Itap safe to say that what most people know about Roswell, N.M., is the unknown: Did an alien spaceship crash there in the 1940s and get covered up by the government?
New, nonstop flights (airplane, not spaceship) on United from Denver to Roswell mean that travelers can more easily explore the matter and discover what else is appealing about this small town and its surrounding areas.
Roswell is the fifth-largest city in the state, with a population of about 47,000 people. While there is appeal beyond the “UFO incident,” you really can’t avoid it, so itap helpful to know a little about the area’s history as you explore.
The Mescalero Apache tribe was in large part pushed out by cattle ranchers in the 1800s. The town grew as an agricultural hub, which attracted a railroad. By the 1940s, Walker Air Force Base was established in Roswell.
In 1947, a sheep farmer whose land was about an hour’s drive outside of the city came to town to complain about unusual debris in his fields. The UFO conspiracy theories were born based on how the local military and press handled things from there. Was it just a weather balloon? Were aliens captured? Was it a spy?
The base was decommissioned in 1967, but the agricultural community is still there, with pecans and alfalfa being the main crops. Itap not possible to visit the farms, but you can buy Roswell’s pecans locally and during the farmers markets in summer. The New Mexico Military Institute is in Roswell and has a relatively large campus.
One local tour guide said that it wasn’t until an episode of the TV show “Unsolved Mysteries” profiled the UFO incident in the 1980s that the town found its new identity. Now, there are little green men everywhere you look.
Little green men
For a weekend in Roswell, lean into the UFO/alien/little green men attractions and have fun with it, regardless of what you think happened here. If nothing else, the small businesses with a homemade feel appreciate your tourist dollars.
If you only have time for one UFO spot, make it the . This place is half gift shop and museum and half research center with rows upon rows of files to read. There are mockups of spaceships with their big-eyed silver or green aliens nearby, a 24-minute documentary, a look at alien lore in other parts of the world and more. The mood inside is serious, though when I was there, tourists were definitely posing for photos with aliens.
The 2 1/2-hour ($47.50 per person) is a van ride that highlights many places of significance. A block away, the is a brief and charming neon black-light walk to see some alien figures and their spaceships. And the leads visitors inside with painted little green feet, then displays cutouts of original Star Trek characters and lots of cute toys from the 1950s.
Along the same stretch of Main Street is a thrift store with, you guessed it, some of those gift shop relics featuring aliens on T-shirts, cups and more. Plus, there is a l each year in July — the same month as the suspected spaceship crash.
Finally, a nighttime where a local walks visitors around historic buildings and shares some local lore.
Finding Roswell’s art scene
For anyone who has been to the original location of Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, it will come as no surprise to learn that the (RAiR) Program turned out artists who contributed to Meow Wolf, an interactive art space that relies heavily on intergalactic storylines. RAiR artists’ work is on display at the lovely , which is free to visit.
In the core downtown area, there are buildings that are worth a look, such as the Beaux Arts-style with a green dome built in 1911, the , and the federal building from the 1960s.
Unfortunately, the Roswell Museum and Art Center was significantly damaged during a flood in 2024 and remains closed.
The natural appeal
You can drive to a few spots from Roswell to explore by car, bike (rent from ), or on foot to see the scenery.
Start with , about a 20-minute drive from Roswell. New Mexico’s first state park offers nine natural water features called cenotes, but swimming is only allowed in a section of, the most accessible body of water in the chain of sinkholes.
The is also appealing, and has biking trails and a 6-mile wildlife loop for cars. Bring your bug spray, sunscreen and drinking water!
With half a day available (or make a full day out of an excursion), itap easy to drive less than two hours south to and walk through these caves. At the , tourists can gather at dusk to watch thousands of bats fly out of the caverns.
Roswell remains a funky small city with an identity that is wrapped in an extraterrestrial mystery, but its allure is steadfast, with unique attractions that can only be found there.
