Alien Research Center

The center is filled with exhibits on UFO sightings, Area 51, and the history of alien lore in the American Southwest. We spent some time browsing the displays, which included everything from declassified government documents to alien autopsy photos (spoiler: they’re fake, but still creepy). The center also has a gift shop where you can stock up on alien-themed souvenirs, from t-shirts to coffee mugs to glow-in-the-dark alien figurines. It’s a fun, kitschy stop that adds to the otherworldly vibe of the E.T. Highway.

Came here for a spot to camp for the night. Sorry to see the 'research center' was closed. Appears to have been closed for a while with bird poop at the front door and the signs near the door knocked down. Hopefully I am wrong and they will be open tomorrow. Probably seasonal. And this is January. Nice area to stop for the night on our way south.

Very cute little road side shop. Mostly aliens and beef jerky. It's kinda their thing. But, I do like the new outside area with picnic tables. It's a nice place to stop on the way to the Extraterrestrial Highway or on the way to Pioche. 🛸👽🛻🤠

Great little shop to visit. Was originally closed, but emailed the owner and he sent someone to open up for us. Unfortunately that lady wasn't best impressed or very polite for that matter. It seemed we had either gotten her into trouble for not opening on time or she wanted to be else where. Big shame, nevertheless we enjoyed our visit!

We came all the way from England to Vegas.. Was on an Organised trip with Adventure tours to visit Area 51 and surrounding attractions including the research center as we knew it should be open on the Sunday. Wanted to buy some merchandise for home and were so disappointed to find it closed on the two occasions Michael visited during the day, we were so looking forward to going inside this place as it was one of the highlights of the trip for us..😢😢😢

We visited the Alien Research Center in Rachel, NV, on April 22, 2023, and it was a fun, quirky experience! The massive metal alien outside definitely grabs your attention and sets the tone. Inside, there's a variety of alien-themed merchandise, from T-shirts to keychains, as well as some cool space and extraterrestrial displays. It's a small place but packed with personality, offering a fun stop for anyone interested in the UFO culture surrounding Area 51. The staff was friendly and happy to answer questions. Overall, it’s worth a stop for some light-hearted fun and they have the original Extraterrestrial Highway sign.

Store was closed when I showed up. Address was incorrect and we went to Hiko Nevada first. This is Located in Crystal Springs, Nevada. Lots of parking. Wheelchair accessible. ♿️ Even though it was closed, when we got there, to me it was worth the picture with the giant metal alien.

Area 51, getting closer to the real deal! This gift shop was a nice stop considering there is not much around. Staff was very courteous.

It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega--the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt,murderers,the immoral, those who practice idolatry, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshippers, and all liars, their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. He Is Coming Soon...

Fun Place! The Lady who works here is Awesome! Was driving through Nevada on Road Trip from Virginia Beach, Virginia last month. Great UFO Swag! This place is a must see! If you drive by, definitely stop in! The Original Extraterrestrial Highway sign is inside too!

As said before not a research center just a gift shop really. It would be better served if it actually did have content displayed. Still hot though the worker said they are getting AC and bathrooms out of order but not sure if I would believe that, it seems it's been hot in that building for years. Tourist trap for sure. I was expecting more

Unique gift store in the middle of nowhere. Female employee was very friendly! Some unique Area 51 merchandise and gifts. Visited in May 2025

One of the few roadside stops on the Extraterrestrial Highway is the Alien Research Center. Don't be fooled by the name as it is not an actual research center or museum. This place is a decently sized souvenir shop. You know you're at the right place when you see a huge metal alien at the front of the building. There is no air conditioning in the building so it can get pretty hot, but it shouldn't take you too long to browse what they have. The sole staff member that was working seemed like she didn't want to be there and was sighing a lot. She also stated that they open and close whenever they want so I wouldn't rely on the hours on here too much. Overall, it's worth a stop in for some of the unique items that they have, but I wouldn't go out of your way to stop in.

