Springtime In Golden
Happy March! As we head into spring, there’s plenty going on at the Colorado Railroad Museum. This is a great time of year for a family visit—we’ve got Saturday Train Rides, Galloping Goose rides on Sundays and selected Tuesdays, Friday Tours, and—for families with young children—Story Time & Craft as well as Storybook Tours taking place selected dates. But wait, there’s more! Here’s a preview of what’s heading our way in March 2026:
- Spring Break Activities at the Museum! Need a place to take the kids while they are out of school during Spring Break? Join us at the Museum Tuesday-Friday, March 24-27, for a week of hands-on activities related to the railroads, with Train Rides also available each day.
- Saturday Train Rides Continue along with Galloping Goose Rides on Sundays and selected Tuesdays! Advance ticket purchase is recommended—especially for Goose rides, which have limited capacity. Members, you can reserve a Train Ride or Goose Ride free of charge online as well. If you’re looking for somewhere to take the family, 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 first free day of 2025 is Thursday, March 12! Advance Reservations Required.
- Colorado Rails & Cocktails resumes in early April: The Museum’s popular lecture series launches for 2026 on Friday, April 3, 2026. New for 2026: Season tickets available for all four Colorado Rails & Cocktails!
- Annual Survey of Museum-Goers: The Colorado Railroad Museum is excited to participate in the Annual Survey of Museum-Goers, conducted in partnership with Wilkening Consulting and the American Alliance of Museums. Stay tuned as this survey will be hitting your inbox soon!
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:
Spring Break at the Museum!
SCFD Free Day – Thursday, March 12
Colorado Rails & Cocktails – Friday, April 3
Saturday Train Rides plus Sunday and Tuesday Galloping Goose Rides!
Annual Survey of Museum-Goers
New Online Content - Find Your Follow
Durango & Silverton Excursion Update
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Spring Break at the Museum!
Tuesday-Friday, March 24-27
Need a place to take the kids while they are out of school during Spring Break? The Colorado Railroad Museum has a solution! Enjoy Train Rides, pop-up exhibits, craft projects, and a host of other special activities and demonstrations. This year’s Spring Break theme is Trail Blazing Trains, highlighting some of the quirky and unusual equipment in the Museum’s collection. Learn about cogs, Galloping Geese, funiculars, and more! It’s a week of hands-on activities related to the railroad and those connected with it. Mark your calendars now for March 24-27, 2026!
Activities and demonstrations take place each day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Train Rides will depart every half-hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Regular admission fees apply: $12 adults, $ 10 seniors ages 60+, $5 ages 2-17, under age 2 free. Train Rides are an additional $5 adults and seniors, $2 ages 2-17. Train Ride seating is limited, and advance reservations are recommended: Click Here to reserve yours today! All Aboard for Spring Break!
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SCFD Free Day
Thursday, March 12
The Museum is thrilled to offer Free General Admission to all on Thursday, March 12!
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 Rails & Cocktails Returns!
Friday, April 3 – Hell on Wheels Uncovered – with Riley Limbaugh
The Museum is excited to kick off this year’s Colorado Rails & Cocktails series with a special presentation by Riley Limbaugh on Friday, April 3!
Riley is an archaeology graduate student, currently leading a fieldwork project focused on Julesburg III, the site of the “Hell on Wheels Julesburg,” the only location in Colorado through which the Transcontinental Railroad passed. His lecture will explore the fascinating history of the multiple Julesburg town sites, provide context on the Transcontinental Railroad and Colorado’s small but significant role in it, and highlight the broader history of the region, including its connection to the Pony Express.
Riley will also dive into the field work, sharing details about his ongoing research project and the archaeological methods being used to uncover the past. From GIS mapping to LiDAR technology, he’ll discuss how modern tools are helping historians and archaeologists better understand historical sites like this one.
Admission is $20 Adults, with advance reservations strongly suggested to ensure seating. Ages 21+ only. Admission includes 2 beverages of your choice (beer, wine, or soda) and a selection of light snacks. The presentation begins promptly at 7 p.m.
For the first time ever, the Museum is offering Colorado Rails & Cocktails season tickets! Secure your seat for all four of the 2026 lectures with a bundled pass for $80. Members receive a 10% discount when purchasing the bundle. Don’t miss a single evening of history, engaging conversation, and cocktails! To reserve tickets, Click Here or call the Museum (Tues-Sun 9 a.m.-5 p.m.) at 303-279-4591 to reserve your seats today. All Aboard!
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Saturday Train Rides PLUS Galloping Goose Rides
Trains Every Saturday; select Tuesdays for the Goose and Sundays, too!
Saturday Train Rides have resumed for 2026, and will continue through mid-May! Thereafter, frequency increases for the summer with Train Rides available Thursday-Sunday mid-May through mid-August. 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).
