GOLDEN, CO
Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation, Inc.
At a Glance
- TypeHeritage railroad & tourist attraction
- LocationGOLDEN, CO
- Rating4.6 ★3,296 Google reviews
- UpcomingSat, Sep 12
About Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation, Inc.
Golden, CO museum with regular Saturday diesel-electric train rides, Sunday Galloping Goose rides, Day Out With Thomas, and The Polar Express.
Upcoming Events
Plan Your Visit
- ParkingFree lot · paid lot · street parking
- AccessibilityWheelchair-accessible entrance · accessible restroom · accessible parking
- HoursMonday: ClosedTuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMWednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMThursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMFriday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMSaturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMSunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Find the Depot
The Trains
Over 100 historic narrow- and standard-gauge locomotives and cars are displayed outdoors on tracks fitted with a rare three-way stub switch, dual-gauge track and switches, and century-old switch stands; trains use a one-third-mile oval of three-foot-gauge track on operating days. A roster anchor is former Denver and Rio Grande Western No. 683, a coal-burning 2-8-0 Consolidation built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1890 and the only surviving standard-gauge steam locomotive from that railroad. It shares the grounds with Rio Grande Southern Galloping Geese Nos. 2, 6, and 7, a West Side Lumber Company Shay, a Colorado & Southern rotary snowplow, and D&RGW diesels including F9 A and B units, a GP30, and an SD40T-2 donated in 2018. Riders can catch regular Saturday diesel-powered trains, Sunday Galloping Goose runs, narrow-gauge steam on special 'Steam Up' event days, plus Day Out With Thomas and The Polar Express.
History
See full history
Known to visitors as the Colorado Railroad Museum, this non-profit was established in 1959 to preserve a record of Colorado's flamboyant railroad era — above all the state's pioneering narrow-gauge mountain railroads. The museum occupies 19.5 acres along the former Colorado and Southern Railway line in Golden, at the point where Clear Creek flows between North and South Table Mountains. Its main building is a replica of an 1880s-style railroad depot, housing original photographs by pioneer photographers William Henry Jackson and Louis Charles McClure, paintings by Howard L. Fogg, Otto Kuhler, and Ted Rose, and a bay-window recreation of a depot telegrapher's office complete with a working telegraph sounder. The lower level holds an exhibition hall for seasonal and traveling railroading displays plus the Denver HO Model Railroad Club's operating 'Denver and Western' layout, while the Robert W. Richardson Library preserves more than 10,000 rare historic photographs along with timetables, maps, employee records, and engineering documents about Colorado railroads.
Around the Depot
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Optional trip extras from our travel partners.
Rent a Car
Most heritage railroads sit well off the interstate. Picking up a rental at the nearest airport is usually the easiest way in.
Compare rentals on Discover Cars →Bookings made through this link support usatrainrides at no extra cost to you.
Tours & Activities near Golden
Tours
Guided tours, day trips, and things to do around the area, bookable in advance through Viator.
Browse nearby tours →Bookings made through this link support usatrainrides at no extra cost to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation, Inc. located?
GOLDEN, CO 80392
How do I get tickets to Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation, Inc.?
Tickets and current schedules are available on the operator's official website at http://www.coloradorailroadmuseum.org.
When is the next event at Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation, Inc.?
The next scheduled event is "Day Out With Thomas" on Saturday, September 12, 2026. See the full upcoming-events list on this page.