The Little A'Le'Inn is a restaurant, bar, and motel in Rachel, Nevada, widely regarded as the unofficial gateway to Area 51 and the best-known UFO tourism stop along the Extraterrestrial Highway.
Founding
The business was opened around 1989 by Joe and Pat Travis, initially under the name "Joe and Pat's." In 1991, following a public naming contest, customer Bruce Hooker suggested "A'Le'Inn" — a pun on "alien" — and the Travises adopted it as the establishment's new name. The couple added rooms for overnight guests around the same period, positioning the inn to serve the growing wave of visitors drawn to the area following Bob Lazar's 1989 claims about a secret facility near Area 51.
Location and offerings
Situated on the only paved street in Rachel — a settlement of roughly 50 year-round residents — the Little A'Le'Inn offers a restaurant serving alien-themed dishes including its "World Famous Alien Burger," a motel, and camping and RV space, alongside a gift shop selling UFO-themed souvenirs and memorabilia, including signed items from the 2011 comedy film Paul, which featured a restaurant based on the inn.
A gathering place for UFO culture
The inn has drawn a wide range of visitors over the decades beyond ordinary tourists, including self-described alien abductees, individuals claiming extraterrestrial identities, and, according to owner Pat Travis, commercial airline pilots who have privately described their own UFO sightings but avoided reporting them officially. Pat Travis has also recounted the inn's own local folklore, including a story of a beer offered to a passing "alien presence," and tales of a protective, unseen entity the Travis family called "Archibald."
The Glenn Campbell dispute
In January 1993, researcher Glenn Campbell parked a small motorhome behind the inn and began publishing an independent guide to Area 51 sightings and access points. Following a falling-out with owner Joe Travis later that year, Campbell relocated to the other end of Rachel and established a rival operation, the "Area 51 Research Center," which also sold UFO- and Area 51-related books and materials.
Ownership today
The Little A'Le'Inn remains family-owned and operated, run today by Pat Travis and her daughter, Connie. Business at the inn was further boosted following Nevada's official 1996 designation of SR 375 as the Extraterrestrial Highway, and the inn has continued to serve as a hub for UFO tourism through subsequent developments, including the viral 2019 "Storm Area 51" internet phenomenon and the associated Alienstock festival held nearby.