Greetings, fellow earthlings and extraterrestrial enthusiasts!

Confession time. I have to admit that when I wanted to spend TEN DAYS in Roswell, New Mexico, my wife thought I was from another planet.    Turns out, I WAS RIGHT! Roswell is filled with plenty of alien-themed activities in Roswell. Yet, there are also several places with earthly creatures that are worth visiting.

Here’s our ranking of the BEST THINGS to do in Roswell.

Pro Tip:  Start your Intergalactic Roswell Journey at the Roswell Visitor Center for a walking map and guidance on things to do. At the Roswell Visitor Center, we were treated to a complimentary old-school photograph with some aliens.   Then, a 10-stop scavenger hunt for aliens took us through most of downtown Roswell, and that helped us finalize our itinerary.  Plus, we got a prize!    

What exactly is the Roswell Incident?

Okay, there have been thousands and thousands of pages written on the Roswell Incident. In preparation for our trip, I read the Roswell Incident Wiki page, watched a couple of YouTube documentaries, and skimmed the Government's Roswell: Case Closed Report. Here’s my two-minute summary:

Way back in July 1947, a rancher named Mack Brazel discovered some debris scattered across his ranch located about 75 miles north of Roswell.  Mack contacted the local sheriff, who in turn contacted the Roswell Army Air Field.  Major Jesse Marcell was dispatched to the site.  Before you could say "ET phone home," the military issued a press release that they had captured a “flying disc. " 

The press went wild, but the next day, the military issued a retraction that was faster Captain Kirk could say “warp speed ahead!”  The object, according to the government, was just a weather balloon.   The story died down and didn’t get much attention until the 1970s when various books and documentaries began to question the official explanation. Witnesses, including Jesse Marcell, came forward claiming that the debris was not from a weather balloon.  Some believed that not only was there an alien spacecraft crash, but also that extraterrestrial bodies were recovered from the wreckage and that the weather balloon-story was just a government cover-up.   

Finally, in 1994, the government issues an official report, which stated that the debris was from a classified project known as "Project Mogul."  Project Mogul was designed to monitor Soviet missile and bomb tests by detecting sound waves in the upper atmosphere.   A second USAF report in 1997 reviewed testimonies about aliens and found them to be baseless, made up, or inspired by parachute dummies who confused them with later events.  Despite this, the controversy still continues.   Is the truth really out there? 

What Are the Top Alien-Themed Things to Do in Roswell?

#1. Roswell International UFO Museum & Research Center

A must-stop on any intergalactic journey in Roswell is the Roswell International UFO Museum & Research Center. From photographs to eyewitness accounts, this museum explores the mysterious 1947 Roswell incident, providing visitors with an abundance of information to help decode the alien conspiracy theories. I came away from the museum believing that some sort of cover-up really did happen. The timeline displays did a great job of highlighting the key witness statements and artifacts.

The museum is not just about the Roswell Incident though, and there are several displays about other major UFO sightings throughout the world and space travel generally.  As the name implies, the place is a “Research Center” too. The building houses an impressive library filled with UFO and space-themed books, periodicals, and Roswell memorabilia.   Lastly, there’s also a gift shop filled with all sorts of alien objects, clothing, and souvenirs.

Cost: $7 for adult ($5 military/seniors/first responders) 

#2. Alien Zone Area 51

Alien Zone isn’t your average gift/souvenir shop.  In addition to some fun shirts and alien-themed knick-knacks, the front part of the store also contains a few aliens in caged displays.  However, for folks like us wanting some awesome alien selfies, we paid a small amount to travel to the store’s Area 51.  There, we posed with aliens in scenes ranging from a probe abduction to a backyard barbeque. Some of the aliens look like they’ve seen a few crashes though; many are missing fingers and other body parts. Area 51 could use some updating, and we felt like we needed to enter a decontamination zone after our visit.    

Cost: $0 (gift/souvenir shop) / $5 (Area 51)

#3. Spaceport Roswell 

This was my first time donning a headset for a virtual reality experience, and I thought it was out of this world!  Literally.  At Spaceport Roswell, we witnessed the the Roswell Incident firsthand….from the perspective of the aliens!  The experience took us aboard the alien spacecraft, part of the crash-landing site, and the secret place where the government stored our bodies!   

Cost: $14.50 ($12.50 military/seniors) 

#4. Bricktown: Aliens Attack

Despite having an engineering degree, I was not a “LEGO-kid” growing up.  However, Kasie had quite the LEGO collection and couldn’t wait to visit Roswell's Bricktown .   One exhibit featured the Apollo moon landing, Saturn rocket launch, and the podium where President Kennedy made his famous moon speech.  I geeked out the most on the “Aliens Attack” display – since I was now thoroughly convinced that they are really coming for us.  The experience includes some non-alien/space displays (like Big Ben, the Coliseum, and the Syndey Opera House) as well.

 Cost: $12.00 ($11.00 military/seniors) 

What the Top Things to Do in Roswell (That Don’t Involve Aliens)?

#1. Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Located just a few miles northeast of Roswell, the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge is home to up to 40,000 sandhill cranes in the fall.  We marveled as these magnificent earthly creatures come to roost each evening and then departed each morning.  The sounds and sights of these migrating birds was truly amazing!  We also saw some of New Mexico’s other wildlife, including a rattlesnake, tarantula, and coyote.

Cost:  Free

#2. Spring River Zoo 

I’m not normally a “zoo” person, but because the Spring River Zoo was right next to our RV park, I decided to check it out.  I liked it so much that I went back on a couple of other days.  Maybe I just lucked out, but the llamas, lemurs, foxes, buffalo, and other earthly beings were quite active and visible during my visits. 

Cost:  Free (donations accepted)

 #3.  Black Cock Brewery

 We love craft beer, but because Black Cock Brewery only brews its own ciders and seltzers, we almost did not stop there.  Luckly, the brewery had a good selection of other New Mexico beers (mostly from Santa Fe Brewing, Bosque Brewing, and Siera Blanca Brewing).   A Mexican food truck was parked outside, and the brewery really had the Halloween spirit.   They were getting ready for their “Cockoberfest” on the mural-filled patio and karaoke stage.

With a name like “Black Cock,” the puns on their merch pretty much wrote themselves. The fun-loving bartender tried to sell us one of their shot glasses with slogans like “Spitters are Quitters” and the classic “I heart Black Cock.”

Cost: Thirst and hunger dependent

Concluding Thoughts on Roswell

Roswell, New Mexico is not just a city with a mysterious past; it's a city with a playful, alien-themed present. Whether you're a UFO enthusiast or just someone looking for a galactic good time, Roswell has plenty of extraterrestrial and terrestrial experiences to offer. Here are just some of the Alien sightings in the town: