Has the buzz about Area 51 reached your orbit within the past week or so? If you haven’t heard about the sudden and unexpected petition to “Storm Area 51”, you might be the last being in the galaxy!
The top-secret government base known as Area 51 has been a hotspot for extraterrestrial activity throughout the history of film and television, and many US citizens speculate that it is in fact home to some otherworldly visitors.
Now, a Facebook page has started a petition to “storm Area 51” and discover its hidden contents at long last. What began as a joke has evolved into a frenzy, gaining an unbelievable 1.4+ million signatures. Whether or not any of those who pledged their attendance online will truly show up on the day of the “event” is a question that many are asking – including the US Air Force. In fact, they’ve even issued a warning letting supposed “raiders” know that “any attempt to illegally access the area is highly discouraged.”
As you gaze at the moon, you may find yourself pondering the possibility that visitors from other worlds are living in our orbit as we speak. We’d suggest you heed the Air Force’s warning, though, and resist the temptation to attempt to raid one of the nation’s most protected military bases. We’ve compiled some other things you can do right here in STL to sate your thirst for an extraterrestrial excursion:
1. Learn about St. Louis’ history in the space program.
St. Louis has a stellar history in the space program, which you can learn all about at the James S. McDonnel Prologue Room at Boeing’s St. Louis campus. The museum covers 100 years of flight and features actual-size Mercury and Gemini capsules, large-scale models of some of today’s military aircraft, including the Eagle, Hornet, Apache and Air Force One, as well as rockets and missiles, and commercial jetliners. The Prologue Room is open to the general public on weekdays from June through August.
2. Walk across the planets in the Delmar Loop.
Our own home, the Delmar Loop, features a one-of-a-kind Planet Walk – a scale model of our solar system. The sun and all eight planets have a station along the Loop, beginning right outside The Moonrise! Mercury through Mars are located on the first block, but you’ll have to blast all the way down to the corner of Delmar and Kingsland to reach Neptune. You probably won’t find any aliens, but you will find plenty of out-of-this-world local shops and restaurants!
3. Take your little Martians to “Rocket Park” in Maplewood.
Although officially named “Deer Creek Park”, this spot is more often referred to as “Rocket Park” thanks to its space-themed playground. (If there’s one thing we can get behind, it’s a space theme.)
4. See a star show at the James S. McDonnell Planetarium
Head to the Saint Louis Science Center to experience a stunningly realistic simulated night on the 24-meter dome. Shows are hourly on the half hour and include a 30-minute Planetarium show in the Orthwein StarBay as well as a self-guided tour of the Boeing Space Station.
5. Take a simulated space mission at the Challenger Learning Center
The award-winning Challenger Learning Center in St. Louis offers simulated space missions to anyone who’s ever dreamt of visiting the stars. The two-hour simulated space mission features an orbiting space station and a Mission Control center (and is best suited for younger students of space).
6. Storm the Moonrise
If you absolutely cannot resist the appeal of a good storming, we have a much safer extraterrestrial location for you – this space-themed St. Louis boutique hotel! There’s no better escape from the normal world than a stay with us. We boldly go where no hotel has gone before with our out-of-this-world lighted rainbow staircase, display cases full of rare space memorabilia, massive man-made moon on our rooftop, and gorgeous rooftop garden bar. You can even still look for something unearthly through our new viewing machines that look out over the city!
The choice is yours – storm into the desert with a mass of strangers from the internet and attempt to raid a military base, or appreciate the otherworldly from our own corner of the universe. So, if you’d rather sip a handcrafted cocktail beneath the moon and sleep in luxury accommodations than in a Nevada jail, book your stay at The Moonrise today!