Since 1955, Area 51 has been involved in the development of stealth weaponry such as the U-2 spy plane and B-2 Stealth Bomber. In 1989, Las Vegas resident Bob Lazar claimed to be a former Area 51 employee who worked on alien technology. Since then, UFO watchers and conspiracy theorists have flocked to the surrounding area, hoping for a sighting.
A drive on Highway 375, the Extraterrestrial Highway, will take you to the general vicinity of Area 51. The closest you can get to the base are the warning signs on Groom Lake Road. If you cross these signs, you face arrest, fines and imprisonment.
Highway 375 displays a number of signs that make for photo opportunities, such as the Warp 7 speed limit sign and the official Extraterrestrial Highway sign. Rachel, Nevada, is the only town on the Extraterrestrial Highway and its only restaurant and inn, the Little A'Le'Inn, has a UFO-themed gift shop popular with tourists. Guided tours launch out of Las Vegas, Nevada, and range in price from $195 to $475, as of October 2010.
For those wanting to camp out and scan the night sky for sightings of stealth and/or alien technology, Mailbox Road located off Highway 375 has a popular off-road parking lot and campsite. It has no facilities. The highway is 98 miles long, has almost no cell phone access and no gas stations along the way, including in Rachel, so filling up your tank before heading down the highway is advisable.