The 2026 operating season features trains pulled by one of our trusty diesel-electric locomotives, with both open-air and enclosed coaches for your enjoyment (weather-dependent). Advance ticket purchase is recommended; on busy days selected departures often sell out. Members, don’t forget that you can also book your tickets in advance, at no charge, for regular train rides! Click Here to purchase tickets.
Train Tickets (in addition to regular admission) are $5 adults and senior, $2 ages 2-17. 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.
ALSO AVAILABLE THIS SPRING: The Colorado Railroad Museum’s unique Galloping Goose self-propelled “motor” operates every Sunday through mid-May, as well as on the first and third Tuesday of each month from mid-January through early May, coinciding with family programming at the Museum! Galloping Goose Rides are available from 10 a.m.– 3 p.m. Ride tickets (in addition to regular admission) are $5 for adults and seniors, $2 for ages 2-17.
Galloping Goose No. 7, built in 1936, offers a unique ride experience. 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 Goose No. 7’s Big Train Tour episode for a complete, illustrated history of this last-to-be-built Galloping Goose.
Click Here to view our Train Ride calendar, see when the Galloping Goose will be operating next, and purchase tickets! All Aboard!
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Annual Survey of Museum-Goers
Coming to your inbox soon!
The Colorado Railroad Museum is thrilled to be participating in the Annual Survey of Museum-Goers, conducted in partnership with Wilkening Consulting and the American Alliance of Museums. This important survey will help the Museum gain a deeper understanding of who our visitors are, their interests, and what drives their museum experience.
By participating in the survey, the Museum will gain valuable insights into the demographics, behaviors, and values of our visitors. With this data, the Museum looks forward to continued enhancement of our offerings, and experiences that truly resonate with our community.
Keep an eye on your inbox – the survey will be arriving soon! Your participation is greatly appreciated, and we look forward to using your feedback to continuously improve the Colorado Railroad Museum’s programs, events and offerings.
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New Online Content
Virtual Programs Available Online!
The Colorado Railroad Museum’s staff team once again has been hard at work during February 2026 to create 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 Story Time & Craft episode featuring a fun craft activity that younger children will love doing at home. And, if you’re craving delicious food with a side of history, you won’t want to miss our latest Dining On the Rails post. This month’s post dives into the history of Railroad Post Offices and Valentine’s Day served with a side of classic Neapolitan Ice Cream. Another tasty recipe—and story—will debut in March. Click here for the complete list of past Dining On The Rails blog posts. Plus, don’t miss the latest Big Train Tour video, which dives into the rich history of Rio Grande Southern caboose No. 0404. Click here to watch!
These videos help you to experience Colorado’s rich railroading heritage even if you can’t make it to the Museum in person this month. Click Here to search the latest video offerings on our website!
There’s Lots More Content to Like, Share and Follow! Whether you’re on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube, the Colorado Railroad Museum posts interesting tidbits, stories, and videos throughout the week. Come along as we visit a Colorado “Railroad Attraction of the Month” throughout the year (for February, this was The American Museum of Western Art), highlight items in the Museum’s collection (for February this was Traqueros: Mexican Trackworkers and the American Railroad), and see what’s going on with programs and exhibits, in the Museum Roundhouse, and more. Plus, follow along for the all-new monthly feature “Railroad Personality of the Month” (for February, this was Harvey Pipkin). Click Here to see a collected feed of all our Social Media channels and posts, and “find your follow!”
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Rio Grande Southern Nos. 20 and 0404 Update:
Durango Offsite Excursions a Big Hit!
Rio Grande Southern (RGS) steam locomotive No. 20, one of the Museum’s most iconic narrow gauge locomotives, in January and February pulled a variety of special excursions and even took part in several photo charters on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (D&SNGRR). These offsite, special trains have been a central part of the Colorado Railroad Museum’s 2026 Colorado 150 – America 250 commemorative programming.
If you are a social media follower, you have likely seen some of the images from these trips. Although there was a lack of snow for the January and early February departures, those present for the final round of excursions—near the end of February—enjoyed a winter wonderland filled with snow. The Colorado Railroad Museum is so pleased to have partnered with the D&SNGRR to make these unique, winter excursions possible!
Locomotive No. 20 was present for these trips, as was RGS caboose No. 0404, restored by D&SNGRR crews in 2025 under contract to the Museum and completed in time to join the festivities. If you were fortunate enough to join one of these trips, we certainly hope you had an enjoyable time. The Museum looks forward to offering more offsite “live rail experiences” in the coming months and years – stay tuned, as we hope to announce new opportunities soon!
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| Thanks to our generous Sponsors & Partners
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