groom Mine in The Sheahans' homestead was about as isolated as it gets; Las Vegas wasn't even founded as a city until and was inaccessible by railroad until But the family's quiet lifestyle abruptly changed in , when the government sent agents to scout the area for use as a training site for bomber planes.
In March , President Dwight D. Eisenhower was worried that America's lack of knowledge of Russia's military developments might leave America vulnerable to attack. So Eisenhower recruited a panel of experts to figure out how the United States could use science to thwart a potential Russian attack. One thing was clear: The U. And once America had a blueprint in the works for a cutting-edge surveillance plane, a secure location would be required to assemble and test it.
A scouting group flew over Groom Lake. From above, they could see it was remote, unassuming, and it already had an airstrip. It was perfect. That's the gist of the situation, but because the desert tends to be fertile ground for alien conspiracies see also: Roswell , the unidentified flying objects allegedly spotted in Area 51's airspace were assumed to be extraterrestrial UFOs, and not the more obvious but far less exciting advanced military aircraft prototypes that they actually were.
Locals quickly leaned into the alien lore, and thus, an entire quirky tourism industry centered around the base was born. The Alien Research Center is a kitschy souvenir shop that greets you with a giant metal alien figure standing in front of an aircraft hangar; stop in for a dose of Area 51 lore, a shot of Alien Tequila , and extraterrestrial-themed paraphernalia to take home.
In the other direction, snack and souvenir shop E. Fresh Jerky offers a variety of jerky and other excellent road trip provisions, so stock up. From here, head north on S. In addition to all of the cows and Joshua trees, there is plenty more alien kitsch to see along the route. The current Black Mailbox is not the original, but passionate enthusiasts keep the tradition alive every time it is dislodged, vandalized, or stolen.
After a day of extraterrestrial exploration, you might want to rest your head for a night here; at the very least, pop in and order an Alien Burger at the bar, chat with the owners, and pick up some acid-green alien head coffee mugs as souvenirs. Brace yourself, because this is where shit gets real weird. Located next to the century-old Old Tonopah Cemetery which holds its share of remains of Wild West outlaws and scoundrels , the old motel is stuffed full of some clowns.
He could also make out the shapes of people sitting on mountains in the distance beyond the gates. When he headed up to the gates, Morris was struck by how different it was from other military bases he had visited.
The restaurant was decked out in all manner of extra-terrestrial paraphernalia, no doubt an effort to cash in on the believers who make the pilgrimage. For Kyle Rakutis, who made an Area 51 visit at nighttime in on a road trip from the Boston area to the West Coast, things went differently.
Write to Rachel E. Visit Website. Extraterrestrial Highway. National Atomic Testing Museum. Nevada National Security Site Tour. This Location:.
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