Train Rides
There is something amazing about trains. The familiar whistle has always promised adventure. The gentle rock of the rails has set the rhythm of our lives. Experience it all again at the Colorado Railroad Museum.
Ride on-board a passenger car pulled by a powerful locomotive Saturdays mid-January through mid-May and October (Thursdays through Sundays mid-May through mid-August).
Rides depart every 30 minutes 10am-3p.m. Saturdays January 16-August 31 & October 5, 12 & 26, 2024! Summer rides are available Thursdays-Sundays May 16 thru mid-August! Saturday Train Rides do NOT operate in September.
Admission: $10 adults, $5 ages 2-17, $8 age 60+. Rides: $4 adults, $2 ages 2-17. Free for Museum members and children under age 2.
Steam-Up Rides depart select dates every 30 minutes 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Admission (Includes Ride): $14 adults, $7 ages 2-17, $12 age 60+. Free for Museum members and children under age 2.
GOLD RUSH DAYS: August 10-11, 2024
As summer begins to wind down celebrate Colorado’s Gold Rush heritage with special programming and ride behind one of the last coal-fired steam locomotives operating in Colorado!
Activities will include Gold Panning demonstrations, turntable demonstrations, and more happening around the Museum’s 15-acre railyard. Plenty of photo opportunities will of course also be on hand—including the Museum’s very own mascot, Spike the Railroad Dog! Food and tasty treats will also be available for purchase.
HARVEST HAUNT EXPRESS: October 19-20, 2024
The Colorado Railroad Museum’s annual Halloween-themed steam-up event is back! Grounds are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with activities taking place between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., including train rides. Guests are encouraged to come in costume for Trick-or-Treating!
Enjoy the Olde Railroaders Silly Graveyard, “not-so-spooky” Haunted Railcars, a hay bale maze, and musical ensembles performing throughout the day in our outdoor pavilion. Bring your camera, and get a great picture of your group’s costumes in front of the Pumpkin Patch cart. Tasty treats and lunchtime food options will be available for purchase.
An authentic, coal burning Colorado steam locomotive will pull trains for this event. Regular admission and train ride pricing applies. Capacity is limited, so advance ticket purchase is recommended! Ticket sales available soon.
Metro Denver’s Largest Rail Enthusiast Event Will Return in May 2025
The Colorado Railroad Museum is bringing back Denver Metro’s largest and most colorful festival of operating trains will return in May 2025. In 2024, “Colorado Crossings: Making History Today,” the event featured two coal-fired narrow-gauge locomotives under steam plus three “Galloping Geese” in operation. A used book sale, locomotive cab tours, a panel discussion featuring Colorado rail heritage leaders, and more helped round out an exciting lineup both days!
Dinosaurs are coming back to Golden, Colorado…
…only this time, they are arriving on the Dinosaur Express Train! 2025 dates TBA! Railroad tracks will meet dinosaur tracks for a day of family fun at the Colorado Railroad Museum, when the Dinosaur Express Train chugs into the museum’s station.
The world’s first Stegosaurus and Apatosaurus fossils were found at nearby Dinosaur Ridge and Golden is where the first T-Rex tooth fossil was discovered, so it’s only fitting that two of every kid’s favorite things – dinosaurs and trains – be brought together for this fun festival.
COLORADO POWER DAYS: June 22-23, 2024
2025 dates tba. There will be fun activities for the whole family from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Regular admission and train ride pricing applies. Advance purchase of admission and train ride tickets recommended. Ticket sales available soon.
In celebration of our partnerships with local groups and organizations the Colorado Railroad Museum is excited to offer FREE admission select dates throughout the year!
SCFD Free Admission Days:
To celebrate our partnership with the SCFD (Scientific and Cultural Facilities District) the Museum is proud to offer free general admission to all visitors select Thursdays throughout the year.
Catch an optional train ride behind a Diesel Engine, inside vintage passenger cars! Grounds & exhibits open 9am to 5pm. Rides operate 10am to 3pm.
March 28, 2024
May 9, 2024
October 3, 2024
Admission: Free
Ride Tickets: $4 Adults (18+), $2 Children (2-17). Museum members and children under the age of 2 are free.
Boulder County Free Admission Days:
In celebration of our partnership with the city of Boulder, Colorado, the Museum is excited to offer free general admission select dates to all residents of Boulder County. If you count yourself as a Boulder County resident, we invite you to visit in 2024! Proof of residency is required.
Catch an optional train ride behind inside vintage passenger cars! Grounds & exhibits open 9am to 5pm. Rides operate 10am to 3pm.
May 24, 2024
August 9, 2024
October 18, 2024
Admission: Free
Ride Tickets: $4 Adults (18+), $2 Children (2-17). Museum members and children under the age of 2 are free.
Jefferson County Free Day:
All aboard! Colorado Gives Foundation is pleased to provide Jeffco residents with free admission and a train ride on Saturday, April 27, 2024 while supplies last. As Jefferson County’s community foundation, Colorado Gives Foundation believes that community is built through connections with each other and the
organizations that help our communities thrive – which is good for everyone!
