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- The Search For Aliens Continues In Roswell, New Mexico!
Driving along Highway 285 from the south towards Roswell through the New Mexico desert, travelers may be a little surprised to come across life-size cut-outs of an alien ship, little green men, and some locals trying to befriend them with pie. Coming into the city from any direction, there is ample warning of the wacky, weird, and wonderful still to come.
And there’s plenty still to come.
Roswell, in Chaves County, New Mexico, has fully embraced the “Roswell Incident” UFO brand with out-of-this-world museums, kitschy gift stores, and a number of roadside attractions. Whether coming in from the north, south, west, or east, visitors are greeted by signs decorated with spacecraft, and the universally recognized androgynous alien with the oversized head, large almond-shaped eyes, Voldemort nose, and long lanky arms.
Roswell was founded in 1871 by businessperson Van C. Smith who named the town after his father, Roswell Smith. After a slow start, the town’s growth and development took off when an aquifer was discovered in 1890 and continued with the arrival of the railroad in 1892.
Today Roswell is home to 50,000 residents and a booming tourist industry built around an unidentified flying object crashing in a nearby ranch in 1947. It soon became the focus of the “flying saucer” craze of the 40s and 50s, and since the 1970s, the city has cashed in on the controversy surrounding the alleged crash and subsequent military “cover-up.”
Things To Do
It has been explored in books, TV shows, and films, culminating in the now-debunked footage “Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction,” released in 1995.
All the information about this intriguing story can be gleaned at the International Museum and Research Center on South Main Street – the first stop on our itinerary in the ultimate travel guide to Roswell, New Mexico.
UPDATE: 2023/04/14 14:03 EST BY NOAH STAATS
The Search For Aliens Continues In Roswell, New Mexico!
This article has been updated with new photos, two new locations for travelers, and other tips and tricks for a successful vacation. Whether visitors prefer to stay indoors or hike the various trails surrounding Roswell, this desert town is a must-visit.
1 Roswell International UFO Museum And Research Center
The International UFO Museum and Research Center opened in 1992 to inform the public and present information objectively. The museum’s exhibits include unexplained phenomena related to UFO research, such as alleged abductions, crop circles, and of course, the Roswell Incident.
Their collection of materials and information related to the close encounter encourages people to question and make their own minds up about whether aliens really did crash-land nearby.
Was it a military cover-up?
Or, as the Air Force later claimed, part of Project Mogul – a top-secret weather balloon (constructed with a lot of Scotch tape and tin foil) — designed to monitor Soviet-era nuclear testing? The truth is out there for those who want to believe.
- Adults $7 Children (5-15) $4 Seniors, military or first responders $5
- Open daily from 9 am - 5 pm
2 Roswell UFO Spacewalk And Gallery
Continue up Main Street and turn right onto E 2nd Street to the Roswell UFO Spacewalk and Gallery. Earthlings of all ages will be thrilled and spooked as they wander through a blacklight art adventure full of creepy extra-terrestrial creatures, alien jungles, and a spaceship heading to Roswell.
The walkthrough was created by artist Brian Ward whose Retro and Sci-Fi artwork lines the walls. Space-themed merchandise is available to buy in the gift shop.
- General admission is $5, military and children six and under $4, and babies and toddlers are free.
- Pet friendly
- Open Daily 10 am – 6 pm
3 Spaceport Roswell
Cross the road and get ready to meet your starry-eyed flight attendants of Spaceport Roswell as they transport the traveler through space and time using the latest in-time shift transporter technology.
Explorers will have the option of accompanying Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins to the Moon on the Apollo 11 spacecraft or the aliens who crashed to Earth that fateful day in July 1947. This incredible virtual reality experience must not be missed.
- Adults $14.50, Veterans and Seniors $12.50, Children (4-12) $9.50
- Monday – Thursday, 9 am – 6 pm; Friday – Saturday, 9 am – 7 pm, Sunday, 10 am – 6 pm
- Not advised for visitors under age 4
4 Alien Zone Area 51
Exhausted from traveling so many lightyear miles (and surviving a crash), a fun place to chill is at the Alien Zone Area 51 on S Main Street for some souvenir shopping of gifts and apparel.
Inside there are hilarious and well-made, yet rather surreal, photo ops with aliens and interactive props.
5 Roswell Visitor Center
Walk up to N Main Street and pop into the Roswell Visitor Center for some advice on what to do if abducted by aliens. There’s an opportunity for a free souvenir photo shoot with a couple of the more friendly aliens. The center plans to expand soon with digital kiosks where visitors can learn about attractions they might want to visit.
