Spring into Summer, in Golden!
Happy May! This month promises lots of fun and adventure at the Colorado Railroad Museum. Beginning Thursday, May 14, trains will return to operation four days each week—joined by special activities every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The weekend of May 16-17, authentic, coal-fired steam locomotives and all three of the Museum’s Galloping Geese will join together for "Colorado Crossings," Metro Denver’s biggest rail enthusiast event. A used railroad book sale will also be featured that same weekend! Finally, during the last weekend of May, prehistoric fun will take over the Colorado Railroad Museum as the Dinosaur Express Train returns for families! Here’s a preview of what’s heading our way in May 2026:
- Small Wonders Weekend – This Weekend! Join us for the second annual Small Wonders Weekend! This special celebration of scale model railroading and toy trains invites guests to 'marvel at the minis' while exploring the Museum’s impressive small-scale railroads from the Denver HO Model Railroad Club and the Denver Garden Railway Society, plus special O gauge displays from the High Plains 3 Railers.
- Final “Galloping Goose” Rides for Spring 2026: Since mid-January, the Colorado Railroad Museum has offered rides aboard “Galloping Goose” motor No. 7 on Sundays and selected Tuesdays, coinciding with family programming at the Museum. The final chance to take advantage of this unique ride experience until the fall is Sunday, May 10! After that, steam and diesel locomotives will take over operations for the summer season.
- Train Rides every Thursday-Sunday starting May 14: Enjoy a leisurely train ride, and experience special activities through mid-August! Looking for a fun family outing—or entertaining out-of-town guests? Make the Museum part of your plans!
- SCFD Free Day: In celebration of our partnership with the SCFD (Scientific and Cultural Facilities District), the Museum is proud to offer free general admission to all visitors on select dates throughout the year. Mark your calendar, the next free day for 2026 is Thursday, May 7! Advance Reservations Required.
- Colorado Crossings: May 16-17, the Museum will host Metro Denver’s largest rail enthusiast event, with an exciting weekend that kicks off each day with a parade of Galloping Geese and Steam, followed by Train Rides, special photographer’s trains, historic locomotive cab tours and more! This year’s event will feature a Florence & Cripple Creek reunion with two coal-burning steam locomotives in operation, along with special presentations and booksignings!
- Used Railroad Book Sale: Saturday and Sunday, May 16-17 (also during Colorado Crossings weekend), the Colorado Railroad Museum is hosting a repeat of last year’s “Big Boy of a Used Book Sale!” Hundreds of railroad publications will be on sale at bargain-basement prices.
- Dinosaur Express Train: Saturday and Sunday, May 30-31, dinosaurs return to the Colorado Railroad Museum! Coal-fired steam locomotives and train rides will also be part of the prehistoric fun. This popular family event sells out quickly – reserve your tickets today.
- Looking Ahead, June 2026: Colorado Rails & Cocktails returns June 5 (Traqueros is the theme), and the Museum will host a Volunteer Fair the very next day! Mid-month, join the fun and ride behind an authentic, coal-burning steam locomotive during Colorado Power Days at the Museum on June 20-21. Finally, from June 20–27, “Colorado Rail Heritage Week” will celebrate the vibrant railroading legacy that has shaped Colorado’s history and inspired generations. Come enjoy all the Museum has to offer during Colorado's 150th anniversary, and America's 250th!
Read about all these and more in this issue of the Telegrapher. We appreciate your interest in the Museum, and thank you for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you soon in Golden!
Paul Hammond
Executive Director
IN THIS ISSUE:
Small Wonders Weekend
Last Chance for Spring 2026 Galloping Goose Rides
Thursday-Sunday Train Rides Launching
SCFD Free Day - Thursday, May 7
Colorado Crossings and Used Book Sale Return!
Dinosaur Express Train
Looking Ahead: June 2026
The Latest Online Content
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Small Wonders Weekend
This Saturday and Sunday!
Join us at the Colorado Railroad Museum this weekend, May 2-3, 2026, for an exciting event: Small Wonders Weekend! This special celebration of scale model railroading and toy trains invites guests to "marvel at the minis" while exploring the Museum’s incredible small-scale railroads. Featured layouts include the extensive on-site displays operated by the Denver Garden Railway Society and the Denver HO Model Railroad Club. But don’t let the “small” fool you, full-size Steam Train Rides will also be running all weekend long! Climb aboard and take a ride behind an authentic coal-burning steam locomotive.
