Free & Cheap Things to Do in Roswell

Quirky & Unique

The mothership of Roswell tourism walks you through the 1947 crash story with witness affidavits, declassified documents, and a healthy dose of animatronic saucer theater. Seven dollars buys the full incident experience plus the research library serious ufologists actually use.

Address: 114 N Main St, Roswell, NM 88203

Tip: Go early in July — UFO Festival week packs the place. The surrounding Main Street blocks of alien gift shops, saucer streetlights, and the flying-saucer McDonald's are the free half of the experience.

Arts & Culture

Twelve galleries and 22,000 square feet of work by alumni of the Roswell Artist-in-Residence program — the famous 'gift of time' fellowship that has drawn serious contemporary artists to the desert since 1967. Completely free, and routinely called New Mexico's best-kept art secret.

Address: 409 E College Blvd, Roswell, NM 88201

Tip: Closed major holidays, otherwise open daily with self-guided wandering encouraged. Pair it with the free Spring River Zoo and park for a strong, no-cost small-city day no one expects from the UFO town.

Family & Kids

A 34-acre city park zoo with mountain lions, bears, bison, and a barnyard contact area — and admission is free for everyone, every day. Rebuilt and rebounding after 2024 flooding, it pairs with the surrounding park's playgrounds and shaded picnic gounds for a zero-dollar family afternoon.

Address: 1306 E College Blvd, Roswell, NM 88201

Tip: No outside food except water and formula — picnic in the park outside the gates instead. Mornings beat the desert heat and catch the animals active. Free zoo tours start at the entrance Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10:30am.

Parks & Nature

A 24,500-acre oasis where the Chihuahuan Desert meets the Pecos River — free to drive its 6.5-mile wildlife loop past sinkhole lakes, wetlands, and one of North America's richest dragonfly populations. Tens of thousands of sandhill cranes and snow geese winter here.

Address: 4067 Bitter Lake Rd, Roswell, NM 88201

Tip: The September Dragonfly Festival is the signature free event — over 100 species recorded. Winter dawn brings the crane lift-offs; summer visits are best early before the basin bakes.

Parks & Nature

New Mexico's first state park strings nine startling blue-green sinkhole lakes along the Pecos bluffs — cenote-style pools up to 90 feet deep, with a swimming beach, paddleboard-friendly water, and trails at Lea Lake. A carload day fee covers the lot.

Address: 545A Bottomless Lakes Rd, Roswell, NM 88201

Tip: Lea Lake is the swimmable one — summer weekends bring lifeguards and rental paddleboards. The 15-minute drive from town passes through classic Pecos Valley ranchland; arrive before noon for beach shade.

Quirky & Unique

The free half of UFO tourism: alien-eyed streetlights, a flying-saucer McDonald's, invader-themed murals, and gift shops happy to let you browse the galaxy's densest concentration of little green men. The city's See Roswell guide maps the whole strip.

Address: Main St, Roswell, NM 88203

Tip: Night is when the streetlight alien eyes glow — the photo everyone wants. July's UFO Festival adds free parades, costume contests, and street entertainment if you can brave the crowds.

Parks & Nature

The greenbelt around the free zoo carries Roswell's nicest stroll — a paved recreation trail tracing the spring-fed river through 34 acres of cottonwood shade, playgrounds, and picnic grounds.

Address: 1101 W 4th St, Roswell, NM 88201

Tip: The park is open 10am–4pm with no arrivals after 3pm. The vintage carousel and miniature train are temporarily closed for repairs. Combine with the zoo for the best free family half-day in southeastern New Mexico.