By Tim Binnall
New Mexico's famed Roswell UFO Museum recently celebrated a rather significant milestone when they welcomed their five millionth visitor. According to a local media report, the historic moment occurred late last month when Chris McDonald stopped into the site with his daughter Hannah. While the pair undoubtedly did not expect to be presented with balloons and an array of souvenirs to commemorate the milestone, it turned out that the father and daughter had a surprise of their own for the staff by virtue of being residents of the city. "Very rarely do we see a visitor from Roswell come into the museum," explained Executive Director Karen Jaramillo, "so we were all shocked when we learned our 5 millionth visitor was actually from Roswell."
As for why a resident of the city decided to visit the museum seemingly on a lark, McDonald explained that it came about after Hannah expressed an interest in space travel. In addition to the balloons, souvenirs, and notoriety by way of the milestone, the family also received a lifetime pass to the attraction which has become something of a centerpiece in the city since opening in 1992. According to the museum, they now welcome a whopping 220,000 people each year and contribute a staggering $60 million in annual financial impact to the community and surrounding areas. Considering the attraction's prominence, one can only wonder how many of the five million visitors were from out of this world.