Fun souvenir shop along the ET Highway I've always wondered what this place was all about. The place was closed the first time we came to Rachel NV. The business name is a bit deceiving but the exterior with a tall alien figure at the front of the building is probably one of the two most photographed on Highway 375, the first one being the Extraterrestrial Highway road sign itself at the beginning of the highway. This place is a souvenir gift shop, not where you would find alien specimens in a water filled glass cage used for research or something. Well, we thought that at first LoL... instead, inside are lots of alien-themed and Area 51 souvenirs -- X-Files and other novelty shirts, shot glasses, mugs, magnets, key chains, fun license plates, hot sauce, backpacks, mouse pads, snacks and cold drinks... and more souvenirs. On clearance are merchandise souvenirs left from the September 20, 2019 "Storm Area 51" weekend which was an event created in Facebook that went viral about raiding Area 51 on 9/20/19. Are they nuts? Apparently, some 600 people showed up for that event In the desert. Really, maybe the name should be called something else so that people don't get confused... gotta admit, though, i think it's because of the name that people are drawn to this place out of curiosity! Good strategy. Review #2029

The 3rd out-of-this-world stop on the Alien Adventure tour is Alien Research Center. It's located off the Extraterrestrial Highway, right after the rest stop in Hiko (if you're coming from Vegas). The rest stop used to have a sign for the ET Highway but it was missing on my drive though. The Alien Research Center looks to have been erected between July 2007 and February 2008. The giant Alien on the outside is really what you're stopping to see, but the gift shop is full of colorful alien merchandise and they even had my name included with their souvenirs. It's REALLY freaking hot inside this giant metal tin box. There is no airflow. The worker was keeping the front door open for relief. We had to leave after a few moments because it was easily over 100 inside. It is 100% a tourist trap. Do not expect a museum or a "research center". It is to sell you alien garb. There are a few signs to take pictures with re: storming Area 51. It's a fun place to poke around. **This is reminiscent of the old Area 51 Research Center out in Rachel ran by the late Glenn Campbell

Nice place for gifts. Got told to walk around the back of the building to the dumpster to throw away trash. The washrooms were out of order, and the air was off. Been there twice now, might skip it next time unless the customer service improves.

Its open!! Don't listen to the weird people that went during the pandemic thinking it would be open . So many cool things in the store! Bought a bob lazar compact disc . Also coming soon 375(highway375) - SUPERSPACETHUG Ig: Superspacethug Tiktok: superspacethug

What area 51 look like 100 Extraterrestrial Hwy, Hiko, NV 89017 area, 51 Yeah area 51 100 Extraterrestrial Hwy, Hiko, NV 89017

They had cool merchandise but i was expecting a museum type thing because of the name. This place is just a gift shop but it's in the middle of other extraterrestrial points.

4:30pm and they're closed. No sign out front, just a locked door. Drove 2 hours to check it out so we are quite disappointed.

Hiko, Nevada. Was disappointed this is just a souvebior shop. Incorrectly hoped for something more. I did buy a hoodie here cause i am a dummy who brought summer clothing for a winter trip. Location: C Located on ET Hwy 375 about one mile west of NV Hwy 318/93. Its in a desolate area with no facilities going west. Roads/Parking: C Plenty parking. Lot is rough road. Be careful especially when there no sunlight. Cost: A Affordable items. Typically, these remote trinket shops are expensive. Overall: C. There is not much here. It does have a lot of clothing, and magnets. The front statue from "Day Earth Stood Still" is awesome! Safe traveling. Shameless IG plug @cigarcpa

I stopped by planning on purchasing several souvenirs on my way back from Twin Falls. It was 110 degrees outside when I got there. I took a few photos and went inside. WHAT??? NO AIR CONDITIONING!!! it had to be 150 degrees inside. F*CK YOU!!! I left and went down the street to E.T. Fresh Jerky and spent my money there. It was like a freezer inside.

I mean, you're coming here as a tourist. Understand that ALL this is, is a giant souvenir stand. That's it. You're not gonna see anything crazy. It's simply a spot to take a picture in front of, buy some pricey souvenirs, sign the wall (make sure you ask for THEIR sharpie or they'll yell at you for using your own) and that's it. Currently they are open 9-5 everyday.

10/10 service love it here . Had good prices and has really good tequila! Gotten a few items from the gift shop and even a puzzle soo cool!

This was a nice photo op on the Extraterrestrial Highway. Expect lots of random souvenirs--anything from the expected aliens/Area 51/x-files to Sasquatch, Star Trek, Star Wars and even steampunk. I'm still extremely unclear whether there's an actual "research" component. It's a tourist trap, but a very good natured one.

The lady who was working was extremely friendly. She was very helpful and my kids had a blast here. So happy we finally had a chance to stop by.

