What is Area 51 in reality?

The name ‘Area 51’ derives from its marking on 1950’s Nevada Test Site maps. Today, the official name of Area 51 is Air Force Flight Test Center, Detachment 3, or AFFTC Det. 3 for short. For years even the US government denied its existence until Soviet pictures confirmed what many knew all along. The base did exist. read more

To Area 51's west, there's the Alien Cathouse which is advertised as the only alien-themed brothel in the world. Geocaching also attracts visitors here since the highway is considered a"mega-trial" with over 2,000 geocaches hidden in the area. Then there's the actual base. read more

Area 51 shares a border with the Yucca Flat region of the Nevada Test Site, the location of 739 of the 928 nuclear tests conducted by the United States Department of Energy at NTS. The Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository is 44 miles (71 km) southwest of Groom Lake. read more

Area 51 has been the site of on-going secret programs run by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) since its inception. Used principally to test new technologies, some of the military’s most advanced air capabilities began their working life at the base. read more