I’ve always been a fan of science fiction, and while I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself a hardcore fanatic, I do enjoy the idea that we’re not entirely alone in the universe. One place that I’ve always been curious about visiting has been Roswell, NM. Not to be confused with “Area 51” (the military facility in Nevada, shrouded in secrecy and mystery…), Roswell became famously associated with aliens in 1947 when the U.S. Army first said they found a “flying disc” there, only to change the story and claim it was just a top-secret weather balloon. This quick flip sparked major curiosity and rumors of a cover-up, making Roswell a hot spot for alien theories and UFO fans ever since. Currently the big annual UFO festival is held there, celebrating the town’s alien legacy.
This past Spring, I finally was able to visit it! Now the thing about Roswell is that, well, it’s kind of out there. literally. It’s a little over a 3 hour drive from Albuquerque/Santa Fe. Depending on where you were coming from or going, if you were planning on visiting the Carlsbad Caverns, or White Sands National Park, Roswell could be a convenient stop. Otherwise, I felt like it wasn’t really a place that you just “passed through”. However, I specifically wanted to go there, so that’s a different story. Roswell actually has its own airport, but after looking into it, it just made more sense for me to fly to Albuquerque and then just drive from there. I figured “Road trip!” but surprisingly, there was literally NOTHING along the way. There was really only one place an hour into it, at a road stop called Clines Corners, but overall the drive was fine.
Now Roswell is an interesting town. For the most part, outside the downtown area, there’s been a lot of development. But it’s really the downtown area where all the alien action is. And what I really appreciated was just how much they’ve leaned into it.
Apparently in 2019, they introduced a new branding initiative that really just embraces the alien associations. Here’s a fun little youtube video I found from their local news station that talks about it.
Honestly, aliens EVERYWHERE.
You gotta love the kitsch factor of it all. And honestly, that’s what I came there for, so it really didn’t disappoint.
A few highlights included the UFO museum, the Dunkin Donuts with the massive alien in front, and the special McDonalds that is UFO themed.
I also wanted to give a shout out to one local business there, called Hanger209. They had the best designed alien souvenirs and they were super cool and nice peeps.
Now aside from all the aliens, there was actually a bunch of other charming things in town, including several art galleries, some cool mid century architecture and another highlight, the Miniatures And Curious Collections Museum.
This little gem had a unique collection of doll houses and miniatures of all kinds and themes. I love anything miniature so I was really excited to have come across it.
I am happy that I can now check off Roswell off my “bucket list”. It’s definitely a city I think you should visit at least once!
Anyway, make sure you’re following me on insta for all my latest travel shennanigans.