Roswell UFO Museum to close? Oh no! Say it isn't so!

Roswell UFO Museum  Photo Courtesy of Larry Rimbert

     Recently my attention turned to Roswell where I was told there was an article in the Roswell Daily Record about the famous Roswell UFO Museum closing!  Now this was something!!  Seems like this museum has been around since ET first crash landed in Roswell!  I had to go down and see for myself! 

IT ISN'T SO!
(But here is what happened!)
 

     If the Roswell UFO Museum isn't closing, then how did this rumor get started?  According to my interview with Julie Shuster, Director, after the Roswell UFO Festival in July 2009, Julie sent out a few fliers to the speakers she hired for "her" part of the festival.  Note please, these are not  the same speakers that MUFON arranged for the Festival at the Roswell Convention  and Civic Center.  Of considerable note was question number one which was:  "1.  What do you see happening and how would it affect the following if the Museum were to close its doors: -   You personally, The UFO Field, General Researchers  The Media, and Your business".   The short, one page questionnaire, consisted of two more questions with respect to questions as to next years speakers, and idea suggestions for the Museum on a business level for the staff.

     So what prompted Julie to ask the question in the first place?  "It was actually for my own thought process!", says Julie.  During the past UFO Festival, Julie overheard someone say that the famous Roswell museum does nothing for the City of Roswell.  A statement that personally affected Julie so she put some effort into investigation.  As a result of that questionnaire, a letter was written to the Editor in the Roswell Daily Record on July 31, 2009 by Martin A. Panozzo, Jr. of Rio Rancho titled "UFO Museum, city need each other. "

Photo courtesy of Larry Rimbert 

In the letter Mr. Panozzo explained his view of the disastrous situation to the City of Roswell should the UFO Museum close.  In my view, Mr. Panozzo correctly stated two things:  1) "The museum is the year-long magnet that attracts visitors and puts Roswell on the tourist map";  and 2) it is correct that "Many visitors were dismayed to see the complete lack of coordination among the groups."    In these statements he incorrectly stated, "the city has its own festival and this year MUFON and Ancient of Days ran theirs also."   This would imply a total of four (4) festivals including the Museum's festival.  Readers who did not read the entire letter to the editor, naturally assumed that the article was foretelling the closure of the Museum and not the consequences, should  the Museum shut its doors.

As a visitor to the 2009 Roswell UFO Festival, I was surprised to see the supposedly "Three" festivals.  I know for certain that MUFON did not put on it's own festival, but was hired by the City of Roswell to handle to speaker portion.  Rumor has it that MUFON was denied authorization by the UFO Museum to organize  or combine the speakers on both ends.  

     The "bible" portion (for lack of a better description) of the UFO Festival in which how UFOs are explained in the Bible was a hit.  This portion did a wonderful job and it may have been purposely separate, from the City out of fear of the separation of church and state, I'm not sure.   I am just not versed well enough in separation of Church and State to know if there is a constitutional conflict of interest here.  I am also not involved with the City or the "Bible" parties sufficiently to know if other factors were involved!  I did however, sense a certain tension or or animosity between Julie and the City's of Roswell's handling of the Festival.  The separate speakers, locations, press passes and press releases, vendor locations and separate schedules for questions to the speakers were among the things to been seen by the UFO Museum.  What caused the rift?  Julie was also rumored to be overheard  admonishing one of "her" speakers for his intent to attend a "speaker" question and answer session at the end of the Festival in the Roswell Convention and Civic Center. .It is also rumored that one of the Speakers, fired from the Museum was on the City's speaker list.  Could either of these have be the instigator?   Noticeably absent from that City's "Q&A" session were all of the speakers from the UFO Museum.  This could have been easily overcome but instead showed a separation between the two organizations.

      For me to put blame on any one organization would be incorrect and irresponsible as I am not privy to the politics involved.  I am just an outside observer.  Many would agree however, that the Festival would best be served and it would be in the best interest of the City for the City capitalizing on the reputation of the UFO Museum each year.  In this way the City could take advantage of yearly attendance to UFO Museum to enlarge attendance by serious UFO enthusiasts.  Direct marketing to such an audience is invaluable!   Surely it is no surprise that it would be in Julie's best interest for the UFO Museum to cooperate with the City in the production and presentation of each year's festival.  In fact for the UFO Museum not to closely cooperate with the City would just be plain business "suicide".   Who wouldn't want the use of public funds to alleviate or assist with private expenses and thereby increase the museums profit margin?  Certain expenses, such as marketing and advertising, public transportation to and from the Museum would in itself be a great benefit.  A City budget to help promote the Festival and thereby directly increase museum attendance would be a businessman's dream!

Past UFO Festival Parade Courtesy Roswell UFO
Festival Website

    According to Museum records, July is historically the highest attendance month for the Museum, (24, 766 in 2008 and 26,946 in 2009)  out pacing winter months by as many as three times (6,932 in January 2008 and 7,964 in January 2009)!  Whatever the source of the organization, the high attendance (8.8% increase of 2009 over 2008) can be directly attributed to a direct result of the UFO Festival.

     Actually since 1992, the Roswell UFO Museum has become a fixture in Roswell and according to Julie is largely responsible for making Roswell a destination location for visitors.   Roswell is  over 200 miles from its next largest city.   Let's face it with out the Roswell crash, Stanton Friedman's investigation in the 1980s, the UFO Museum and the annual UFO Festival,  Roswell would likely be another desert city in New Mexico.   So Julie may have a point!

      It is not disputed that Roswell is a city best known, even internationally,  for the UFO crash and the resulting government cover-up where a majority of Roswell visitors make a point to come to  the UFO Museum.  It is also not disputed that while in Roswell visitors buy other products such as gas, pop, souvenirs and spend time learning about Roswell's UFO history.

    According to the Roswell UFO Museum's website: 

Since the opening, the Museum has outgrown two downtown locations landing it in the old Plains Theater on North Main in Roswell. The number of visitors continues to be the envy of many other tourist attractions in the state and requires continued growth. Each change and step forward is designed to improve the operations of a business that continues to grow in leaps and bounds. . . . Prior to the UFO Museum, there were no alien eyes on the lampposts, no space ship logos for a local car dealer, no city of Roswell logo and branding campaign including a space ship, no documentaries on the Incident and no television programs with the Roswell name.

 The city continues to grow:   

In the past eight years, six UFO related businesses have opened in downtown have opened. There have been six hotels completed and one currently under construction. Roswell now has a Home Depot Building Center, Super Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, Sam’s Club, PetCo, Famous Footwear and others. New restaurants including Chiles and Applebee's have opened. There are numerous other new businesses on the drawing board looking to locate in Roswell..

So to the contrary, the UFO Museum does not plan to close, but instead grow:

 To that end the Board of Directors of the Museum closed on the purchase of one entire city block putting the 4th home for the Museum on the horizon for the more than 150,000 believers, non-believers and the curious travel from all corners of the globe to find out about the home of the Roswell Incident.  . . .

Photo Courtesy of Larry Rimbert

 So there you have it . . . no Museum closure, but instead growth - growth in line with city of Roswell growth.  While the city is known for its "carnivals to trade shows, from alien costume contests to UFO lectures, from 4th of July fireworks to a parade downtown, from Hollywood celebrities to local children in costume and on roller blades.    The Museum however, "maintains its position as the serious side of the UFO visitors. . .  ". 

 So Mr. Panozzo, you are right about one thing!  It indeed would be a tremendous loss to everyone, the Museum, the City of Roswell and the field of UFOLOGY if the UFO Museum closed its doors.  The UFO Museum and the City of Roswell can work better in the future and the result would be a better Festival for attendees and profitability and cost reduction for the all parties involved.  If Julie at the UFO Museum and City of Roswell, don't work together in the future, this Museum move may be the Museum's demise and economic disaster for Roswell.  Does the UFO Museum realize that just because you get a new location and a new building, success is not guaranteed?  Another downturn in the economy and who knows what can happen?  You get more flies with honey than with vinegar!

Let's see what  unity and the next Festival will bring!  Mr. Panozzo you may get your dream yet i.e., all parties working together for the good of Ufology!

Next:  The UFO Museums plans for expansion!

 © 2009 by Larry Rimbert  All rights reserved
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