Doors & Exhibits open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Rides Depart 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Capacity is limited and advanced reservations are recommended. Children under the age of 2 do not require a ticketed reservation. The Colorado Railroad Museum features a large, outdoor exhibit space and is effectively an active rail yard. Please wear appropriate clothing for Colorado weather and good footwear – we recommend good walking shoes or hiking boots as well as flexible layers. Grounds open 9am–5pm. Your ticket includes a scheduled train ride departure, please arrive at least 20 minutes before your scheduled departure to allow for check-in.
Admission & Rides: Free for Jefferson County residents. Proof of residency is required. Rides and admission available at regular price for other visitors.
Peep! Peep! Thomas the Tank Engine is rolling into Golden, Colorado for three weekends of fun this September!
Peep! Peep! Thomas the Tank Engine is rolling into Golden, Colorado for three weekends of fun this September. For the first time ever, Thomas & Friends will be celebrating the magic of bubbles with Day Out With Thomas™: The Bubble Tour. The Bubble Tour will be stopping at the Colorado Railroad Museum on the weekends of September 7-8, 14-15, and 21-22, 2024.
Day Out With Thomas™ is a fun-filled family event that takes place at Heritage Railways across the country. Every ticket includes a train ride with a life-sized Thomas the Tank Engine as well as access to a full day of activities for all to enjoy including live entertainment, photo ops with Sir Topham Hatt, lawn games and shopping at the pop-up gift shop for exclusive Thomas swag.
Tickets for this Day Out With Thomas™ event go on sale to the public beginning Tuesday, July 30. Ticket prices are $25 for ages 1 and up (service charges and fees may apply). Capacity will be limited, and advanced tickets are required. Walk-up sales will not be available. For more information, and to purchase tickets (beginning July 30), visit www.ColoradoRailroadMuseum.org.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
WHO: Day Out With Thomas™ the Tank Engine!
WHAT: Family Fun in an outdoor environment. Highlights include:
- 20-minute Train Ride (at a specified time) led by a full-sized, talking Thomas the Tank Engine locomotive.
- Admission to select portions of the Colorado Railroad Museum with outdoor offerings and activities included
- Fun activities and entertainment featuring:
- Live entertainment including trainyard gameshows, puppet shows and even stilt walkers!
- Say hello to Sir Topham Hatt, Controller of the Railway.
- Bubble activities like bubble blowing and bubble bouncer-ball racing in the Bubble Zone.
- Photo opportunities throughout the event, including with Thomas himself.
- Play with Thomas & Friends toys then pick out a temporary tattoo in the Play Pod.
- An activity sheet that will guide guests through the event experience highlighting the four key station stops to visit for a free giveaway.
- Outdoor Scale Model Trains operating all day long at the Denver Garden Railway Society’s permanent on-site, landscaped G-gauge railroad.
- Push a Locomotive Around aboard a 120-year old, “armstrong”-powered railroad turntable
- Step-On Access to selected historic railroad cars and locomotives.
- Pop-up gift shop on site with exclusive Thomas & Friends™ products only available at Day Out With Thomas™.
- Food and drinks available on-site for purchase.
For more information about Day Out With Thomas™ at the Colorado Railroad Museum, visit our Day Out With Thomas FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Page by Clicking Here.
WHEN: September 7-8, 14-15, and 21-22 (Saturdays & Sunday)
- Tickets include a train ride at a designated time selected at the point of purchase, plus admission to museum grounds and all activities for up to three hours. Purchase tickets online at www.dayoutwiththomas.com
WHERE: Colorado Railroad Museum, 17155 W. 44th Avenue, Golden, CO 80403
Tickets for this Day Out With Thomas™ event go on sale to the public beginning Tuesday, July 30, 2024 (tickets will go on-sale to Museum Members July 23, 2024). Ticket prices $25 for ages 1 and up – service charges and fees may apply. Advanced tickets are required. Walk-up sales will not be available.
For more information about Thomas & Friends please visit www.ThomasAndFriends.com and/or www.Facebook.com/ThomasAndFriends. For bonus material and exclusive content, please visit www.YouTube.com/user/ThomasAndFriends.
PUBLIC SALES OPEN JULY 30, 2024
MEMBER SALES OPEN JULY 23, 2024
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride returns once again to the Colorado Railroad Museum! Sure to re-kindle the Christmas spirit in True Believers!
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ offers a unique, three-part theatrical extravaganza of Holiday Magic. Holiday Caroling and the “Hot Chocolate” song and dance kick things off each evening, performed in our newly renovated, heatedPOLAR EXPRESS™ Pavilion. A ride to the North Pole aboard vintage coaches, pulled by an authentic, coal-fired steam locomotive, is next. And finally, visiting with Santa tops off the experience!
Tickets will go on sale to the public on Tuesday, October 3. Museum Members will have an exclusive pre-purchase opportunity beginning one week earlier. Not a Member? Click Here to learn about the benefits of Museum Membership, including advance purchase opportunities for THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride!
Watch for further updates right here on our website. All Aboard for Holiday Magic!
ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE
The experience begins in our newly renovated THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Pavilion. Here you, your family and friends will gather around tables, sing carols, and watch a cabaret-style show as the “Hot Chocolate” song and dance unfolds before your eyes. Nibble on a tasty cookie, and sip your hot chocolate as the story of The Polar Express is dramatically re-enacted before your eyes.
The experience continues, as you step outside to witness the dramatic arrival of THE POLAR EXPRESS™. This symphony of smoke and steam emerges from the darkness, and the Conductor loudly asks if anyone would like climb aboard. Soon, you’re on your way to—the North Pole? Well yes, of course! There, you watch eagerly as the elves sing and dance, and Santa gives out The First Gift of Christmas.
Once the train with its sleepy passengers returns from the North Pole, you’ll have the opportunity to visit with Santa—and pick up your very own First Gift of Christmas, a Silver Bell! THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride remains an experience that you won’t want to miss. The entire, multi-part show is updated each year to feature several new twists!
TICKETING OPTIONS
For 2023, two ticketing levels are available: Standard Seating and First Class. For Standard Seating, guests may purchase tickets for the specific number in your party. First Class seating remains available for purchase only in tables of four.
We’re pleased to offer Discounted Pricing on all performances before Thanksgiving! In past years (including 2020-2022) this event has sold out quickly. For 2023, you won’t want to wait to purchase your tickets!
Standard Seating
$80/person ages 2-15, $100/person ages 16 and older (Lap Riders under age 2 Free)
Performances prior to Thanksgiving, 10% off rates listed above
Your group will be seated together in THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Pavilion for the cabaret-style show, and then you’ll board one of three coaches for your ride to the North Pole! Hot cocoa, cookie, and—of course—a Silver Bell is included with each ticket. Lap Riders do not have access to individual seating. NOTE: Groups wishing to be seated together must purchase all tickets in a single transaction.
First Class
$475/table of four (plus up to two Lap Riders under age 2 free)
Performances prior to Thanksgiving, 10% off rate listed above
First Class groups are seated together right in front of the stage in our THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Pavilion. Then, you’ll board our parlor car to share your own table for your ride to the North Pole! First Class seating is available only as a complete table; your group can be up to four in size per table (plus up to two lap riders). Each table receives four commemorative Polar Express cocoa mugs, a copy of The Polar Express illustrated hardbound book, plus two special, added gifts. Hot cocoa, cookies, and—of course—First Class Silver Bells are included!
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
For 2023, THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride performances are scheduled three times each evening. The season launches with performances various evenings each week, increasing to daily after Thanksgiving. Opening Night is November 10, and the final performances take place on December 23.
Arrival time is very important for 2023 due to our Polar Express Pavilion seating arrangements. Please make sure you’re on time so you don’t miss any of the cabaret-style pre-show, Hot Chocolate song and dance performance, and dramatic reading and re-enactment of The Polar Express story. Suggested arrival times are 4:30 p.m., 6:00 p.m., or 7:30 p.m. to enjoy the pre-show; the Main Show begins promptly at 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m., or 8 p.m. Your magical train ride to the North Pole follows, but it’s only one chapter in a multi-part theatrical experience!
COVID PRECAUTIONS
Should masking or other precautions be mandated by local, state and/or federal authorities aboard trains or indoors, we’ll follow their guidance and let you know right away. Updated Information will be posted at this same site as it becomes available.
Catch a ride on-board Rio Grande Southern’s unique “Galloping Goose” Motorcar select Tuesdays January through mid-May 2025!
Rides depart every 30 minutes from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of each month January through May 2025!
Admission: $10 adults, $5 ages 2-17, $8 age 60+.
Rides: $4 adults, $2 ages 2-17.
Free for Museum members and children under age 2.
For the early part of January, the Colorado Railroad Museum does NOT offer Saturday Train Rides. The Museum Depot and Outdoor Railyard are open as usual Tuesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Early winter in Colorado can be delightful, but when winter weather comes to Colorado, it can become frightful! Snowfall can vary greatly by region, and we strive to clear parking lots and pathways for your safety, but sometimes it’s just not safe. If it’s snowing mightily outside, or if the snow has just stopped after a large snowfall event, please call ahead (Tuesday-Sunday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.) before your visit: (303) 279-4591.
Tour The Colorado Railroad Museum
The familiar whistle has always promised adventure. The gentle rock of the rails has set the rhythm of our lives. Enjoy touring our outdoor railyard filled with vestiges of Colorado’s rich railroad heritage. See our indoor HO Model Railroad and our Changing Exhibits. Then, catch a ride on-board a passenger train pulled by a powerful, vintage locomotive!
The Colorado Railroad Museum features a large, outdoor exhibit space and is effectively an active rail yard. Please wear appropriate clothing for Colorado weather and good footwear – we recommend good walking shoes or hiking boots as well as flexible layers. Grounds open Tuesday-Sunday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday Train Rides depart every 30 minutes 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (crews take a lunch break at 12:30 p.m).
UPCOMING EVENTS BY DATE
