Colorado Railroad Museum
The Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden preserves Colorado’s mountain railroad era across a 15-acre railyard packed with historic locomotives, cars and an 1880s-style depot museum.
Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, CO
Founded in 1959 between North and South Table Mountains, the museum displays more than 100 pieces of narrow- and standard-gauge equipment outdoors, from Rio Grande Southern Galloping Geese to D&RGW steam locomotives and a rotary snowplow. Inside the depot replica you will find photographs, artifacts, a working telegraph office display and the Denver HO Model Railroad Club’s operating layout. A roundhouse supports ongoing restoration, and a one-third-mile oval of three-foot-gauge track hosts train rides on scheduled days.
Museum hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday–Sunday (closed Mondays and major holidays). Beginning in 2026, general admission is about $12 for adults, $10 for seniors 60+, and $5 for ages 2–17; children under 2 are free. Optional train-ride tickets are about $5 for adults/seniors and $2 for children when rides operate — typically Saturdays mid-January through mid-May and in late August and October, with more frequent summer days. Special events such as Harvest Haunt Express and THE POLAR EXPRESS™ use combination tickets and sell out; book online. Call (800) 365-6263 or visit coloradorailroadmuseum.org.
Photo Gallery
Photo credits: Golden CO Colorado-Railroad-Museum D&RGW-683 2012-10-18 by Milan Suvajac (CC BY-SA 4.0); Colorado Railroad Museum Bldg by Chris Light (CC BY-SA 4.0); Golden CO Colorado-Railroad-Museum D&RGW-491 2012-10-18 by Milan Suvajac (CC BY-SA 4.0); Golden CO Colorado-Railroad-Museum DL&G-191 2012-10-18 by Milan Suvajac (CC BY-SA 4.0); Golden CO Colorado-Railroad-Museum M&PPRY-1 2012-10-18 by Milan Suvajac (CC BY-SA 4.0); Golden CO Colorado-Railroad-Museum RGS-Galloping-Goose-2-6 2012-10-18 by Milan Suvajac (CC BY-SA 4.0); Golden Colorado-Railroad-Museum Sign 2012-10-18 by Milan Suvajac (CC BY-SA 4.0); Outdoor model railroad layout (Colorado Railroad Museum, Golden, Colorado, USA) 1 (49499508941) by James St. John (CC BY 2.0); Colorado & Southern Rotary Snowplow at The Colorado Railroad Museum by D&RG Railfan (CC BY 3.0). Images via Wikimedia Commons.
News & Events
See train-ride calendars and event tickets on the Colorado Railroad Museum website for Golden, CO.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to do at the Colorado Railroad Museum?
- Railyard walk: Explore outdoor locomotives, cabooses, geese and passenger cars.
- Depot museum: Tour exhibits, photos and the model railroad layout.
- Train rides: Ride the museum loop on scheduled diesel or steam days.
- Roundhouse views: Watch restoration work when accessible to visitors.
- Depot store: Browse rail-themed gifts and books.
What is nearby the Colorado Railroad Museum?
- Golden: Downtown Clear Creek dining and Coors Brewery tours.
- Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave: Lookout Mountain views and Wild West exhibits above Golden.
- Georgetown Loop Railroad: Operating narrow-gauge steam in the mountains west on I-70.
- Table Mountain trails: Hiking on North and South Table Mountains nearby.
- Denver: Downtown museums and sports about 20–30 minutes east.
When was the Colorado Railroad Museum established?
The museum was founded in 1959 to save Colorado’s railroad heritage, especially the state’s pioneering narrow-gauge lines. It has grown into a major outdoor collection with an indoor depot museum, library resources and active restoration programs.
When is the Colorado Railroad Museum open?
Hours are 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; the museum is closed Mondays and on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Train rides follow a published calendar — check the website before you go. General admission is not available during certain Day Out With Thomas™ and Polar Express evening performances.
Are there any tips for visiting the Colorado Railroad Museum?
Wear walking shoes for gravel yard paths and bring sun protection outdoors. Buy special-event tickets online early; on-site event pricing is higher in 2026. Weekday mornings are quieter for photos of locomotives with Table Mountain behind them. Combine the stop with Golden’s downtown or a Lookout Mountain drive the same day.
The Colorado Railroad Museum is located at 17155 W. 44th Avenue, Golden, CO 80403. Call (800) 365-6263 or visit coloradorailroadmuseum.org for tickets and train-ride schedules.