- Monday – Saturday, 9 am – 5 pm Sunday 11 am – 4 pm
6 Roswell Museum And Art Center
Founded in 1935, the Roswell Museum and Art Center now boasts twelve galleries with exhibits on the early Modernists, the Taos and Santa Fe art colonies, Native American arts, WPA art, and Spanish colonial works. Focusing on the history and traditions of the American Southwest, it continues to be the cultural and educational center of the community through its exhibitions, programs, and collections.
The museum also has an area dedicated to rocket scientist Dr. Robert Goddard and his work on liquid-propelled rockets and record-breaking launches. See where he worked in a recreation of his rocket engine development workshop.
Walk around to the adjoining wing of the Roswell Museum for a visit to the 120-seat Robert H Goddard Planetarium.
- Admission: Prices range from $7 (students, seniors, military members, and locals) to $10 (non-resident adults); Children (age 15 and under) are free
- Combined groups of 10 or more with reservations: $8
- Open Daily 10 am – 6 pm
7 Robert H. Goddard Planetarium
Grab the popcorn and settle in for a full-dome film and star presentation at the Robert H. Goddard Planetarium. With state-of-the-art technology and Digistar 6 programming, be transported to our cosmic origins on a celestial journey across space and time.
Learn about solar phenomena, the Apollo 11 Mission, our solar system, and so much more.
- Programs last about 45 minutes.
- For more information or to schedule a group, call 575-624-6744.
- Admission: Adults (16+): $5, Children (3-15), locals, military personnel, and seniors: $3, Children (3 and under): Free
- Discounts available for combined Museum and Planetarium tickets and groups
8 Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art
With the appetite whet for more cultural experiences, continue up N Main Street to E College Blvd for some contemporary art at the Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art, named one of the best art museums in New Mexico.
The museum is dedicated to the work created by artists who have participated in the Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program since 1967.
More than 500 works of art in this visually stunning 12-gallery museum include photography, paintings, prints, sculpture, and drawings produced over the last 45 years.
- Free admission
- Monday – Friday, 9 am – 4 pm Saturday – Sunday 1 pm – 5 pm
9 Miniatures And Curious Collections Museum
For fans of all things mini or those who just need a break from the alien iconography, the Miniature and Curious Collections Museum is an absolute must-see with its delightful collection of antique and vintage dollhouses, furniture, themed vignettes, and a touch-screen video with miniature-related videos.
For those who wish for a hands-on experience, there are workshops and a children’s play area with toys, doll houses, drawing supplies, picture books, and building toys such as Lego.
- Open 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
- Admission is free (there is a donation box)
10 Historical Society For Southeast New Mexico
According to the Historical Society for Southwest New Mexico’s website, its mission is “To assemble, preserve and interpret the history of Southeast New Mexico and to promote a great interest, understanding, and appreciation of the area's past.”
This museum dating from 1912, was once the home of Mr. and Ms. James Phelps White and is now home to hundreds of historical books and photos, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, and audio tapes that tell the story of Chaves County’s past.
The community room is available for banquets, dinners, meetings, weddings, and receptions, or simply an excellent place for photo opportunities.
- Open by appointment
11 Area 52 Tactical Laser Tag
Area 52 Tactical Laser Tag is a great place to practice combat skills with friends in indoor and outdoor state-of-the-art laser tag facilities Call for more information regarding reservations and party packages.
- Wednesday – Saturday, 5 – 10 pm
- Sunday 5 – 9 pm
12 Bitterlake National Wildlife Refuge
A 15-minute drive east of the city takes us to the Bitterlake National Wildlife Refuge near the Pecos River.
This remarkable oasis is a migratory birding center that attracts hundreds of thousands of sandhill cranes, snow geese, ducks, herons, ibis, and dozens more species of birds as well as 59 species of mammals and 50 species of reptiles and amphibians — some of New Mexico’s rarest and unique desert wildlife.
The best time to visit the wetlands is during spring or fall, especially at dawn or dusk when there is the greatest congregation of bird life, or in summer to enjoy the more than 100 species of dragonflies that come to lay their eggs in the water.
Hiking trails, biking paths, a scenic drive loop, bird blinds, and horseback riding provide a perfect escape. Come prepared to take many pictures!
- Free to visit.
