A big outdoor railyard in Golden with over 100 locomotives, train rides on Saturdays, and a library the museum itself calls a calm break spot. It's loud by nature, and honest about it.
Colorado Railroad Museum
17155 W. 44th Avenue, Golden 80403 · Grounds open Tuesday to Sunday 9 am to 5 pm, closed Mondays. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. General admission is not available on Day Out With Thomas dates or during The Polar Express evening performances.
“The grounds function much like an active railyard. Guests will occasionally encounter construction operations, large equipment in use and other loud noises (such as bells & whistles during ride operations).”
From the museum's own social narrative: “The Museum is an active railyard. There can be many loud noises.” The Richardson Railroad Library “is also a great place to take a calm break if the museum feels too loud.”
Our note The museum doesn't list a quieter time or any sensory-friendly dates. Train rides run on Saturdays, every 30 minutes from 10 am to 3 pm, so a Tuesday to Friday visit should mean fewer bells and whistles.
Our note The museum has three picture stories: a museum visit, a train ride and Day Out With Thomas. The museum visit one shows the Depot, the railyard, the Roundhouse and every restroom, so it's a good one to look at together the night before.
Our note If it's snowing, call 303-279-4591 before you drive out; the museum asks visitors to check.
Three things to know
The museum's own story names a calm spot: the Richardson Railroad Library, “a great place to take a calm break if the museum feels too loud.”
Check in at the front desk in the yellow Depot building (brown doors) and get a map. The way out is back through the Depot and the gift store.
Restrooms are in the Depot, the Library and a bathroom trailer by the Roundhouse, plus new accessible restrooms on the east side. Water is in the Depot.
More: tickets, train rides, The Polar Express, access
Named by the museum; it publishes no noise scale
Louder, in the museum's words
Bells and whistles during ride operations (the museum says the grounds work “much like an active railyard”)not stated
The Polar Express arrival (evenings, Nov 6 to Dec 23) (the train “emerges from the darkness” and the Conductor “loudly asks” who wants to climb aboard)not stated
Quieter
Richardson Railroad Library, named in the museum's own story as a calm break spotquiet zone
Admission: $12 adults, $5 ages 2 to 17, $10 seniors 60 and up; under 2 needs no ticket. Train rides: $5 adults and seniors, $2 children.
Saturday train rides leave every 30 minutes, 10 am to 3 pm, with a crew lunch break at 12:30. There are no Saturday train rides in early January.
The museum is large, outdoors and rocky: wear good walking shoes, and bring sun or cold-weather gear. Keep feet behind the chains along the track path.
Most rides are reached by chair lift, including Day Out With Thomas and The Polar Express. The Galloping Goose is not wheelchair accessible, and there is no elevator to the Depot's upper or lower galleries.
The Polar Express runs Nov 6 to Dec 23 at 5, 6:30 and 8 pm. Standard seats $80 ages 2 to 15, $100 ages 16 and up. Arrive 30 to 45 minutes early for the pre-show, but not more than an hour early.
At The Polar Express you wait outside 10 to 15 minutes for the train, and there are no restrooms on the moving train; accessible restrooms are by the Pavilion and the Depot. Parking is free.
Questions: info@crrm.org or 303-279-4591.
What the museum doesn't say
not stated a quieter time of day
not stated sensory kits or headphones
not stated a sensory-friendly train ride or Polar Express night
Check in at the front desk in the yellow Depot and get a map. The railyard is big, outdoors and rocky, and it is a working railyard: bells and whistles ring during train rides. Keep feet behind the chains by the tracks. The Richardson Railroad Library is the museum's own calm break spot. Restrooms are in the Depot, the Library and by the Roundhouse. Change anything.
One tip before you go
Read the museum's own social narrative together the night before; it shows the Depot, the railyard and every restroom in pictures. Find the Richardson Railroad Library on the map first, since the museum names it as the place for a calm break. Call it when you need to; nobody's keeping score.
Common questions
What if my child won't look at the schedule or story?
That is common at first. Leave it where the moment happens, point to one picture at a time, and keep it low-pressure. Many kids warm up to it after a few calm tries, in their own time.
Can I make this in Spanish?
Yes. Every tool and this page exist in Spanish, and the printed page comes out in the language you choose. Use the language switch at the top.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no signup, and we don’t keep what you type; anything you save stays on your device. Make it, print it, done.
