"Jumping Around Roswell! The Aliens Have... " a Roswell Travel Page by jumpingnorman

The first time I saw the UFO Museum in Roswell, I was thinking it should have a better façade. The parking is at the side of the building and museum is at the main road itself, with fast cars passing by. But then, this is where it all started and so we just have to be happy about having such a unique museum.

The events of July 1947 are still shrouded in mystery, despite these times of declassification. It was because of so much interest in the UFO crash that the International UFO Museum and Research Center was incorporated in 1991 and the IRS made it eventually a non-profit organization.

But the town has benefitted from the alien invasion…there are signs of big-headed wide-eyed aliens everywhere…and Roswell has been the butt of alien jokes for so long --- so the city seems to be intent on creating a new Roswell. The Art Museums and Galleries that are popping out are signs that the area may be headed towards a more global tourism destination.

However, just driving a few blocks away from the city center, you cannot help but notice that there is still so much room for improvement. There are already several hotels/motels and restaurants, but there probably needs to be more industry so that this “alienated” city will prosper even more.

In the 1870-80’s, Roswell was actually the watering place for the Pecos Valley cattle drives, established earlier by Van Smith of Nebraska with his business partner Aaron Wilburn. Smith later named the settlement after his dad, Roswell Smith.

Then in 1930’s Dr. Robert Goddard actually conducted experiments here on liquid fuel rocket flights and now there is a planetarium in his honor.