Area 51 / Rachel, Nevada
A restricted U.S. Air Force facility in the Nevada desert, publicly acknowledged only in 2013, whose decades of classified aircraft testing fueled UFO lore amplified by Bob Lazar's 1989 claims about reverse-engineered alien technology.
Field Guide Entry
Origin Story
The facility was established in 1955 to test the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft and remained officially unacknowledged by the U.S. government for decades. In 1989, a man named Bob Lazar gave television interviews claiming to have worked on reverse-engineered alien aircraft at a site near the base, drawing national attention to the area.
Evidence & Claims
Nevada State Route 375, which passes near the base, was officially designated the "Extraterrestrial Highway" in 1996. The Little A'Le'Inn in nearby Rachel has served as an unofficial visitor hub for decades. Numerous witnesses near the base have reported unusual lights and aircraft over the years.
Skeptical Explanations
A CIA history declassified in 2013 attributed a large share of UFO reports in the area during the 1950s and 60s to sightings of secret test flights of the U-2 and A-12 Oxcart aircraft, both of which flew at altitudes and speeds unfamiliar to observers at the time. No independent verification of Bob Lazar's claimed academic or employment history has been found.
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