Virtual Roadtrip: International UFO Museum and Research Center

Showcasing the Unexplained – A Museum About All Things UFO!!

Stop #18 on our Virtual Road Trip is the International UFO Museum and Research Center! The museum is in Roswell, New Mexico— a town that has become synonymous with UFO’s following the 1947 “Roswell Incident.” It opened in 1991 and is dedicated to the collection and preservation of materials and information in written, audio, and visual form related to UFO phenomena

Roswell usually hosts the annual UFO Festival in July, but unfortunately it has been cancelled for 2020. The three-day event features guest speakers, authors, live entertainment, costume contests, a parade, and family-friendly activities. During the festival over 10,000 enthusiasts and skeptics visit the museum. Hopefully, it will be back on the calendar for next year!

Travel Tip: The museum is housed in a former downtown movie theater and features exhibits associated with major UFO sightings and events. The exhibits include newspaper clippings and articles and first-hand accounts of these events. If you are a UFO enthusiast, we suggest timing your visit with the annual UFO Festival. If you are casually interested or a skeptic, the museum is worth visiting for a few hours. It’s one of those places you’ll find yourself talking about well after your visit.

Following the Connection

The science fiction movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind was directed by Steven Spielberg and was nominated for eight Oscars and four Golden Globe Awards. One of the filming locations used in the movie was Devil’s Tower National Monument in Wyoming. To this day, the first U.S. National Monument is visited by thousands of UFO enthusiast every year.

Next Stop: Devil’s Tower National Monument, Devils Tower, Wyoming

Detour: If flying objects pique your interest, then one of the best aviation museums in the country should be on your radar. The Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington, is the largest air and space museum in the world, with over 175 aircraft and spacecraft, thousands of artifacts, millions of photographs, and dozens of exhibits and experiences.

Plan Your Trip

Roswell is best known for the 1947 so-called “Roswell Incident.” Today the entire town has latched onto the “Friendly Alien” theme and incorporated it into just about everything. However, there are plenty of things to do in Roswell that have nothing to do with the unexplained, including historic sites, museums, and outdoor recreation. Here are some recommendations from the travel desk at Check-it-Off Travel to consider while planning a trip to the museum.