For this special weekend, the High Plains 3 Railers will set up a modular O gauge layout in the Museum Pavilion, adding even more miniature trains in action! That means visitors will get to see O gauge, HO, and G gauge trains running throughout the event. Plus, guests will have the unique opportunity to operate trains on the Garden Railroad layout via remote control, under supervision. Live operators will also be on hand in the Museum Depot basement to run the HO model railroad and answer questions.
Throughout the day, videos highlighting the history of both layouts will play in the Museum Depot’s Upper Gallery, while live presentations will explore "small train basics" like the differences between toy trains and scale models, as well as scale vs. gauge in miniature railroading. Whether you're a longtime model train enthusiast or just getting started, this event is perfect for all ages!
Activities and demonstrations take place each day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Train Rides will depart every half-hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. New this year for Steam-Up Event weekends, online pre-reserved tickets include BOTH admission and a train ride! Order online in advance and SAVE $5 per ticket! Online Tickets: $17 Adults, $7 Kids (ages 2-17), $15 Seniors (ages 60+) On-Site Tickets: $22 Adults, $12 Kids (ages 2-17), $20 Seniors (ages 60+). Free for Museum members and children under age 2. For tickets and more info, Click Here!
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Last Chance: Sunday, May 10!
Final Rides for Spring aboard Galloping Goose No. 7
In early May, the Colorado Railroad Museum will offer this season’s final Galloping Goose rides. Since mid-January, the Museum has operated rides aboard this Colorado original, known as the Galloping Goose. The last opportunity for a Tuesday Goose ride is May 5, and the final opportunity of the season is on Sunday, May 10. After that, steam and diesel locomotives will take over summer train operations!
Galloping Goose No. 7, built in 1936, offers a unique experience for riders. Converted from a four-door, 1926 Pierce-Arrow model 33 automobile, it was the final “Goose” to be built for southwestern Colorado’s famed Rio Grande Southern narrow-gauge railroad. Want to learn more before your journey? Click Here to watch No. 7’s Big Train Tour episode for a complete, illustrated history.
Goose rides will be offered from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Ride Tickets (in addition to regular admission) are $5 adults, $2 ages 2-17 and seniors.
Click Here to view our Train Ride calendar and reserve your tickets for the final runs of the Museum’s Galloping Goose this season. All Aboard!
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Thursday-Sunday Train Rides Launching!
Mid-May through Mid-August, with Activities Too!
Starting Thursday, May 14, Train Rides at the Colorado Railroad Museum aren’t just on Saturdays—frequency increases for the summer, with Train Rides available Thursday-Sunday mid-May through mid-August 2026! Trains depart every half-hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a lunch break for the crew at 12:30 p.m. (no departure at that time).
In addition to Train Rides, enjoy Thrilling Thursday activities every Thursday, with pop-up exhibits, live demonstrations, and a variety of activities ongoing from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Every Friday, enjoy two separate Friday Tours with a different focus each week—Click Here to reserve your tour tickets in advance. And every Saturday and Sunday, enjoy Touring the Rails activities! Try your hand at pushing the Museum’s “Armstrong”-powered turntable, for instance, or climb into the cab of a diesel-electric locomotive to experience a simulation of how it operates, or perhaps learn about the time-honored communication system of telegraphy and how it became a big part of railroading beginning in the mid-19th century.
The 2026 operating season features trains pulled by one of the Museum’s trusty diesel-electric locomotives. We recommend advance ticket purchase, especially if you have a preferred time to ride; on busy days, selected departures often sell out. Members don’t forget to book your tickets in advance, at no charge, for regular train rides. To reserve admission and train ride tickets Click Here!
Train Tickets (in addition to admission) are $5 adults, $2 ages 2-17 and seniors. Remember, Museum Membership provides free admission and regular train rides year-round! Not a member? Visit www.ColoradoRailroadMuseum.org/membership to learn more, or call us at (303) 279-4591 during business hours. All Aboard!
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SCFD Free Day
Thursday, May 7
The Museum is thrilled to offer Free General Admission to all on Thursday, May 7.
