Historian to reveal ‘Secrets of Area 51’ tonight at Atomic Testing Museum
Aeronautical historian Peter Merlin will speak tonight about "Dreamland: The Secrets of Area 51" as part of the distinguished lecture series at the Atomic Testing Museum.
Billed as an X-Plane hunter, Area 51 historian and author, Merlin will present his lecture at 6 p.m. at the museum, 755 E. Flamingo Road.
"For more than half a century, Groom Lake, Nevada, best known to the public as Dreamland or Area 51, has served as a proving ground for aircraft and weapon systems on the cutting edge of technology," according to museum's new release announcing the event.
"Throughout the Cold War, workers at this secret site toiled in anonymity to test the U-2, A-12, Soviet fighters, stealth aircraft and unmanned vehicles. Through unclassified and declassified material, Merlin will present a historical overview of this unique national asset."
Merlin is the founding member of the X-Hunters Aerospace Archeology Team, which specializes in recovering historic aircraft artifacts from crash sites. Through the years he has recovered pieces of some of America's top-secret aircraft.
The lecture is free for museum members and $15 for nonmembers. For reservations, call 702-794-5150.
He will be available to sign his latest book, "Area 51: Images of Aviation."
