A Summer of Railroading Heritage!
It’s almost June! As we approach the beginning of summer, this month promises a continuing parade of fun and adventure at the Colorado Railroad Museum! We’ll have the Dinosaur Express Train steaming in this weekend, a Colorado Rails & Cocktails lecture next Friday, June 5, a Volunteer Fair on Saturday, June 6, our Colorado Power Days event with steam trains and more mid-month, plus trains rides and activities taking place every Thursday-Sunday now through mid-August! Something else that returns in June 2026 is Colorado Rail Heritage Week. Here’s what’s coming our way in June 2026:
- Dinosaur Express Train: THIS WEEKEND—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 friendly event often sells out – reserve your tickets NOW!
- Colorado Rails & Cocktails: Friday evening, June 5, our popular lecture series returns! Join us as author and historian Angelina M. Lopez presents this month’s captivating topic centered around Traqueros.
- Museum Volunteer Fair: The Colorado Railroad Museum will hold a Volunteer Fair on Saturday, June 6. During the four-hour fair you can learn about volunteer opportunities, meet and talk with team members in person, and sign up for volunteer orientation sessions.
- Colorado Power Days: The Museum’s popular Father’s Day Weekend event returns on June 20-21, featuring tractors, vintage autos, and engines of many types plus fun activities that families are sure to enjoy!
- “Thrilling Thursdays” plus Train Rides every Thursday-Sunday: Continuing through mid-August, enjoy a leisurely train ride and experience special activities every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Thursdays are a special focus, with lots going on for each "Thrilling Thursday!"
- Colorado Rail Heritage Week: An official proclamation issued by Colorado Governor Polis will kick off a special week that encourages Coloradans to reflect on what railroads have meant to the Centennial State, and to make plans to ride historic trains or visit rail heritage sites or museums.
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:
Dinosaur Express Train: THIS WEEKEND!
Colorado Rails & Cocktails
Join the Museum’s Volunteer Team
Colorado Power Days
Thrilling Thursdays AND Thursday-Sunday Train Rides are Back!
Colorado Rail Heritage Week Returns
Day Out With Thomas™ Tickets On Sale Soon!
Museum Legacy Society
The Latest Online Content
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Dinosaur Express Train
THIS WEEKEND Saturday and Sunday, May 30-31st
Dinosaurs are coming back to Golden, Colorado—only this time, they are arriving on the Dinosaur Express Train! THIS weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 30-31, railroad tracks will meet dinosaur tracks for a day of “fossil-fueled” family fun at the Colorado Railroad Museum, when the Dinosaur Express Train chugs into the Museum’s station.
Nearby Dinosaur Ridge is famous for the dinosaur fossils and tracks discovered there in 1877. The discoveries, which included the world’s first known Stegosaurus and Apatosaurus fossils, helped launch a “dinosaur rush” in the late 19th century. And Golden is where the first T-Rex fossils 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 aboard a train pulled by a coal-fired steam locomotive around the Museum’s half-mile circle of track, with the Dinosaur Express departing every half-hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• A dinosaur themed scavenger hunt where kids and families can look for clues and explore 15 acres of locomotives, rail cars, cabooses and model trains. Plus, Turntable Demonstrations, crafts, and face painting too!
• Dinosaur-themed activities hosted by Dinosaur Ridge, Denver Museum of Nature & Science and the Morrison Natural History Museum.
• The Museum’s lovable mascot “Spike, the Railroad Dog” will be on hand for photo opportunities.
• There will be food, drink, and tasty treats available for purchase.
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 (remember to pre-reserve!), and children under age 2. For tickets and more info, Click Here!
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Colorado Rails & Cocktails
Friday, June 5: Traqueros with Angelina M. Lopez
Join us as author Angelina M. Lopez presents a fascinating look into the history of Traqueros, the Mexican and Mexican American railroad workers who helped build, maintain, and operate rail lines throughout the American West and Midwest. Her presentation will draw upon the extensive research behind her novel After Hours on Milagro Street, highlighting the culture, experiences, and lasting impact of Traquero communities and the important role they played in railroad history. She will also talk about her research process and how historical railroad stories and traditions helped shape the world of the novel. Following the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to purchase copies of her book and meet the author during a book signing.
