Colorado Railroad Museum

[ckirschb]

The Colorado Railroad Museum is located in Golden, CO. It boasts over 100 locomotives and cars. Golden is a beautiful area, and this museum wil celebrate its 50th anniversary next year. The weekend of September 13-14, 20-21, and 27-28; the museum will host Thomas the Tank Engine. My son absolutely lovers Thomas. Kids can get a 25 minute ride on Thomas and even meet Sir Topham Hatt! They hold other special events during the course of the year....for Labor Day Weekend, the museum brought in a Steam Engine and provided rides on a classic steam engine. The kids can play on the trains and will probaby do so for hours. A picnic area exists as well and during the summer months, the staff will offer burgers and hot dogs for sale among other treats.

Hours of Operations:
Everyday 9 am - 5 pm.
During June, July, and August the museum stays open until 6 pm.

Prices:
Adults: $8
Seniors: $7
Children (2-16): $5
Children under 2 years are free

http://www.crrm.org/

[J&D's Mom]

We went to the museum today for a Day Out with Thomas. It was wonderful and my 2 yr old was beyond delighted. I have to give the museum a big thumb's up for organization. With such a popular event, I was afraid it would be a madhouse. But it wasn't...despite the hundreds and hundreds of children and parents there everything went really smoothly and didn't feel overly crowded at all.

We arrived at the offsite parking lot and boarded a free shuttle bus for the museum grounds. The bus was playing Thomas videos which I thought was a nice touch. The train ride with Thomas in the lead lasted nearly 20 minutes as it made 3 loops around the museum grounds. After our ride we took pictures with Thomas while the train boarded for its next ride. Then it was off to explore the red caboose and another engine. Sir Topham Hat was present and available for pictures but we were famished by this point so hit the food area for lunch. After lunch we went to the petting zoo and listened to a Thomas-themed singalong. There was an Imagination station with several train tables with Thomas and friends available for the kids to play with. We climbed aboard a few more engines and train cars and explored before leaving with very exhausted kiddos.

The museum is nestled in the foothills of Golden and is in a very scenic location. There was so much to see today that we didn't get a chance to check out the Depot museum but we definitely plan to go back! The Colorado Railroad Museum has several theme weekends coming up with a $25 admission for the whole family which includes a train ride. What a great deal! Perfect if you have a kiddo who is as crazy about trains as mine is.

Trick or Treat Train - October 25 & 26
Thanksgiving Goosefest - Nov 29 & 30
Santa Express (w/ Santa and Mrs Claus) - December 13 & 14

[ceece]

Who doesn't love Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends? We had the opportunity to visit with Thomas, Sir Topham Hatt and the wonderful people at the Colorado Railroad Museum today, and boy, did we have fun!

Admission gets you into the museum, as well as a 25 minute ride on the train, pulled by Thomas, of course! We also enjoyed checking out all of the Thomas-related activities...a temporary tattoo booth, hands-on Island of Sodor trains exhibit, petting zoo, sing-alongs, story and video times, and the Imagination Station full of Arts & Crafts. My kids loved watching the miniature trains outside in the garden.

Be sure to bring your camera to take pictures of the family with Sir Topham Hatt and Thomas! The museum staff takes pictures as well, which are posted about 10 minutes after you have them taken...but there is no pressure to buy, which is nice. You can also view them online after you get home.

Several food vendors were on hand to provide your family with a hearty meal, from steak sandwiches and pizza to "hobo" lunches for the kiddos (a neckerchief filled with a PBJ sandwich and other goodies. If you don't want to purchase a meal, you can find a huge assortment of snacks to keep the kids happy! The fresh kettle corn was definitely our favorite. There were plenty of shady spots and picnic tables to sit down around the museum, too.

The Colorado Railroad Museum provides a free, continuously running shuttle (on very upscale buses, I might add!) from the parking lot to the grounds. We did not have to wait more than five minutes on either end. Strollers are welcome, and the bus driver will even help you get yours on the bus!

Tickets are $18 for ages 2 and up, which includes a train ticket. Those who prefer not to ride the train can purchase general admission tickets for $8.00 for adults, $7.00 for seniors 60 and up, and $5.00 for children ages 2-15. Trains run at 8:30, 9:15, 10:00, 10:45, 11:30, 12:15, 1:00, 1:45, 2:30, 3:15, 4:00, 4:45, and 5:30. Thomas' last weekend at the museum is September 27th and 28th. Get your tickets soon, as the rides are very quickly selling out!

Log on to http://www.ticketweb.com/thomas.html to find tickets today! Or, purchase tickets by calling Ticketweb at 866-468-7630 or the museum at 303-279-4591 during normal business hours.