1.Miniatures and Curious Collections Museum

If you want to see a museum that is different from the rest, the Miniatures and Curious Collections Museum is the place to go. The museum wants to keep the art and history of making miniatures alive while giving kids a creative place to play. It has a lot of interesting items, from old things to strange ones, including displays of the work and history of Roswell’s Los Pocos Locos Miniature Society. In their miniature shows, you can see modern pieces, room boxes, old doll houses and furniture, and seasonal models. On the other hand, they have a collection of 42-year-old pennies, a collection of novelty banks, art made with Monopoly money, and many other interesting things.

320 N. Richardson Avenue, Roswell, New Mexico 88201; Phone: 575-208-0662

2.Alien Zone Roswell New Mexico

Is it ever a real trip to Roswell without stopping by an alien attraction? Alien Zone Area 51 has been open since 1998 and now has more than a dozen life-size alien dioramas that are sure to put families in a strange mood. Randy Reeves, a commercial artist, made the dioramas because he wanted to give Roswell’s love of aliens and UFOs more fun ways to be shared. Anyone can pose for pictures and take selfies with any of the fake aliens. Their artistic dioramas show an alien in jail, an alien being killed, an alien in a room that is upside down, and a scene where a saucer has crashed.

216 Main Street, Roswell, New Mexico 88201; Phone: 575-627-6982

3.Spaceport Roswell

Visit Spaceport Roswell with your family for an out-of-this-world adventure. On their virtual reality rides, people can go on exciting trips through space and time. As soon as people walk through the doors, they are engrossed in the themed attraction. There are decorations that look like spaceships and friendly flight attendants to help them find their way. There are a number of places to choose from, and more are being added all the time. As part of one of their adventures, people can go back in time to 1947 and see what happened at Roswell from the aliens’ point of view. In a different adventure, people can join the Apollo 11 flight and go to the moon.

121 E. Second Street, Roswell, New Mexico 88201l Phone: 575-495-4123

4.Roswell Museum & Art Center

The Roswell Museum and Art Center has been around since 1935 and has a lot of great exhibits and displays that show off the art and history of the American Southwest. The 50,000-square-foot building was built to be a cultural and educational hub for the community. It has 12 galleries that show paintings, prints and drawings, sculptures, decorative arts, and historical items.

There is also the Patricia Lubben Bassett Art Education Center, the Dr. Robert H. Goddard Planetarium, and a great study library at the center. It also has many educational programs and classes for kids and students of all ages. The American Association of Museums has praised the Roswell Museum and Art Center for the high quality of its collections, activities, and exhibitions. It is one of the best museums in Southern New Mexico. For something fun to do in Roswell, NM on a rainy day, the Roswell Museum and Art Center is a great choice.

100 W 11th St, Roswell, NM 88201, 575-624-6744

5.Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife and swamp haven for many kinds of mammals, birds, fish, and insects. It is located on the banks of the Pecos River in two different parts of central Chaves County. Bitter Lake is one of the most biologically important wetland places in the region. It was created in 1937 to provide a home for thousands of migrating sandhill cranes and waterfowl.

The refuge is on both sides of the Pecos River, where the Chihuahuan Desert and the Southern Plains meet. It has a lot of wetland areas and a dry, desert area around it. Many rare and interesting animals and plants, like the Pecos pupfish, Noel’s amphipod, green throat darter, and Roswell spring snail, are drawn to the precious water systems. There are also more than 80 species of dragonflies that visit. Animals like roadrunners, horned lizards, and scaled quail can be found in the sand dunes, natural grasslands, and red-rimmed plateaus.

6.Spring River Park and Zoo

Spring River Park is a lovely green space right in the middle of Roswell. It has a small, modern zoo that is spread out over 34 acres of beautiful grounds. The zoo is split into five separate areas. The Capitan Trail has many animals that are native to New Mexico. The Children’s Zoo has many animals that are friendly to kids. There is also an exhibit about ranching history, a visitor service area with a miniature train and an old wooden horse carousel, and a World Safari Exotics area.

The River Bottoms Exhibit with racoons, foxes, and bobcats, the Mountain Habitat with black bears and mountain lions, and the old wooden horse carousel in the middle of the park are some of the best parts of the little zoo. There is also a small lake for peace and quiet, picnic places with shade, a playground for kids, and lovely old trees in the park.

1306 E College Blvd, Roswell, NM 88201, 575-624-6760

7.Bottomless Lakes State Park

Bottomless Lakes State Park is on the Pecos River, 14 miles southeast of Roswell. The park’s nine small, deep lakes are located along the eastern edge of the Pecos River Valley, which is how the park got its name. Seven of the lakes are surrounded by high cliffs because the river is always wearing away at the limestone cliffs of the mountain. On the western side of Lea Lake, there is a big, sandy shore.

The rocks that used to surround Lazy Lagoon are no longer there. A lot of people come to the deep, round lakes called cenotes every year to do a variety of outdoor activities, such as hikes, climbing, swimming (only in one of the lakes), fishing, and watching wildlife.

8.Historical Center for Southeast New Mexico

People in Southeast New Mexico formed the Historical Society for Southeast New Mexico to protect and explain the area’s history and to encourage more people to learn about and value the area’s rich past. The society is based in the Prairie-style mansion that local rancher James Phelps White built in 1912. The building’s interiors have been carefully renovated to look like they did in the early 1900s, complete with period furniture and art.

The house is on the National Register of Historic Places and can be rented for weddings, parties, and other special events. It is located at the corner of North Lea and West Second Street. There is also an archive at the Historical Society for Southeast New Mexico that has a lot of historical and rare books, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, obituaries, and thousands of pictures. It’s free to enter.

