Famed as the site of an alleged UFO crash in 1947, Roswell serves as the seat of New Mexico’s Chaves County. It was first settled in 1869 and flourished following the arrival of the Pecos Valley Railroad in 1892. Roswell is where the American engineer, Robert H. Goddard, conducted much of his early work designing the world’s first liquid-fuelled rocket.
Things to do in Roswell
Established in 1936, the Roswell Museum houses a fascinating collection of local artefacts related to the area’s Native American and Spanish colonial history. In the Goddard Galleries, you’ll find a recreation of the inventor’s rocket engine development workshop, as well as a moon rock from the Apollo 17 mission. The Rogers Aston Gallery of American Indian and Western Art features paintings and artefacts donated by a local rancher.
The Roswell Museum also operates the Robert H. Goddard Planetarium, which boasts a state-of-the-art dome theatre for observing the night sky. The museum’s Patricia Lubben Bassett Art Education Center hosts a ceramics studio and classrooms where creative workshops are held, while the Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art showcases the work of local artists.
Don’t miss the International UFO Museum and Research Center, which details the events that took place in Roswell in 1947. It occupies a 1930s-built movie theatre and boasts an extensive collection of objects and information from alleged UFO encounters. Learn about the various theories behind the “Roswell incident” and whether extraterrestrial life exists. The gift shop is well-stocked with UFO-inspired souvenirs.
Getting around Roswell
Roswell Air Center is a 10-minute drive from the city centre and has regular flights to Dallas-Fort Worth and Phoenix. Long-distance buses connect to Roswell while local services travel throughout the city. Renting a car is the most convenient way of exploring the surrounding area.