Admission: $20 Adults (ages 21+ only). Includes 2 beverages of your choice (beer, wine or soda) and snacks. Doors open at 6 p.m., presentation begins promptly at 7 p.m. Space is limited, so advance ticket purchase is recommended. Come enjoy this fun and visual program in the Museum Pavilion, featuring a state of the art Video Wall! Click Here to Purchase Tickets
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Join The Museum's (Volunteer) Team!
Volunteer Fair is June 6
The Colorado Railroad Museum will hold a Volunteer Fair on Saturday, June 6, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. During the four-hour fair you can learn about a variety of volunteer opportunities, meet and talk with team members in person, and sign up for volunteer orientation classes. Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age, and preferably, interested in working with the public, including children and families. We are looking for outgoing people who love to share and work with others, and will adhere to general volunteer safety standards and codes of conduct.
The Museum proudly features a team of 300 volunteers who participate in railroad operation and maintenance, educational and interpretive programs, special events staffing, enhancing the visitor experience, and many other unique roles. You’ll have the chance to help with large events like Day Out with Thomas™ and THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride. Work behind the scenes on new exhibits, inspire school kids to learn about railroad history, and educate and entertain visitors through unique offerings including turntable demonstrations, diesel locomotive simulations, crafts, and interpretive stations.
No prior railroad experience is necessary. Volunteers attend orientation classes and receive on-the-job training, then go on to help visitors have fun while learning about Colorado’s fascinating railroad history. To learn more about volunteering and/or to sign up as a volunteer, join us on June 6. You can also visit www.ColoradoRailroadMuseum.org/Volunteers, or contact Volunteer Manager M’lissa Morgan at mlissa@crrm.org or (720) 274-5141. All Aboard!
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Colorado Power Days
Saturday and Sunday, June 20-21
Father’s Day weekend is rolling in, and there’s no better way to celebrate than with a trip to the Colorado Railroad Museum! Bring the whole family, and rev up your engines for a day of history and adventure. Take a ride behind an authentic coal-burning steam locomotive and step back to a time when internal-combustion and external-combustion engines powered Colorado’s economy. Discover antique tractors, hit-and-miss engines, vintage autos, and even a Fire Truck! Plus, enjoy turntable demonstrations and meet the Museum’s own friendly mascot, Spike the Railroad Dog. Food and tasty treats will be available for purchase.
Activities and train rides take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days, with the Museum grounds open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Remember, online pre-reserved steam-up event tickets include BOTH admission and a train ride! Order online in advance to 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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Thrilling Thursdays AND Thursday-Sunday Train Rides
Continuing Through Mid-August!
This summer, Train Rides at the Colorado Railroad Museum aren’t just on Saturdays. Join us Thursday-Sunday mid-May through mid-August, and enjoy not only a train ride but other activities all four days! 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, re-enactors, 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 our trusty diesel-electric locomotives. We recommend advance ticket purchase, especially if you have a preferred time to ride; on busy days, morning departures in particular can sell out. Members, don’t forget that you can also book your tickets in advance, at no charge, for regular train rides!
Train Tickets (in addition to admission) are $5 adults and seniors, $2 ages 2-17. Remember, Museum Membership provides free admission and regular train rides year-round! Not a member? Visit ColoradoRailroadMuseum.org/membership to learn more, or call us at (303) 279-4591 during business hours. Click Here to Visit our Live Calendar and choose which days you’d like to visit. All Aboard!
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Colorado Rail Heritage Week Returns!June 21-27, 2026
Colorado Governor Jared Polis will soon issue a proclamation for Colorado Rail Heritage Week 2026—for the fourth year in a row—in June!
The proclamation is expected to state in part, “…as the Governor of Colorado, and on behalf of all its citizens, I declare that kicking off on Father’s Day, June 21, 2026 and running through June 27, 2026, this week shall be known as Colorado Railroad Heritage Week in recognition of all that historic railroad preservation has provided to the economy, the tourism industry and the enjoyment of our citizens, and we encourage all Coloradans to celebrate this week during our 150th celebration year by calling out “All Aboard!” and riding a train, visiting a railroad museum, or touring a railroad heritage site to marvel at the magnificent machines that steamed and chugged and battled their way across rivers, through tunnels, and over high-elevation mountain passes to help build Colorado into the state it has become, and better connect us with the rest of the U.S. and the entire world.”
