Roswell, New Mexico

On our way back home from our “Big Trip” to San Diego Comic-Con, we made time for some fun and unique stops. Roswell, NM was a logical stop along our journey and gave us an opportunity to contemplate the existence of intelligent life beyond our planet. The Roswell Incident catapulted this town into notoriety back in the summer of 1947 and again in the 1970’s. We were curious and excited to tour the Roswell International UFO Museum and see what all the fuss was about.

First Impressions of Roswell

We were a little behind schedule as we approached Roswell, New Mexico. It was already late and all three girls were asleep in the back of the van as Kevin navigated the last several miles. It was quite dark with very few road lights or traffic, and we found our moods had become a bit unsettled. Only being able to see what was lit by our headlights left us with an overwhelmingly spooky feeling. Kevin and I agreed that we could definitely understand why aliens might choose to land in such a dark and quiet place. We were thankful when we finally located our hotel and could settle in for the night.

After a good night’s sleep, we grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel and set off for the Roswell International UFO Museum. On our short drive over, we finally had a chance to see Roswell in the light of day. We took note of how the entire town is all-in on the alien theme. The street lights were made to look like aliens and even the McDonald’s was built to look like a UFO. It was fun to see the community fully embrace the vibe.

Click on photo to enlarge and see descriptions.

The Museum

The International UFO Museum & Research Center in Roswell, New Mexico was created to educate the public about an event that has become known as “The Roswell Incident.” It was founded by Glenn Dennis and opened in September 1991. Visitors can view documentation, letters, and other information related to both that incident and other unexplained events that may be extra-terrestrial in nature. The museum strives to provide the top information in history, science, and research about UFO events throughout the world. It also serves as the epicenter for the annual UFO Festival that attracts UFO enthusiasts and deniers alike.

From the outside, the museum reminded me of a small-town movie theater from decades past. Inside, it wasn’t particularly large but it did contain an extensive collection of documents and exhibits focused on the history of UFO encounters. The Littles really enjoyed the robotic aliens that moved and breathed. I loved reading some of the letters, eyewitness testimonies, and newspaper articles. The history, alleged government cover-ups, and conspiracy theories were fascinating. Your length of visit will depend on how much time you want to spend reading all of the information that is on display.

The museum also has a gift store with UFO-inspired souvenirs. We wandered through the gift shop on our way out and found ourselves entertained by some of the items offered. The Littles each left with some bendable figurines to play with.

The Roswell Incident and Early UFO History

The Roswell Incident began on July 8, 1947, when the discovery of metal debris in a giant trench covering hundreds of feet sparked intrigue and conspiracy theories. The local Army airfield issued a press release announcing that they had recovered a “flying disc.”  However, the US Army quickly retracted that statement and said that the object recovered had been only a “weather balloon.”

Not much was made of the incident outside of Roswell until the 1970s when a retired lieutenant colonel said that he believed what he had recovered that day was extraterrestrial. It began an often-contentious debate about the possibility of alien lifeforms. For most of a century, these types of stories have fueled content for hundreds of science fiction movies and books. Through it all, the town of Roswell has become the epicenter for all things related to UFOs and government conspiracy. Over 75 years later, journalists are still writing about it and politicians and scientists are still arguing.

Roswell wasn’t the only place that reported possible extraterrestrial activity. Farmers across the US reported unusual activity in their fields off and on for decades. Even President Jimmy Carter filed two reports on a potential UFO sighting he personally witnessed in 1969. Conspiracy theories were abundant in the decades that followed. Most “believers” were dismissed as eccentrics and UFO sightings were akin to sightings of BigFoot or the Loch Ness Monster. 

The US Government’s Position

For decades, the US Government dismissed reports of UFO sightings giving alternate explanations (weather, bird flocks, drones, etc). Pushed by former Senator Harry Reid, the Pentagon had previously studied recordings of aerial encounters with unknown objects as part of a since-shuttered classified program. The former head of that program, Luis Elizondo, told a reporter in 2017 that he personally believes “there is very compelling evidence that we may not be alone.” He went on to say, “these aircraft – we’ll call them aircraft – are displaying characteristics that are not currently within the US inventory nor in any foreign inventory that we are aware of.” Elizondo resigned from the Defense Department in protest over the secrecy surrounding the program and the internal opposition to funding it.

In recent years, the US government has been forced to take a formal position on the possibility of alien lifeforms. In 2020, the Pentagon officially released three short videos showing “unidentified aerial phenomena.” The Navy now has formal guidelines for how its pilots can report encounters with possible UFOs. Many highly trained and respected military pilots have reported incidents that have shocked and baffled them and put military personnel in sometimes dangerous situations. Former Navy fighter pilot Ryan Graves served with aviators involved in a 2014 near-collision. “We’re way out there — in some cases hundreds of miles out to sea — and yet there’s air traffic operating, and they’re operating in ways that are befuddling our aviators,” Graves said.

Takeaway

We found the museum to be fun, informative, and a little weird (which we like). It was captivating for our Littles who found the images and displays to be mesmerizing. It was also just the kind of stop we hope to find along the way on our Uncommon Family Adventures.

Do you believe in the existence of intelligent life beyond our planet? Whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, this museum should be on your list if you’re traveling through Roswell, New Mexico. We hope you’ll take the time to explore this and other uncommon stops along your travel routes.