Streetcar museum, restoration shop, and short demonstration ride

Pikes Peak Trolley Museum & Restoration Shop

About 5.5 miles straight-line from the Cog depot; plan a separate drive

Follow the Cog trip with an 1888 roundhouse, original regional streetcars, restoration work, model railroads, and a retired Pikes Peak Cog car.

The place

About Pikes Peak Trolley Museum & Restoration Shop

Pikes Peak Trolley Museum & Restoration Shop is the public museum of the independent nonprofit Pikes Peak Historical Street Railway Foundation. The foundation was established in 1982 to preserve Pikes Peak-region street-railway history, and it has operated the museum in the former 1888 Rock Island roundhouse in Colorado Springs since 1994.

A guided visit combines streetcar photographs and maps, original Colorado Springs cars, restoration projects, seven model-train layouts, trolley bells and wooden train sets for children, an adjacent Rock Island railroad museum inside a boxcar, and views of current Union Pacific and BNSF Joint Line traffic. The museum also publishes a short demonstration-track ride on a PCC car as part of the visit.

The collection makes this the strongest train-first companion to the mountain railway. It includes operational Birney car No. 135 for special events, original Laclede car No. 59 under restoration, 1901 Brill car No. 48 awaiting restoration, PCC No. 2129 used for demonstration rides, and retired 1965 Pikes Peak Cog Railway car No. 17, named Aspen. Car No. 17 is presented as a group-event space rather than a ride.

Public hours are Thursday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the last guided tour at 2 p.m. Current admission is $9 adult, $7 senior age 62-plus or active military, $5 ages 5–12, and free under age five. The current site does not publish step-free routes, restroom access, surface conditions, seating, or boarding support for the demonstration ride, so call before travel for any feature-specific need.

What stands out

Tour an 1888 roundhouse

Read the surviving Rock Island structure as both a railroad building and the working home of a volunteer restoration program.

Find the retired Cog car

Compare preserved 1965 Cog Railway car No. 17 with the modern and legacy units seen at the Ruxton Avenue depot.

Ride the demonstration track

Take the museum's published short PCC ride as a different electric-streetcar experience from the mountain cog railway.

Move between full-size and model rail

Use original cars, restoration projects, seven layouts, trolley bells, and the adjacent boxcar museum to compare scales and purposes.

Pair it with the train

Why it belongs in a The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway trip

This ranks first even though it is about 5.5 miles straight-line from the Cog depot because it extends the rail story most directly: a regional trolley museum, active restoration shop, demonstration streetcar ride, full-size and model rail exhibits, an adjacent Rock Island museum, and the retired Pikes Peak Cog car No. 17. Plan it as a separate drive and respect the 2 p.m. last-tour cutoff.

Before you go

Plan your visit

  • HoursThursday–Saturday, 9:30 a.m.–3 p.m.; closed Sunday–Wednesday
  • Last tour2 p.m.; the visit is guided, so arrive before the cutoff rather than treating 3 p.m. as an entry time
  • Admission$9 adults; $7 seniors age 62+ and active military; $5 ages 5–12; free under age 5
  • Included experienceGuided roundhouse and restoration visit, streetcar and railroad exhibits, seven model layouts, and a short PCC demonstration ride
  • Direct Cog connectionRetired 1965 Pikes Peak Cog Railway car No. 17 Aspen is preserved as a static event space
  • Train watchingThe museum publishes views of Union Pacific and BNSF Joint Line traffic; remain within staff-directed visitor areas
  • AccessibilityStep-free paths, restroom access, seating, surface conditions, and demonstration-car boarding support are not published; call before travel
  • Time to allowAllow roughly 60–90 minutes and more if your guided conversation or restoration interest runs deep

Return to Manitou's 1890s story

Add Miramont Castle Museum

Walk a four-floor castle near the Cog depot for the architecture, local people, and resort-era setting surrounding the railway's first decades.

View the guide →

Useful answers

Frequently asked questions

When is Pikes Peak Trolley Museum open?

The current schedule is Thursday–Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the last guided tour at 2 p.m. It is closed Sunday–Wednesday.

How much is admission?

Admission is $9 for adults, $7 for seniors age 62-plus and active military, $5 for children ages 5–12, and free for children under five.

Is there a streetcar ride?

Yes. The museum publishes a short demonstration-track ride on a PCC car as part of the visit, but boarding support and day-specific operating conditions are not detailed online.

What connects this museum to the Pikes Peak Cog Railway?

The collection preserves retired 1965 Cog Railway car No. 17 Aspen as a static event space, giving visitors a direct equipment comparison after the summit trip.

What else is in the museum?

The guided visit includes regional streetcar history, original cars, restoration work, seven model-train layouts, an adjacent Rock Island boxcar museum, children's train activities, and Joint Line train watching.

Is the museum wheelchair-accessible?

The current site does not publish step-free paths, restroom access, surface conditions, seating, or demonstration-car boarding support. Call 719-475-9508 before travel.

Trust and accuracy

Sources

Source checked 2026-08-15. This free guide has not yet been confirmed by the venue. Current hours, prices, services, and accessibility can change; confirm time-sensitive details directly.