The Colorado Railroad Museum is spearheading efforts to promote Colorado Rail Heritage week each year, in order to raise the visibility of this state’s rich railroading heritage. Why choose a week in June? Because that’s when the first train reached Denver, on June 24, 1870! From that beginning, rails spread throughout the state, and the rest is history. To read the full proclamation from 2025, and to view the 2026 version (just as soon as it’s released), AND to find special, highlighted activities happening throughout the Centennial State in June, please Click Here!
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Day Out With Thomas™ Update
Tickets On Sale in Late July!
Peep! Peep! Thomas the Tank Engine is rolling into Golden, Colorado for three weekends of fun this September. Join us at Day Out With Thomas™, where families can climb aboard the Let’s Rock, Let’s Roll tour for outdoor fun and more when the #1 Engine pulls into the Colorado Railroad Museum on the weekends of September 12-13, 19-20, and 26-27, 2026!
Every ticket includes an interactive train ride behind a life-sized Thomas the Tank Engine. You’ll also enjoy access to family friendly activities including live entertainment, a hay bale maze, stage shows, hands-on activities in the Play Pod, sing-a-longs, and plenty of festive fun and photo opportunities! Tickets for this Day Out With Thomas™ event go on sale to the public beginning Tuesday, July 28. Ticket prices are $27 for ages 1 and up (service charges and fees may apply). Capacity will be limited, and advanced tickets are required. Walk-up sales will NOT be available.
For all current Museum Members, you’ll have the opportunity to purchase tickets for Day Out With Thomas™ starting one week in advance of the public on-sale date (July 21). In addition to this exclusive advance purchase opportunity, you’ll enjoy a limited time-only offer to receive a discount of $2 off every ticket purchased. Stay tuned for further emails! For more information, and to purchase tickets (beginning July 28 for non-members), visit www.ColoradoRailroadMuseum.org/Day-Out-With-Thomas/.
Not a Museum Member? Membership in the Colorado Railroad Museum has its benefits, including early access to tickets for Day Out With Thomas™ and THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride, and you also gain the satisfaction of knowing that you’re supporting a great cause, too! Learn more about Museum Membership by Clicking Here, or call us (Tuesday-Sunday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. MST) at (303) 279-4591.
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Colorado Railroad Museum Legacy Society
Consider Including the Museum in Your Estate Plans
Several years ago, the Colorado Railroad Museum Legacy Society was created to honor those who have included the Museum in their estate plans. Members enjoy perks such as an invitation to an annual luncheon hosted by the Museum’s executive director—this year, the fourth annual gathering was held in May aboard Golden City & San Juan “diner” No. 80. A leisurely trip around the Museum’s loop trackage ended up at the roundhouse with a special guided tour of current projects for those in attendance.
Of course, the greatest reward is knowing that your legacy will help the Museum continue its important work for generations to come. One of the easiest ways to contribute is by designating the Museum as the beneficiary of a 401K or IRA account, which also offers significant tax benefits. There are many other options available, and the Museum’s staff, along with your estate planning and tax professionals, can help guide you through the process. For more information, or to add your name to the Legacy Society, please contact Deputy Director Rob Kramer at (720) 274-5149 or rob@crrm.org.
Does your company match charitable contributions? Many large employers do—and some smaller ones as well. If you’re not sure, we encourage you to check with your employer. This can really help by increasing, sometimes even doubling, contributions that you make to nonprofit education organizations including the Colorado Railroad Museum. For a recap of progress during 2025 and a listing of projects being undertaken in 2026, please Click Here to learn more about supporting the Museum!
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The Latest Online Content
Virtual Programs Available 24/7!
During the month of May, the Colorado Railroad Museum’s staff team has again created a full lineup of new programs that YOU can experience in the comfort of your own home. All Aboard, Online!
Now available online are new episodes of all our popular, ongoing series, including the latest Storytime & Craft episode for young children and families. And, if you’re still craving delicious food, you won’t want to miss our most recent Dining on the Rails post which features Baking Powder Biscuits and the Florence & Cripple Creek Railroad. Another new taste sensation will debut next month! Click Here to search the latest offerings on our website.
There’s Lots More Content to Like, Share and Follow! Whether you’re on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok, 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 May this the Buckhorn Exchange Restaurant), highlight items in the Museum’s collection (for May, this was the Denver & Salt Lake Railroad Phone Booth) 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 May, this was William Henry Jackson). Click Here to see a collected feed of all our Social Media channels and posts, and “find your follow!”
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