Drove 2 hrs just to get here and find out the store is closed. There was nothing online stating the hours of operations had changed. Two adventure companies from Vegas also upset, atleast update the times so ppl don't waste their time.

This place is hilarious. From the alien to the ET memorabilia inside- it's an interesting stop on the ET highway. The staff was friendly and I bought a few souvenirs while I was there. Definitely worth the drive and stop!

Drove from Las Vegas 2 hours and 20 minutes to visit this store. When we arrived at 3p the lot was empty. When we approached the front door, we heard music inside and saw lights on , but the front door was locked. The sign on window showed opened until 1700. My husband and I knocked several times and called store with no prevail. Drove around back and noticed what might be the employees car. We also knocked on back door and beeped with no luck. We then left and headed to the ET fresh jerky store and asked the cashier there if the Alien Research Center was even opened today. She told us yes, but if the employee was busy out back, she locks the front doors until she's done. Doing what??? There's absolutely nothing to do, unless she was using the restroom for 20 minutes. So we headed back down the street to try one last time. This time the music was shut off, lights on and the front door remained locked. Her car still out back. Another customer drove in and was also udisappointed to find the door locked as well. This store keeper was either in the John for over an hour or abducted by aliens!!! Such a long and disappointing planned road trip!!!

Cute souvenir shop, the employee who was working when we went was very nice. If I am ever out that way again I'll stop in again! Recommend if you're looking for alien and Area 51 merch.

Other reviews caught me eye, so I drove the two hours from Las Vegas to Hiko. What a disappointment! Nothing but a quonset hut filled with souvenir crap: magnets, hats, tee shirts, cards, anything that could be printed with an ET-type character on it. There was nothing interesting other than the giant sheet metal figure of an "alien" out front. If you are traveling that way and want to waste 10 minutes or need a bathroom, stop by, otherwise, don't bother.

This place was closed when we arrived although we did arrive during business hours. It's fun to literally just stop by and take pictures next to the alien on your way to elusive Area 51 but that's about all its good for.

Like others, we've been here TWICE during advertised "OPEN" hours and have not found it to be open. This, over a span of two years. Peering in the window, it looks like it might be interesting to check this place out. Hopefully, SOMEone will be able to get in some day and put up a review. This certainly will NOT be a destination point, but if we happen to be driving by, we'll try AGAIN to visit. The question below about whether or not they accept credit cards is of no use if they're never open to sell anything . . .

Cute souvenir store that's worth a stop. Very clean restroom and the owner (I'm assuming) was very nice. I bought my son a ufo light that didn't work when we plugged it in. I called to see if maybe I was doing something wrong and the owner immediately sent me a replacement part... Excellent customer service.

Firstly, it's just a gift shop and it's not all that close to Area 51. But it is a neat place to visit if you're going to drive on the ET Highway or want to make a short detour on a trip to or from Caliente. Lots of cool souvenirs and pop culture items.

We purposely stopped here and I'm glad we did. I don't know why people gave it such a poor rating, did they expect to see aliens being dissected? It is a fun knick knacky souvenir shop with toys and pieces of memorabilia and such. Prices were like other shops we stopped at in our travels so no big deal there. Nice bathrooms offered and staff was really great too

My daughter and I went on a day trip from Las Vegas to Rachel,NV to find Area 51 for her 26th birthday ( she loves anything sci-fi). We stopped in the store on our way . What a great stop! I can't believe any of the ratings less than 5 stars and the complaints saying " it's just a gift shop". What are they expecting? Walk in and find ET doing the tango? The selection and prices of the items can't be beat. The woman ( and her granddaughter were polite and helpful. We bought a bunch of things on our way out and liked it so much, we stopped on the way back to Las Vegas and purchased more items. If you pass by there, it is certainly a must to see.

This is a must see place if you're doing the Area 51 drive. From what I understand they're usually only open on the weekends. I was just there last Saturday and was able to go inside before noon. The giant alien is really cool. The eyes light up and it's a cool picture stop even if the place is closed. True it's not much of a "research center" but I'm a sucker for gift shops and that is exactly what this place is! They have a giant wall you can autograph which is cool. The gal working the counter was really nice and informative with directions. She even offered my best friend and I some alien tequila. The little doggy greeting everyone was super adorable. I picked up some souvenirs and got my directions for the next destination. Be warned that this is the last place you'll probably have phone service. So definitely grab a map and ask for directions!

