Before you storm the gates at Area 51 to “see them aliens”, you might want to learn what you’re getting yourself into.
Why Area 51?
Area 51 was named because it was the 51st area of the Atomic Energy Commission’s Nevada Proving Ground. Nuclear bombs were originally tested (on a very shrunken scale) on the premises. The government claims that Area 51 is a place where the military tests top secret vehicles and technology, and that is why civilians cannot enter the grounds legally.
Prime Real Estate
Area 51 resides within the larger Nevada National Security Site, formerly known as the Nevada Test Site. This area as a whole was the proving ground for nuclear testing and is rumored to still house some of the most dangerous nuclear weapons in the world. Although there is no way to prove it, Area 51 has fallen under scrutiny by conspiracy theorists because of the lack of information communicated to the public about the happenings on this site.
Starting at the Beginning
In 1947, an unidentified alien object was reported crashed in Roswell, New Mexico, which was then promptly shipped to Area 51. Before any press was given the opportunity to cover the event, the area swarmed with military troops, preventing anyone to go near the crash site. The people who reported the object stated that it was “of strange, otherworldly origin.”
That’s What They All Say
The government claimed that this object was a “top-secret weather balloon” that had crashed shortly after it was launched. However, there was no evidence that they launched anything the day the object was found, and the individuals who got the opportunity to see the object denied that it was of Earthly origin.
Where We Are Now
Area 51 had always been a restricted zone, due to the nuclear testing, but now it is even more heavily guarded because of the people who want to go in and see what is going on. The level of secrecy backing Area 51 is unparalleled to other top-secret government sites, even though it is marked on the map, it is notoriously difficult to find, and if you happen to get too close, armed guards will confront you.
Wait… What?
One of the more modern rumors about Area 51 is that the moon landing was supposedly faked on a stage there. Everyone has heard of the story that Stanley Kubrick supposedly directed the moon landing, and those who subscribe to that theory have fingers pointed at Area 51.
The Air Force is Involved
So, on top of being a top-secret research facility, the grounds also serve as a test area for the Air Force. Area 51 is isolated in the middle of the desert, which is the perfect place to test prototype aircraft. The Air Force has restricted 5,000 square miles of air space around Area 51 to test their top-secret planes, but some think that this is to prevent people from seeing into Area 51 itself.
The Reason for Restriction
The Air Force claims that the restricted airspace is being used to simulate realistic combat scenarios, as well as a place for rookies to test unmanned drones, and practice firing live ammunition. The U-2 spy plane was supposedly tested in the air space around Area 51.
Coming Full Circle
Back when the Roswell incident happened, the Air Force claimed that they were testing a top-secret “nuclear weather balloon,” and that was why they had to deny press exposure of the crash. The Air Force released no comment when confronted about the legitimacy of their claims because scientifically, a weather balloon should not need nuclear power to function properly. In fact, this would have been a downgrade from the gas-powered model, because it was much more expensive and less consistent.
What We Can See
Currently, an overhead view of Area 51 is available to see via Google Earth. For the longest time, when Google Earth was first released, Area 51 was blacked out. It wasn’t until recently that you could clearly see the contents of Area 51, which just looks like a ton of empty plane hangers and warehouses. True conspiracy theorists think that these images are edited to hide the real Area 51 from the public, and a select few believe that the real Area 51 is a laboratory hidden underground.
Restricted to the Public
As we all know, there is no public entrance to Area 51, but that hasn’t stopped people from sneaking in over the years. The penalty for being caught in Area 51 is a possible six-month prison sentence, a minimum $1,000 fine, and facing the potential danger of being in an active military firing zone. That being said, individuals have successfully infiltrated Area 51 and have been successful in not getting caught, however, nobody has even gotten close to any of the actual buildings in the restricted zone.
The Mile Long Strip
This landing strip is located within the restricted zone just north of Area 51, labeled Area 6. Conspirators theorize that this area is actually a cover for the fabled underground pathway, and the end of the landing strip is a hatch that leads to the entrance of the tunnel to the supposed laboratory.
Soviet Secrets
Although it is not confirmed, conspirators are almost certain that Area 51 housed stolen Soviet aircraft during the time of the Cold War. This information is hinted at in some of the declassified files that were released in 2013. The supposed Soviet plane was referred to HAVE DRILL, HAVE FERRY, and the funniest, HAVE DOUGHNUT.
The F-117 Nighthawk
The F-117 Nighthawk was a revolutionarily power stealth plane that was confirmed to be tested in Area 51, oddly enough, this plane was being tested during the time that historically had the most UFO sightings. The government claims that it is likely that the majority of the UFO sightings that occurred at this time were actually people seeing the Nighthawk.