Due to the growing popularity of SCFD Free Days and limited on-site parking, advance online reservations are now required for this event. All guests MUST reserve their free admission tickets online ahead of time. This updated system will help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone.
Train rides will also be available for a small additional fee of $5 for adults and seniors and $2 for children ages 2–17. Trains depart on the half-hour between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. When reserving your free admission tickets online, you may add train ride tickets to your order at the same time.
What is the SCFD? The SCFD is a voter-approved funding model unique to the seven-county Denver metro region. Just one penny of every $10 collected in sales and use tax supports SCFD, with funds distributed to nearly 300 arts, science, and cultural organizations throughout the region. Thanks to this incredible public investment, organizations like the Colorado Railroad Museum are able to provide accessible programming, engaging educational opportunities, and free admission days like this one, helping keep Colorado’s cultural community vibrant and within reach for all.
To reserve your tickets, please CLICK HERE.
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Colorado Crossings: Florence & Cripple Creek Reunion!Metro Denver’s Largest Rail Enthusiast Event Returns May 16-17
The Colorado Railroad Museum is excited to bring back the Denver Metro's largest and most colorful festival of operating trains on May 16–17, 2026. This year's theme centers around a Florence & Cripple Creek Reunion, celebrating the storied history of Colorado's Florence & Cripple Creek (F&CC) railroad, bringing together several rail vehicles that once ran its tracks.
Both days will feature the Museum's beloved Rio Grande Southern steam locomotive No. 20, joined by honored guest Denver & Rio Grande Western steam locomotive No. 315, currently on loan from the Durango Railroad Historical Society. Both locomotives were originally constructed for the F&CC in the 1890s and both will be in operation this weekend! Also in operation will be the Museum's own D&RGW No. 491, currently the largest coal-burning narrow gauge steam locomotive operating in North America. Plus, on static display, look for D&RGW No. 318 (another F&CC alumnus) and a freshly refurbished F&CC boxcar No. 588. Making for an exciting weekend for railfans of all ages!
The weekend’s activities include:
• Ride on a steam train pulled by a vintage, coal-burning steam locomotive! This weekend, trains will be pulled by Rio Grande Southern No. 20 and visiting locomotive D&RGW No. 315, both F&CC originals dating to the 1890s.
• A “Parade of Geese and Steam” starting each day at 9:30 a.m. featuring all three of the Museum's Rio Grande Southern "Galloping Geese" railcars, Nos. 2, 6, and 7, all built in Colorado in the 1930s, plus steam locomotives No. 20, No. 491, and visiting locomotive No. 315. For rail photo buffs, this will be a unique opportunity to capture an impressive parade of vintage railroad equipment in operation.
• Turntable demonstrations will be ongoing each day, allowing visitors the chance to push a full-sized railroad turntable by hand.
• Live presentations by railroad historian George Neiderauer, detailing the history of former F&CC locomotives Nos. 20, 315, and 318 and offering guests the chance to learn more, with video histories of Nos. 20 and 318 airing throughout the day on the Museum Pavilion's large-screen video wall.
• A Big Boy of a Used Book Sale, with hundreds of used railroad books available at bargain-basement prices, will be ongoing 10 a.m.-3 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday this weekend.
• Cab tours of D&RGW steam locomotive No. 491 will allow visitors to tour the cab of a working steam locomotive up close, between approximately 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day.
• Late each afternoon, once regular Train Rides conclude, a special photographers’ freight train will operate. A variety of vintage freight cars from the Museum’s collection will be included in the consist.
Food, beverages and treats will be available for purchase both days. Activities will be ongoing from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (parade of locomotives and Geese kicks off at 9:30 a.m. both days) with photo train operating late each day (approximately 3:30-4:30 p.m.), after regular Train Rides end. This popular event has sold out for the past three years in a row, so advance ticket reservations are strongly suggested by Clicking Here. Plus, reserve your tickets online in advance and SAVE $5 per ticket! Come join the fun!
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Dinosaur Express TrainSaturday and Sunday, May 30-31
Dinosaurs are coming back to Golden, Colorado— only this time, they are arriving on the Dinosaur Express Train! On Saturday and Sunday, May 30-31, 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 tracks were found. So, it’s only fitting that two of every kid’s favorite things – dinosaurs and trains - be brought together for this fun festival!
