Originally Posted by Wikipedia

Its secretive nature and undoubted connection to classified aircraft research, together with reports of unusual phenomena, have led Area 51 to become a centerpiece of modern UFO and conspiracy theory folklore. Some of the unconventional activities claimed to be underway at Area 51 include:

* the storage, examination, and reverse-engineering of crashed alien spacecraft (including material supposedly recovered at Roswell), the study of their occupants (living and dead), and the manufacture of aircraft based on alien technology. Bob Lazar claimed to have been involved in such activities.
* meetings or joint undertakings with extra-terrestrials.
* the development of exotic energy weapons (for SDI applications or otherwise) or means of weather control.
* activities related to a supposed shadowy world government.

Some claim an extensive underground facility has been constructed at Groom Lake (or nearby Papoose Lake) in which to conduct these activities.

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

The U.S. Government does not explicitly acknowledge the existence of the Groom Lake facility, nor does it deny it. Unlike much of the Nellis range, the area surrounding the lake is permanently off-limits both to civilian and normal military air traffic. The area is protected by radar stations, buried movement sensors, and uninvited guests are met by helicopters and armed guards. Should they accidentally stray into the exclusionary "box" surrounding Groom's airspace, even military pilots training in the NAFR are reportedly grilled extensively by military intelligence agents.

The base does not appear on US government maps; the USGS topological map for the area only shows the long-disused Groom Mine, and the civil aviation chart for Nevada shows a large restricted area, but defines it as part of the Nellis restricted airspace. Although officially declassified, images of the area taken by the US Corona spy satellite in the 1960s have been lost or destroyed (Corona image (http://www.fas.org/irp/overhead/groom_corona_200567.jpg)) and later USGS Terra satellite images (which were publicly available) were removed from webservers (including Microsoft's "Terraserver") in 2004 ( Terraserver image (http://terraserver.microsoft.com/Get...fffffff&logo=1)). In April 2005, Google added satellite images to the Beta version of their Google Maps. In press releases they stated the images may be 6 months to a year old. You can clearly see (http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.26...8659&t=k&hl=en) Groom Lake and Area 51 on it’s Southwest side. You are able to zoom in a bit but completely zooming in generates the message “We’re sorry, but we don’t have imagery at this zoom level for this region.” In Non-US images, including high-resolution photographs from Russian satellites and the commercial IKONOS system are, however, easily available (and abound on the Internet).

Originally Posted by Steve

I believe Area 51 exists. But I don't believe the reasoning behind its existence. I don't believe its where the government have found extraterrestrial life and are using their technology.

Its just a military base that is most likely used to test new aircraft etc.

Originally Posted by DrakeWurrum

Area 51 does exist; the myths and rumors are about what happens at the base, not whether or not it exists. If you choose not to believe in superstition, then you're saying that you don't beleive in the UFO and conspiracy theories that surround Area 51. It was originally used to test the U2 Spyplane. It is known that they are accurate because they are similar to images of the facility from back in 1968, although with more buildings.

Originally Posted by Monstergamer

agrees 100% with

besides have you seen any aliens LOL

Originally Posted by Steve

I believe Area 51 exists. But I don't believe the reasoning behind its existence. I don't believe its where the government have found extraterrestrial life and are using their technology.

Its just a military base that is most likely used to test new aircraft etc.