Website says open but it wasn't. Disappointing, as it's school fall break & traveling w/granddaughter that was looking forward to seeing it.

Fun place to stop for a rest, buy Area 51 souvenirs and take some pictures with the giant alien statue outside. To complete your Area 51 experience, I also highly recommend touring with the guys at Planet XV Area 51 tours where you'll also get to see out of this world UFO's.

While there is no research being had at the Alien Research Center, there are plenty of extraterrestrial t-shirts and X-Files posters to satisfy your inner nerd. I do believe there is a problem concerning advertised hours versus when the place feels like being open. We stopped by when we first entered the Extraterrestrial Highway in the early afternoon and it was closed. But we decided to try again on our way back home and we were able to look around. It's really just a souvenir store but that's fine by me 'cause I like souvenirs on my road trips. Prices weren't outrageous, and I got an Area 51 tank top for just $13. You aren't missing much if it's closed, so don't be sad. Get yourself a picture of the giant metal alien and just imagine a college poster with Mulder and Scully on it and you'll be good to go.

Wish I could give less than 1 star. Nothing to see here, waste of time. Only old t-shirts and crappy knick-knacks.

According to the other reviews, this place seems to never or rarely be open. I really wanted to go inside because it seemed like an interesting little place from what I could see from peeking through the doors. I really wanted to try the Alien Tequila that I've heard about but I guess I will never know what it's like since I most likely won't ever come back out this way if I ever visit Vegas again. The HUGE grey alien out front was pretty cool though, I just had to take a photo of that monstrous thing!

The hours are 9-5 seven days a week now. Staff is friendly and eager to answer any questions you may have. Their merchandise is amazing. They will also let you taste their tequila. They have the best prices.

Kitsch. Don't expect too much and you won't be disappointed. Get your t shirts and magnets and take pictures with the enormous alien outside. If you plan to go by the Little A Le Inn, get your Alien tequila there, as it's cheaper. The gray head bottle is worth it!

Can't give it any better review than the Big Alien outside- worth 2 stars for the photo op. They took down the "Hours" sign because they seem to be rarely open when they are supposed to be. They were closed both times we tried to go (a Saturday and Sunday).

There does seem to be some inconsistency with the hours as other reviews have stated. We went on a Tuesday and it was open, although it supposedly is only open weekends. Regardless, the souvenirs and memorabilia was very cool. There aren't only alien related items, but also vintage merchandise from Star Wars, X-Files, and even 90s Cartoon Network shows. Definitely a unique spot, and a must-see on ET Highway.

Open 9-5 daily. Such a fun stop when traveling the 93 or heading down the Extraterrestrial Highway! It is really just souvenirs, but I seem to keep finding something I can't live without every time we stop. Alien and sci-fi enthusiasts will love browsing the large selection. They are very friendly and will give you tips for your visit down the ET Highway or help you find some local petroglyphs. Stop and take some selfies! A fairly clean highway sign hangs inside. There is a wall of fame that you can see celebrity signatures among the mass of names. Just about a mile off the 93.

The dog running around had more personality than the staff. Ridiculously outdated merchandise (Star Wars Episode 1 outdated!!) everything completely overpriced. Disgusting bathrooms. Do yourself a favor, take a photo out front and keep it movin.

Listen, expect this to be a kitschy souvenir and photo op spot and you won't be disappointed. Because that is exactly what it is. You really didn't expect actual research taking place here did you? Lucy Looney was the Marge in charge here and she was awesome. I bought some appropriate trinkets got a picture or three (there's a pristine Extraterrestrial Hwy sign inside, void of all the stickers), professed my undying love for Ms. Looney and headed on to explore the great beyond.

This was a fantastic spot to stop heading out to Rachel Nevada and the Area 51 gates. Neat gift shop and the owner was very friendly. I hear it is not always open but it was open on a Sunday when we stopped by. Recommended stop if heading out to the Area 51 drive.

Even if it's a little warm inside the selection makes up for it. They have everything you could possibly think of and prices are reasonable as far as I'm concerned. The employee and shop owner are helpful and knowledgeable. They just need to get their museum completed for visitors since it's advertised in their brochure. I rate it a 5 for its novelty and the huge selection of collectibles, including vintage Pokemon, vintage Vegas souvenirs, collectible Star Trek and Star Wars and overall diverse selection.