WHAT IS AREA 51 WHY PEOPLE ARE SCARY ABOUT THAT PLACE...IS ALIENS ARE LIVING THERE..? What is Area 51 and what goes on there? 11 JANUARY 2020 Share this with Facebook Share this with Messenger Share this with Twitter Share this with Email Share Image copyright GETTY IMAGES The small US towns of Rachel and Hiko, near the highly secret Area 51 facility in Nevada, are bracing themselves for a possible influx of visitors. The viral Facebook event "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us" is due to take place on 20 September - even though the person who came up with the idea says it was a joke. So, what is Area 51? What do we know about Area 51? Area 51 refers to a map location and is the popular name for a United States Air Force base. It is at Groom Lake, a dry lake bed in the Nevada Desert, 85 miles (135km) north of Las Vegas. What goes on inside is extremely secret. Members of the public are kept away by warning sig