History Main / Area51

** It does become a major plot point in some episodes. In the series finale of ''StargateAtlantis'' [[spoiler:the Wraith kamikaze Area 51 to keep humans from fighting back with the technology stored there.]]

* The finale of ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' takes place here.

''[-For the arcade game, see VideoGame.{{Area 51}}-]''

* In the ''Series/MurdochMysteries'' episode "The Annoying Red Planet", UFO sightings in 19th century Toronto turn out to be an airship being constructed by the Canadian and American governments. At the end of the episode the characters conclude that the governments will move their experiments to somewhere more out of the way, probably somewhere in the US desert.

There is also an "Area 52", the Tonopah Test Range. This was home to a now-declassified ColdWar program called "Constant Peg", involving American pilots training against real [=MiGs=], small numbers of which had been delivered by defectors.

* ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'' opens in [[ShoutOut Hanger 51]], including mention of Roswell.
** Additionally, we find out that the Ark of the Covenant is also stored there. It turns out this was the same warehouse it was brought to at the end of ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk''.

* In the direct-to-TV Creator/WilliamShatner film ''GroomLake'', a government official arrives to Area 51 to shut down the facility after the end of the ColdWar, laughing that their fake [=UFO=] rumors successfully prevented the Russians from discovering the secret aircraft testing that has been really going on there. He finds out, though that the base commander is hiding a real-life spaceship and an alien.

* An episode of TheNineties' ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' [[WesternAnimation/GodzillaTheSeries animated series]], where it turned out that atomic weapons testing in the US desert had created a bunch of giant mutant, Godzilla-esque desert creatures that were being kept secret in Area 51, with the media having stories about aliens leaked out to cover it up.

* Lisa believes she's found Area 51 in ''TheSimpsons'', only to be told it's Area 51a.

A top-secret United States Air Force base in the Nevada desert...until 2013, when it was [[http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/15/us/area-51-documents/ revealed to be a test site for spy planes.]] (Unless that's what They want you to think, of course.)

* The ''Series/TheXFiles'' (more important place in the MythArc; also visited in episodes "Dreamland I & II", where we learn it's just a testing ground - "they build 'em up in Utah.")

* The ''Series/{{The X-Files}}'' (more important place in the MythArc; also visited in episodes "Dreamland I & II", where we learn it's just a testing ground - "they build 'em up in Utah.")

* On ''{{Eureka}}'' the surveillance balloon debacle is still [[NeverLiveItDown something they never got over]] for the guys from Area 51. The Eureka bowling team mocks theirs about it.

In RealLife, Area 51 is an Air Force base of some kind (in the middle of another base's bombing range, no less), officially known as the US Air Force Flight Test Center, and also known by the nicknames Groom Lake (for the dry lakebed the runways are on), Dreamland and Neverland. The more popular nickname stems from the naming system for areas involved in the Nevada atomic weapons testing; "Area-XX" was the default system for naming regions within or near the testing range, and the base was located in "Area 51" according to this system. The location was chosen due to the lakebed, which made an ideal landing strip when Lockheed Martin needed to relocate its Skunk Works; the base has the longest purpose-built runway in the world, though it appears to have been partially decommissioned following the U-2 spyplane project. It's been used in the past to test [[CoolPlane extremely secret experimental aircraft]][[note]]It was part of AQUATONE, the U-2 spyplane program; OXCART, the early stages of the A-12[=/=]SR-71 project; and HAVE BLUE, the project that ultimately created the F-117 Nighthawk.[[/note]], which is probably the source of some of the rumors. What's going on there now (if anything) is way beyond your security clearance, and US maps as well as Google Maps (but not Google Earth, oddly enough) just show a big blank over the area. The closest anyone has gotten to revealing what goes on at Area 51 was a lawsuit brought by workers at the base due to unsafe conditions -- apparently, Area 51 has NoOSHACompliance -- but the suit was thrown out of court when the state secrets privilege was invoked. If has been pointed out by many that the government has to develop secret (from other governments) projects ''somewhere'', even if those projects have nothing to do with otherworldly things.

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "Day of the Moon", [[spoiler: The Doctor]] is held in Area 51 after being captured by the secret service. Area 51 appears to have access to 'Dwarf Star Alloy', a very dense material used to [[spoiler: create a prison to hold him.]]

* In Treyarch's continuity of the ''Call of Duty'' series Area 51 is talked about and even showcased a couple of times. The first mention of Area 51 comes in the Nazi Zombies mini-game where the various radio transmissions that expand upon the background story of the Zombies makes a reference to a, "remote base in Nevada." and even gives exact coordinates of where it would be located on a map. Later on in the storyline of Nazi Zombies in the map "Five" John F. Kennedy makes references to Groom Lake, which is talking about the lake that Area 51 is situated on, and the various technological achievements made there. Finally in the Nazi Zombies map "Moon" Area 51 is being assaulted by Zombies and you have to escape them by teleporting to the surface of the Moon but you can come back later if you want though it won't contribute to ending your current round as all rounds can only be fought on the Moon. Beyond the Nazi Zombies universe Area 51 is also a multiplayer map called "Hanger 18" which is a reference to conspiracy theorists who believe that at Area 51 all of the most top secret Military Air-Crafts are all tested there. Also the Element 115 that is constantly referenced in the Nazi Zombies storyline is based off the account of a former Area 51 employee who is stated to have witnessed the substance in action and who said it had reality warping qualities to it.

* In ''ZeroDarkThirty'', Area 51 is where the helicopters for the raid on OsamaBinLaden are being tested. Notable in that there is no mention of aliens whatsoever - it's just another wetworks base.

* In {{Literature/Adaptation}} by Malinda Lo, Reese's car crashes in Area 51. She {{WakingUpElsewhere wakes up in a hospital}} where she gets a mysterious operation [[spoiler: performed by aliens. The aliens have been doing testing on many people in Area 51.]]

A top-secret United States Air Force base in the Nevada desert...until 2013, when it was [[http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/15/us/area-51-documents/ revealed to be a test site for spy planes.]]

A top-secret United States Air Force base in the Nevada desert.

** Thee was also a bit of artistic license involved in that the President had no idea Area 51 existed... when every year the President is required to approve the facility's continued status as non-existent.

[[AC:{{MMORPG}}s]]
* The Goblins run Area52 in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft''.

* The SCPFoundation lists [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1051 SCP-1051]] as an alien organism that apparently replaced the hangar at Groom Lake as camoflague. The conspiracy theories about it are its attempts to lure in prey, namely humans.

* In ''ZeroDarkThirty'', Area 51 is where the helicopters for the raid on OsamaBinLaden are being tested. Notable in that there is no mention of aliens whatsoever. The film is a documentary, so it's obvious why, but still notable.