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Whether you believe in aliens or not, the International UFO Museum and Research Center is a great place to visit if you’re passing through Roswell, New Mexico.
Visiting
The International UFO Museum and Research Center is located on Main Street in downtown Roswell. Admission is US$7 for adults, US$5 for seniors, US$4 for kids age 5-15, and free for kids under 5 (as of November 2024). It’s open daily from 9am to 5pm.
Roswell Incident
The museum was created to tell the story of the Roswell incident. During the first week of July 1947, an unidentified flying object crashed on a ranch owned by W.W. Brazel near Roswell. On July 8, the Roswell Army Air Field put out a press release stating they had recovered a flying disc. Almost immediately, the Army retracted the statement and said that the disc was actually a crashed weather balloon.
The incident resurfaced in 1978 when retired lieutenant colonel Jesse Marcel, who was on the scene that day, was interview by ufologist Stanton Friedman (1934-2019). Marcel told Friedman he believed the debris he recovered and accompanied to Fort Worth, Texas, was extraterrestrial. This set off a wave of conspiracy theories that spawned books, movies, and TV shows.
Although there’s no known physical evidence that a UFO crashed near Roswell, extensive investigations have been made into the incident. The exhibit in the International UFO Museum and Research Center includes a very detailed timeline of the incident as well as quotes and eyewitness testimonies of the events surrounding it.
The exhibit is very interesting and intriguing to say the least. It’s fun to go through and gets you wondering if there really was a cover-up. There’s even an example of a test dummy that the army said was probably confused for an alien body.
Aliens
One popular audio-visual display turns on every half hour or so. It features aliens standing in front of a spinning UFO as well as sound, lights, and smoke. There are also models of alien bodies kept in capsules.
Ancient Cultures
Another exhibit delves into ancient cultures and their connections with extraterrestrial lifeforms. There are examples of works of art by the Mayans, Anasazi, and Aboriginal Australians supposedly depicting aliens.
Area 51
Another interesting section included alleged information about the highly classified Area 51, which is located in Nevada. There are photos and documents as well as warnings of what happens if people approach the area.
Alien Autopsy
Finally, there’s an exhibit displaying a depiction of an alien autopsy. It comes complete with a doctor and a government official standing over an alien on hospital bed. Warnings are posted on the wall behind them.
Research Library
The International UFO Museum includes a research library full of books and other materials. UFO enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists are welcome to study all of the most up-to-date information available to the public.
