2026 Christmas & holiday train guide

Christmas & holiday trains in Colorado

Compare 7 reviewed holiday programs in Colorado, including their boarding towns, departure announcements and ticket status.

Compare the departures ↓Explore Polar Express rides →
Illustrative stock photo: Grand Canyon Railway locomotive 237 decorated with a Christmas wreath
Illustrative stock photograph. Grand Canyon Railway locomotive 237 with a Christmas wreath on November 18, 2013. Historical holiday decoration; the source does not identify this departure as the Polar Express. The Commons file was cropped vertically by 5% in 2024. Display crop. Bill Morrow / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

2026 dates published

Plan this holiday ride →

Start with the train tickets. Check the exact date and seating class before booking a hotel or planning a long drive. Reviewed schedules and sold-out notices help you compare; they do not promise remaining seats.

Choose a departure in Colorado

The boarding location matters: holiday services can use a different station from a railway’s regular trains. Compare the stops below before choosing a ride.

Holiday train programs, boarding locations and schedule status in Colorado
Holiday rideWhere to boardSchedule & tickets
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train RideColorado Railroad Museum17155 W. 44th Avenue, Golden, CO 80403Select performances November 6–December 23, 20262026 dates published
Santa’s Holiday Express — AntonitoCumbres & Toltec Scenic RailroadAntonito Depot, 5234 US Highway 285, Antonito, CO 81120December 12–13, 20262026 dates published
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train RideDurango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad479 Main Avenue, Durango, CO 81301Select departures November 20, 2026–January 2, 20272026 dates published
Santa at the Galloping GooseGalloping Goose Historical Society of Dolores421 Railroad Avenue, Dolores, CO 81323December 12, 2026; event hours 3–7 p.m.2026 dates published
Holiday ExpressLeadville RailroadLeadville Railroad Depot, 326 East 7th Street, Leadville, CO 804612026 Holiday Express begins November 14; remaining dates are in live booking2026 program listed — confirm departures
Pueblo Express Christmas TrainsPueblo Railway MuseumTrainyard behind Pueblo Union Depot, Victoria Ave & B St, Pueblo, CO 81003December 11–12, 18–19 and 24, 2026, 4–8 p.m. event windows2026 dates published
Santa Express TrainRoyal Gorge Route RailroadRoyal Gorge Route Railroad, 401 Water Street, Cañon City, CO 812122026 departures awaiting reconciliation2026 dates awaiting verification

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Your holiday departure

Compare rides in this state

7 rides match your filters

See these rides on a map

All 7 selected rides at 7 mapped locations, including results on the other pages. Shared depots list every selected program. Pins mark stations or event campuses; route references and inactive events are labeled in the pin details.

Illustrative stock photo: Grand Canyon Railway locomotive 237 decorated with a Christmas wreath
Illustrative stock · 2013 · display crop
Bill Morrow / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Golden, CO · Museum train

THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride

Colorado Railroad Museum

2026 dates published

Select performances November 6–December 23, 2026

A three-part holiday experience in Golden combines a pavilion performance, storytelling and a steam-train journey, followed by a visit with Santa.

Ticket status and source check

The official page says tickets are on sale; prior years selling out does not mean the 2026 season is sold out.

Source reviewed 2026-10-26

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Illustrative stock photo: Grand Canyon Railway locomotive 237 decorated with a Christmas wreath
Illustrative stock · 2013 · display crop
Bill Morrow / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Antonito, CO · Heritage railroad

Santa’s Holiday Express — Antonito

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad

2026 dates published

December 12–13, 2026

A holiday railway trip from Antonito brings Santa aboard the Cumbres & Toltec train for a December weekend.

Ticket status and source check

The operator supplies ticket information; date-specific remaining seats have not been verified.

Source reviewed 2026-10-26

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Illustrative stock photo: Grand Canyon Railway locomotive 237 decorated with a Christmas wreath
Illustrative stock · 2013 · display crop
Bill Morrow / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Durango, CO · Heritage railroad

THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

2026 dates published

Select departures November 20, 2026–January 2, 2027

The Durango holiday train recreates the Polar Express story with cocoa, music, Santa and a keepsake bell.

Ticket status and source check

The official page offers 2026 ticket bookings. No remaining-seat quantity, class availability or date inventory was checked.

Source reviewed 2026-10-26

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Illustrative stock photo: Grand Canyon Railway locomotive 237 decorated with a Christmas wreath
Illustrative stock · 2013 · display crop
Bill Morrow / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Dolores, CO · Heritage railroad

Santa at the Galloping Goose

Galloping Goose Historical Society of Dolores

2026 dates published

December 12, 2026; event hours 3–7 p.m.

Free rides on Galloping Goose No. 5 and a Santa visit at the Dolores depot; the exact December day still needs confirmation.

Ticket status and source check

The operator describes a free event and Goose rides; no timed-departure capacity was checked.

Source reviewed 2026-10-26

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Illustrative stock photo: Grand Canyon Railway locomotive 237 decorated with a Christmas wreath
Illustrative stock · 2013 · display crop
Bill Morrow / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Leadville, CO · Heritage railroad

Holiday Express

Leadville Railroad

2026 program listed — confirm departures

2026 Holiday Express begins November 14; remaining dates are in live booking

Leadville’s Holiday Express is a two-hour holiday train experience through the Colorado mountains.

Ticket status and source check

The operator supplies ticket information; date-specific remaining seats have not been verified.

Source reviewed 2026-10-26

Plan this ride →
Illustrative stock photo: Grand Canyon Railway locomotive 237 decorated with a Christmas wreath
Illustrative stock · 2013 · display crop
Bill Morrow / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Pueblo, CO · Museum train

Pueblo Express Christmas Trains

Pueblo Railway Museum

2026 dates published

December 11–12, 18–19 and 24, 2026, 4–8 p.m. event windows

Pueblo’s museum publishes evening Pueblo Express Christmas train events on five December dates.

Ticket status and source check

The operator supplies ticket information; date-specific remaining seats have not been verified.

Source reviewed 2026-10-26

Official updates →
Illustrative stock photo: Grand Canyon Railway locomotive 237 decorated with a Christmas wreath
Illustrative stock · 2013 · display crop
Bill Morrow / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Cañon City, CO · Heritage railroad

Santa Express Train

Royal Gorge Route Railroad

2026 dates awaiting verification

2026 departures awaiting reconciliation

Royal Gorge’s Santa Express is a Christmas railway outing. Its 2026 departures have not been confirmed in this guide; follow the official operator for current announcements.

Ticket status and source check

The official product still contains a 2025 trip-date identifier. A 2026 ornament and brochure link do not establish dated 2026 departures or available tickets.

Source reviewed 2026-10-26

Official updates →
How we check the holiday guide

Official operator pages support each source review. Licensed Polar Express status and actual rail operation are checked separately. A season window is not a daily timetable, and older fares are not current prices.

We are an independent planning guide. Optional affiliate travel offers appear separately from official train tickets, with a commission disclosure. Historical photographs are captioned with their date; they do not guarantee this season’s train or decorations.