Activities will include:
• Rides on a train pulled by a coal-fired steam locomotive around the Museum’s half-mile circle of track, with the Dinosaur Express Train departing every half-hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• A “Follow the Dinosaur Tracks Adventure,” where kids and families can follow large dino tracks around 15 acres of locomotives, rail car, cabooses and model trains.
• Dinosaur-themed activities hosted by the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Dinosaur Ridge and the Morrison Natural History Museum.
• The Museum’s own mascot “Spike, the Railroad Dog” will be on hand for photo opportunities.
• Food, drink, and tasty treats will be available for purchase.
Capacity is limited, so don’t delay! Book your tickets online today for the Dinosaur Express Train by Clicking Here! Don’t forget to reserve your tickets in advance to save $5 per person!
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Looking Ahead – June 2025Colorado Rail Heritage Week Returns!
Colorado Rails & Cocktails – Friday, June 5: Join us for a fascinating evening exploring railroad history through the lens of the traqueros—the railroad workers whose labor helped shape many Latinx communities across the American West. Author Angelina M. Lopez will discuss her romance novel, After Hours on Milagro Street, which is set in Argentine, Kansas, an historically significant Traquero community with a large Latinx population.
Drawing on historical research, Angelina’s presentation will explore the railroad’s influence on daily life, culture, and community in Argentine, as well as her own process of researching and bringing these stories to life through fiction. The evening will conclude with a book signing opportunity.
Join the (Volunteer) Team! – The Colorado Railroad Museum will hold a Volunteer Fair on Saturday, June 6, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn about volunteer opportunities, meet and talk with team members in person, and sign up for volunteer training classes. To learn more about volunteering and/or to sign up as a volunteer, please visit www.ColoradoRailroadMuseum.org/Volunteers, or or contact Deputy Director Rob Kramer at rob@crrm.org or by phone at 720-274-5149. All Aboard!
Colorado Power Days, June 20-21, 2026. Enjoy a special Father's Day weekend outing with the whole family during "Colorado Power Days" at the Colorado Railroad Museum! This weekend, the focus will be on power of all types—check out antique tractors, diesel motorcars, hit-and-miss engines, Model A and Model T automobiles, even a fire truck. And of course, steam locomotion, too! There will be food, family-friendly activities, and steam train rides every half-hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Advance purchase of admission and train ride tickets recommended.
Colorado Rail Heritage Week: More than any other undertaking, railroads have transformed Colorado from a wild, isolated, sparsely populated and geographically challenging territory into a booming state. Rail Heritage Week is a time for Coloradans to reflect on all that railroads have meant to the Centennial State for over 150 years, and to make plans to ride an historic train or visit a rail heritage site or museum. Rail heritage sites can be found just about everywhere in Colorado – from the eastern plains of Julesburg, Hugo and Limon, to the San Luis Valley in the south, to Western Slope communities from Dolores to Grand Junction to Winter Park, and along the Front Range from Fort Collins to Pueblo and Raton. Stay tuned for more details coming in early June!
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The Latest Online Content & Virtual ProgramsThere’s Lots More Content to Like and Share!
During the month of April, the Colorado Railroad Museum’s staff has created a full lineup of new programs that YOU can experience in the comfort of your own home. All aboard, online!
Now available are new episodes of all our popular, ongoing series, including the latest Storytime & Craft episode. Plus, if you’re craving a taste of history don’t miss the newest Dining on the Rails blog, which highlights Sugar Beets and the railroads, featuring a Pullman Company Strawberry Shortcake recipe. A new culinary adventure will debut later this month! Click here to explore the latest offerings on our website.
Like, share, follow, and more! Whether you're on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, the Colorado Railroad Museum posts interesting tidbits, stories, and videos throughout each week. Come along as we visit a Colorado “Railroad Attraction of the Month” throughout the year (for April this was Phantom Canyon Road and the Florence & Cripple Creek), highlight items in the Museum’s collection (for April this was Denver & Rio Grande Western Steam Locomotive No. 318, a Florence & Cripple Creek alumnus), and see what’s going on with programs and exhibits, in the Museum Roundhouse, and more. Plus, follow along for the new monthly feature “Railroad Personality of the Month” (for April, this was the Museum’s 2025 Volunteer of the Year, Bob Graham). Click Here to see a collected feed of all our Social Media channels and posts, and “find your follow!”
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