Welcome to Dreamland
As crazy as it sounds, the government attempted to rebrand Area 51 to take suspicion away from it. They called Area 51 “Dreamland” as to hint that there was nothing malicious or unusual happening behind that fence. Obviously, this did not work very well. It’s almost as if the government didn’t realize that calling Area 51 “Dreamland” was arguably worse than just keeping the name the way it was.
Even Before That
Before Area 51 was Area 51, the land was called Groom Lake. It was a residential area, but less than 100 people lived there. After the land was purchased by the government, they build amenities for the military personnel that stayed there. These amenities include a tennis court, bowling alley, pool hall, a bar, and a radio station. Although we do not know, it is safe to assume that these leisure areas have since been built over.
Even the Big Man Doesn’t Know
Until recent years, even the president of the United States was kept in the dark about Area 51. Since presidents come and go, military officials chose to keep the knowledge of what’s in Area 51 a complete mystery. No single president has ever gone into detail about the contents of Area 51, not even after the 2013 reveal of top-secret government information via Wiki-leaks.
Light Speeding
Route 375 through Nevada has been affectionately named the
“Extraterrestrial Highway” because of the frequent UFO sightings that generally occur in this area. This sign is the closest point relative to Area 51 on this strip of road.
The Sightings Keep Happening
The most recent sighting above Area 51 is a plane that looks like a variant of the RQ-170 Sentinel, which is the gold standard for stealth planes. The thing is, this recently spotted plane was actually model plane sized, which would be a huge step for close-range stealth technology.
Executive Immunity
When Bill Clinton was the president, he issued an executive immunity for Area 51. This means that unless the executive immunity is lifted, anyone who works at Area 51 is granted immunity to an investigation by the government. This made the public even more concerned about the contents of Area 51, and the fact that the base essentially governs itself, that concern is totally warranted.
A Scientific Delivery
People who work at Area 51 are flown in to work daily, both from Los Angeles and Las Vegas. This is to make sure that nobody knows how to get into the restricted area on the ground.
Deaths Have Been Reported
Two civilian contractors were exposed to unknown chemicals in Area 51, which led to their untimely deaths. Their wives filed civil lawsuits against Area 51, which they lost.
Paradise Ranch in the Desert
When Area 51 started full time testing military technology, lodging was provided for the employees to cut back on travel costs. This lodging was referred to as the “Paradise Ranch in the Desert,” which truly didn’t sound like paradise unless you like 115-degree heat.
Revealing the Documents
In 2013, the CIA released a stack of documents that stated that there was no involvement with alien life or aircraft at Area 51. These documents have been refuted by conspiracists, theorizing that the CIA was trying to cover their tracks. When the documents were released to the public in 2002, all mention of Area 51 was removed.
Tightening the Reigns
Over history, the CIA and the government have been overarchingly consistent with their cover-ups for the happenings in Area 51, however, they have made some irreversible missteps that have piqued the interest of anyone who cares about discovering the existence of alien life.
Taking This Party to Space
Area 51 is only 65 miles away from the Las Vegas strip, so when you get tired of trying to spot UFOs and top-secret military planes, you can go enjoy what Sin-City has to offer!
Rumor Has It
There is a theory that an alien was recovered when the Roswell crash site was discovered. Some onlookers claimed they saw the military strapping a gray creature down to a gurney and placing it into an unmarked medical vehicle.
Robert Lazar
This man claimed he worked in a top-secret sub-sect of Area 51 called S-4. He claimed he was hired to reverse-engineer a flying saucer. Turns out, he was lying about everything, but he definitely made a couple of bucks off of doing interviews.
Disproving Theories
Area 51 officials have attempted to disprove the allegations that they never went to the moon. Stanley Kubrick denies any requests for a press statement, but NASA countered with 842lbs of moon rocks that do not naturally occur on Earth.
That’s a Lot of Air Space
Currently, Area 51 is the third largest plot of restricted land in the world and has the largest restricted airspace in the world. Area 51’s restricted airspace nearly doubles the second largest.
Tossing and Turning
The Air Force actively uses that airspace to simulate modern areal battle exercises. These air battles are not typically visible from the edges of the restricted zone, which people are allowed to stay and camp at.
Every Day is a Vacation
The person who nicknamed Area 51 “Paradise Ranch in the Desert” also designed the modernized version of Area 51’s lodging, assuming there is lodging. No modern photos of Area 51 have been taken from inside the base.
Repeating the Circle
Since the CIA and the government do not communicate with the public about the devices that are being tested in Area 51, this leads to general curiosity and conspiracy. It is safe to assume that something fishy is going on in Area 51 because of the weak excuses the government gives when confronted about singular events around Area 51.
Google Earth Reveals All
Although it could never reveal the interworkings of Area 51, especially the fabled underground laboratory, Google Earth actually shows a pretty revealing image of Area 51. Evidence of new construction can be seen on the grounds.