200 N. Lea, Roswell, NM 88201, 505-622-8333

9.Walker Aviation Museum

At the Walker Aviation Museum, which is located at the Walker Air Force Base, history is shared about the important military base and the men and women who served their country from it. Walker Air Force Base and Roswell Army Air Field were home to the Strategic Air Command’s most powerful battle force. They were also the site of the famous Enola Gay and the Atlas Missile.

The Walker Aviation Museum is inside Roswell International Airport and has many displays and exhibits, such as the 579th Missile Squadron Reunion Group and displays of Russian, German, and Japanese weapons and bayonets from WWII. It’s free to enter.

1 Jerry Smith Circle, Roswell, NM 88201, 575-347-2464

10.Roswell Symphony Orchestra & Pearson Auditorium

The Roswell Symphony Orchestra (RSO) gives the people of Roswell and Southeast New Mexico a concert season every year with the best orchestral music. They also offer music education classes for kids and teens.

The Roswell Symphony Orchestra is starting its 55th season with a special Subscription Concert Series of five classical concerts in the beautiful Pearson Auditorium. The season will also include a number of Children’s Educational Concerts for elementary school students in Roswell, Dexter, and Hagerman, as well as a free concert at Spring River Park and Zoo on Labor Day.

The Roswell Symphony Orchestra plays at the Pearson Auditorium. It also hosts many other performances throughout the year, such as Corps events like drama presentations, concerts, and special speakers, as well as dance recitals, speakers, and presentations during the July UFO Festival.

1717 W 2nd St #205, Roswell, NM 88201, 575-623-5882

11.General Douglas L. McBride Military Museum

The General Douglas L. McBride Military Museum is all about showing off the history of the Corps of Cadets and the New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI). The McBride Military Museum is on the second floor of the Enrollment and Development Center. It was built in 1918 as a natatorium and later turned into a museum. It has many displays about the history of the New Mexico Military Institute, such as the NMMI Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame honors the successes of NMMI graduates who live up to the school’s motto, “Duty, Honor, and Achievement.” It has a growing list of outstanding alumni. It’s free to enter.

101 W. College Blvd., Roswell, NM 88201, 800-421-5376

12.Roswell Community Little Theatre

The Roswell Community Little Theatre puts on plays for fun for the community and the public, grows, promotes, and sparks an interest in live theater, and gives kids and adults many chances to be involved in all parts of theater.

The Wizard of Oz, To Kill a Mockingbird, Sherlock Holmes, The Final Adventure, and The Mystery of Irma Vep are just a few of the shows that they have put on. The Roswell Community Little Theatre also puts on a variety of educational and youth workshops for the public. It also offers comedic shows like mysteries and dinner theater.

1717 S Union Ave, Roswell, NM 88203, 575-622-1982

13.Roswell UFO Tours

In 1947, a supposed UFO crashed in the desert outside of Roswell. Take an in-depth and educational Roswell UFO Tour to find out what really happened. Top Roswell UFO researcher Dennis Balthaser leads the fully-guided private tours that go to more than 20 places in Roswell. People will go there to find out what really happened at the crash site, with the recovery, and with the cover-up of the so-called UFO.

Some of the first-hand witnesses’ old houses are shown on tours, along with several museums, the Roswell Army Airfield (where the “UFO parts” were kept), and the old Roswell Army Airfield Fire Station. Dennis talks about how much he knows about the event, including where it happened, who was involved, and the tales and mysteries that surround it. Tour guests are driven in comfy, air-conditioned cars and are picked up and dropped off at their chosen hotel.

14.Mescalero Sands North Dune OHV Area

The Mescalero Sands North Dune Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area has more than 600 acres of tall sand dunes and a large dune field made up of quartz particles that are great for all-terrain bikes, dune buggies, and sand rails. There are also old willow trees in the area that do well in the dry conditions.

From the Cottonwood Site, you can get to the southern part of the dunes. From the Bowl Parking Area, you can get to the northern part. The Bowl is a large hollow surrounded by dunes. At both the Bowl Parking Area and the Cottonwood Site, there are bathrooms, picnic tables, grills, and shelters.

We don’t have any water, though. Off-Highway Vehicle use, motorcycle rides, and picnicking are all fun things to do in the area. You can also camp your RV in the north, middle, and south parking lots.

15.Pecos Flavors Winery

Pecos Flavors Winery was started by Paul and Cindy Ragsdale in 2004. They make a range of local wines, such as Compadres, which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from New Mexico. The winery has a sample room in downtown Roswell where people can try some of the estate’s best wines. The room only sells New Mexico wines and products.

The tasting room is decorated in the style of a farm or ranch in southern New Mexico. It has a 100-year-old bar that was found in the Hondo Valley and a figure of Billy the Kid.

There are over 80 blends and more than a dozen different labels of New Mexico wines to taste, as well as a great collection of chocolates, nuts, coffee, sauces, and cheeses from New Mexico. You can try tastings Monday through Saturday, and they also have a variety of beer made in New Mexico.

412 W 2nd St, Roswell, NM 88201, 575-627-6265

16. J. Kenneth Smith Bird Sanctuary & Nature Center

One of the best places in Roswell to see birds is at the J. Smith Bird Sanctuary. Birds like the Canadian goose, the scaled qual, the black-chinned hummingbird, and many others call the 15-acre refuge home. It has been open since 2005. Through their Nature Center, the sanctuary is also very interested in teaching kids and people in the nearby neighborhood. People who go there will have a one-of-a-kind learning experience as they learn more about the birds that come to visit, their environment, and the fragile ecosystem that the birds live in. The refuge is next to the Spring River Trail, a paved path that people can walk, run, or even ride bikes on. People who come to the sanctuary or walk the trails are also allowed to have a picnic in one of the many areas set aside for that purpose.

401 N. Sycamore Ave, Roswell, New Mexico 88201; Phone: 575-622-7163