Roswell (New Mexico)

Roswell is a city in the southeastern region of the state of New Mexico, United States of America. It has attained a quirky sort of fame/notoriety as the result of an alleged UFO crash (!) in 1947.

Get in

By plane

Roswell is served by American Eagle, the regional affiliate of American Airlines, with daily flights to Dallas/Fort Worth and Phoenix. If you fly in, you may be amazed to see some big planes (including widebodies) at the airport or flying near town at low altitude, but they aren't there for passenger service: the Roswell air park is a former US Air Force base that has been used from time to time by major airlines as a training site for aircrews and to check out new aircraft.

By car

Road access is via US 285 from north or south and US 70 or 380 from east or west. You go through a lot of emptiness getting there, particularly from the north; don't set out for the city from I-40 with a near-empty fuel tank. Limited bus service is available.

See
  • 🌍 International UFO Museum and Research Center, 114 N Main St, ☏ +1 575 625-9495. Daily 9AM-5PM. Devoted to the local cult activity; you can decide for yourself whether it's serious or not. $5; students $2; seniors, military and first responders $3. (updated Nov 2019)
  • 🌍 Roswell Museum and Art Center, 100 W 11th St (Civic Center Plaza, corner of 11th and Main), ☏ +1 575 624-6744. M-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su 1PM-5PM, closed major holidays. This one is definitely serious, incorporating a surprisingly good art collection for a small town, with works by Georgia O'Keeffe and Peter Hurd, among others. There is a wing devoted to space flight and rocket science (but not UFOs!) that includes the Robert H. Goddard Planetarium, named in honor of the rocketry pioneer who did much of his research in Roswell. Free. (updated Oct 2016)
  • 🌍 Bottomless Lakes State Park, 545 A Bottomless Lakes Rd (from Roswell, head east on US 380 for 12 miles and then south on NM 409 for 3 miles), ☏ +1 575 624-6058. A state park with swimming, fishing, and hiking. The lakes are very deep with nearly vertical cliffs surrounding them. Day use $5/vehicle. 
  • 🌍 Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art, 409 E College Blvd. Free, donations. (updated Apr 2018)
  • 🌍 Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, ☏ +1 575 625-4011. Free. (updated Jun 2019)

Do
  • UFO Festival. Every year in early July, there is a UFO Festival to commemorate the 1947 Roswell incident. (updated Nov 2019)

Buy

Inflatable space aliens, flying saucer Frisbees, glow in the dark T-shirts....the campy souvenirs are everywhere!

Eat

Drink

Roswell New Mexico doesn't sell alcohol in stores on Sundays, however restaurants serve from noon 10PM on Sunday.

Sleep

Connect

Go next

If you're not abducted and taken into Space, you next port of call could be:

  • Bottomless Lakes State Park, +1 575 624-6058. Follow US 380 east out of Roswell, south on SR 409, follow signs. Camping (tent and RV), swimming, boating, etc. Camping is $10/night, day use $4---beautiful location, friendly host and rangers.
  • Carlsbad Caverns National Park is about 90 miles to the south.
Routes through Roswell
Las Cruces ← Ruidoso ←  W  E  → Portales → Clovis
Santa Fe ← Jct W E ←  N  S  → Jct → Carlsbad → Pecos
Socorro ← Lincoln ←  W  E  → Brownfield → Decatur


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