Entering Ain’t Easy
Even though you can drive through the unguarded back gates at Area 51, getting there is nearly impossible to locate on your own, and there is no residential gas station within 200 miles of the back gates.
Yucca Flat
Another entry point is through the northwest corner, passing by Area 6. There is a lot of talk about entering Area 51 through this zone, but it is a nearly 150-mile excursion to get to Area 51 from here, and the chances of getting caught are so high that nobody has successfully completed a civilian entrance.
Classified Failures
Although there is no confirmation that any alien life has ever been on the Area 51 grounds, there is overwhelming information about failed vehicle experiments that might have been mistaken as UFOs. If you ask me, this is just the government trying to cover their tracks.
Compressing Coverups
Some conspiracists think that all of the Air Force testings that are rumored to go on in area 51 is a front for the actual work that is going on, experimenting with volatile technologies that are sourced from paranormal entities.
Recent Happenings
Some Area 51 enthusiasts have been able to capture some more recent photos of Area 51. Although not much can be made out, this black object in the circle is an abnormality that is still unidentified.
Moving Along
As you can see here, this massive expanse is what Area 6 now looks like, this is the front of the mile-long landing strip, with warehouses and garages lining the sides.
Spotted
The abnormalities in this photo are theorized to either be unidentifiable vehicles that are too large to be street legal or openings to a larger underground expanse.
Moving West
This is what Paradise looks like now, complete with covered hangars and a water tower.
This is a Paraglider?
This was an experimental aircraft photographed during the 1940s in Area 51, before the Roswell incident. This craft was likely left on the cutting room floor.
Square One Basics
This is the original map of the grounds of Area 51 before it was consolidated so tightly. Back when Area 51 first existed, security was pretty lax, and people were often found hiking around the grounds.
This Runoff Lake
So this lake, which has since dried, is groom lake. Look at how massive this body of water formerly was, and now it is completely gone.
The Beginning of a Mystery
This is one of the first transports of a classified vehicle that Area 51 saw. After this photo was taken, the area became a no-press zone.
What it Once Was
Area 51 used to be a safe haven for scientists who were the leaders in their field.
Annie Jacobsen- Area 51
All of this information, as well as more photos, and personal testimonies from former Area 51 scientists is available in this book.
The OG Paradise Crew
All of these individuals are responsible for making Area 51 the way it is today. Even though there is a lot of controversy and mystery shrouding the classified zone, there were many major scientific achievements hade here.
The Public Pushes Back
Area 51 was a hot topic in the 70s and 80s when the majority of UFO sightings occurred. These protestors are pleading that the government reveals what was hiding in Area 51.
Now and Then
Nowadays, the towns surrounding Area 51 have capitalized on the popularity of alien tourism. The UFO museum pictured here is in Roswell, NM.
As a Matter of Fact
Alien tourism has become such a hot topic that whole towns have UFO-themed festivals, they have UFO-themed restaurants and plenty of alien gift shops.
Spotters Paradise
For those who want to go out of their way to seek out UFOs, this particular area in Chile has the highest number of UFO sightings on Earth.
ALMA Observatory
This radio field is available for the public to view during business hours on weekdays. This radio field is located in Chile, and it 24/7 monitors all signals that might be coming from space.
San Clemente UFO Trail
This plain in Chile is home to 75% of all reported UFO sightings on Earth. Sometimes there is a UFO reported here once a week.
Elqui Domos Astronomical Hotel
These observatory-style cabins are pointed towards the areas of the sky that have the highest amount of activity. Not only are they perfect for UFO sightings, but they are also lovely vacation resort homes.
Planetarium on the Pool Deck
This is located in the Andes mountains and is only accessible by horseback. Local guides will take you out, name stars, and pour you pisco sours while waiting for the aliens show up.
Wiltshire, England
This is where Stonehenge is located, which many individuals think was created by aliens during ancient times. Some believers theorize that Stonehenge is a landing site for alien spacecraft.
Sedona Sightings
Sedona, Arizona is a very popular place to look for UFOs, and even if you don’t spot one, this view is absolutely spectacular.
Wycliffe Well, Australia
This area is a very popular UFO sighting spot in Australia. UFOs are typically spotted between a few specific months, so if you want to book a flight and a hotel, they fill up fast.
Joshua Tree, California
Only a three-hour drive from LAX, Joshua Tree is home to a large number of UFO sightings and this beautiful clear sky.
California High Desert
There are courses you can take on UFO sighting in the High Desert in California. Also, there are some spectacular mountains around the area in question.
Roswell, New Mexico
We all know about Roswell. This is the UFO capital of America, and quite possibly the best place for believers to congregate.