- Check out their website for directions and visiting tips
- Refuge open daily from one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset
13 Bottomless Lakes State Park
A visit to Roswell wouldn’t be complete without a trip down to the seven unique sinkholes. A 20-minute drive southeast takes adventure lovers to the Bottomless Lakes State Park – a perfect place to cool off with various water sports, such as swimming, fishing, scuba diving, paddle boarding, kayaking, and canoeing.
There’s biking and hiking along trails surrounded by spectacular red cliffs and plenty of RV spots in the Lea Lake Campground with campsites and spots with water/electric hookups. Check the website for more information.
- Open Daily
14 UFO Festival
As the UFO capital of the world, it just seems right to celebrate in Roswell with an annual UFO Festival. In summer, UFO aficionados can orbit music performances, a 1947 reenactment tour, and museum events.
Earthlings can also participate in a costume contest and UFO discussions, sample alien-themed food and drink, and enjoy an evening light parade and carnival rides. It’s a fun, family-friendly experience for believers and deniers alike.
UFO Itineraries
For a unique sightseeing experience, several Roswell UFO tours are led by various groups in the area, which visit 20 sites linked to the Roswell UFO incident, like Building 84 at the Roswell Army Air Field. On this site, many believe, held the remains of the downed UFO and its small alien occupants.
- Address: 114 N Main Street, Roswell, New Mexico
15 Shopping In Roswell, New Mexico
There are so many great souvenir stores that outdo each other for variety and quirkiness up and down Main Street. There may even be some fun alien-themed merchandise throughout the town.
- Invasion Station gift shop also has a beautiful mural of the 1947 incident.
- Hangar 209 is the ultimate one-stop shop for shirts, hats, local beef jerky (abduction jerky — one never knows when it'll come in handy), conspiracy books, etc.
In addition to these spots, tourists may also want to check out the Roswell Mall, where they'll find larger, name-brand stores. If it's raining outside, this could be an easy place to kill time.
16 Playing Golf Throughout Roswell, New Mexico
If golf is the terrestrial's idea of fun, then they won't be disappointed. There are several golf courses to explore in Roswell:
- Nancy Lopez Golf Course
- New Mexico Military Institute Golf Course
- Enchanted Lands Disc Golf Course
- Eastern New Mexico State University Golf Course
Each golf course will have its unique pricing and availability, so try planning a day at the course before heading out. Luckily, there are a few great options in town if one is closed.
17 Hiking Through The Bluff Trail
Another way to enjoy Roswell's natural charm is to hike through the Bluff Trail. This hiking trail is considered easy, so the entire group should be able to complete it regardless of skill level. Furthermore, Bluff Trail runs for nearly 1.9 miles and should take someone 35 minutes to finish.
In addition, this trail takes people through desert terrain, so make sure to bring shoes that can handle dirt, sand, and rocks. Bringing plenty of water and sunscreen when out in Roswell, New Mexico, is also a good idea, as it is the desert.
18 Checking Out The Flora And Fauna Of Roswell At Oxbow Trail
For those who want to continue enjoying Roswell's natural beauty, hiking through the Oxbow Trail is another easy option for adventurers. This trail runs for 2.3 miles and should take roughly 40 minutes to complete.
Some of the standout features of this trail are that guests can view a mix of desert and water terrain. There are also pink bluffs in the distance, making this a great place for photography. However, this trail may become muddy during rainy seasons, so keep that in mind before heading out.
After rainstorms, this trail may become muddy and hard to maneuver. If the weather calls for a storm, skipping this hike and waiting until the conditions improve may be safer.
19 Best Time To Visit Roswell
- The ideal weather in Roswell is from mid-March to early June and mid-September to early November.
- The hottest months are June, July, and August, with August temperatures averaging 100 F (37.8 C)
- The least humid month is in April and the most humid in September.
- The busiest months to visit are in June, May, and January. Hotels and flights are the most expensive during these times unless you book in advance. Spring is the second-busiest time.
- Tourists are less likely to visit Roswell in December, so it is the least expensive time to go.
20 Best Ways To Get Around Roswell
The best way to get to Roswell is to find a UFO going that way. If that’s not possible, then the next best bet is to drive via the U.S. Routes 380 and 285.
- Visitors can also get to Roswell by plane, which will take them to (ROW) Airport, 6.1 miles away from Roswell. A taxi from Roswell Airport to Roswell takes about 11 minutes.
- Greyhound Buses make regular trips to and from cities — check their website for more information.
Getting around the city center is easy, with most attractions within walking distance.
- The transit-service vehicles go up and down Main Street seven days a week.
- Pay upon boarding with exact change, token, or pass.
- Hired cars are available for those who wish to explore further afield.