Roswell, New Mexico
Time Needed: full-day
Experience Type: offbeat & fun, small-town charm
Roswell embraces its out-of-this-world reputation with quirky attractions and alien encounters at every turn. From museums to neon-lit landmarks, this desert town invites you to dive headfirst into the mystery of the 1947 UFO incident—and decide for yourself what really happened.
MUST-DO CHECKLIST
- Visit the International UFO Museum and Research Center – Learn how Roswell became ground zero for alien lore through exhibits and eyewitness accounts of the 1947 UFO crash.
- Visit the UFO McDonald’s – Dine or snap a selfie at this flying saucer-shaped McDonald’s glowing with neon lights and decked out in alien-themed décor inside and out.
- Go on the Roswell UFO Tour – Join a guided exploration of crash sites and key locations that piece together the town’s most famous—and still debated—extraterrestrial mystery.
- Visit the Space Toy Museum – Step into a nostalgic collection of vintage sci-fi toys, space memorabilia, and alien artifacts celebrating humankind’s fascination with the cosmos.
- Get a Selfie with a Giant Alien – Pose with oversized green and silver extraterrestrials stationed outside shops and restaurants along Main Street for the ultimate Roswell photo op.
Recommended Reading: The Day After Roswell presents Colonel Philip J. Corso’s controversial account of recovered artifacts, government secrecy, and technologies he claims were linked to the 1947 crash.
Photo Credit: Domenico Convertini/Flickr