Top Things to See at the Durango Train Museum • Traveling with Purpose

If you’re planning to ride on the Durango Silverton Train or just visiting the cool western town of Durango, Colorado, make sure to add the Durango Train Museum to your itinerary—it’s one of the top things to do in Durango that some travelers miss out on.

The official name is the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum, which is a bit of a mouthful to say. This free museum brings the rich Durango Silverton Railroad history to life with vintage locomotives, authentic railroad artifacts, eclectic exhibits, and stories from Colorado’s Old West.

In addition to many artifacts donated by railroad workers that tell the story of these iconic trains, the museum also holds an eclectic collection of vintage vehicles and memorabilia, model trains, ghost stories, and even some taxidermy. It’s a favorite stop for train lovers, especially.

As someone who’s explored it firsthand, I can promise it’s the perfect way to expand your experience when you ride the train or visit Durango. Don’t miss this hidden gem that will make your visit to Durango even more memorable!

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Where is the Durango Silverton RR Museum?

The museum is a whopping 12,000 square feet [1115 square meters] and is located inside the historic 1989 roundhouse just across the railroad tracks from the Durango Train Depot. The nondescript entrance is pictured above. It’s quite possible that a train could be blocking it from view when you’re standing on the platform near the station, so be sure to ask a Durango & Silverton RR employee for help in finding it.

You’ll also want to be sure that you’re crossing the railroad tracks at a safe place and time, and avoid any moving trains. So don’t just wander around looking for the museum door if you don’t see it initially.

See the Giant HO Model Train City

One of my favorite sights at the Durango & Silverton Train Museum is the massive 800-square-foot HO model railroad tucked inside. It started out as just an empty shell, but thanks to thousands of volunteer hours, it’s now a lively miniature world that shows what the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad might have looked like back in the 1950s. From the tiny drive-in theater to the detailed mountain scenery and multiple vintage model trains, it’s the kind of display you can stand and watch for hours. Here’s what makes it so fun and unique:

• HO Scale Trains – The layout is built in HO scale (1:87), the most popular model train size, which allows for detailed locomotives, railcars, and scenery in a manageable space.
• Denver & Rio Grande Western Steam Locomotives – The trains replicate the K-36 and K-37 class narrow-gauge steam locomotives that actually ran on the D&RGW in the mid-20th century.
• Rolling Stock from the 1950s – Freight cars, passenger coaches, and cabooses are modeled after what the railroad used in the post-World War II period.
• The miniature town includes miniature people, cars, buses, bridges, tunnels, main streets, silos, neighborhoods, stores, and so much more.
• The model town also contains animated scenes, like a drive-in theater with tiny cars and a screen looping classic Westerns, which the trains pass by as they travel around the layout.
• Computer-Controlled Operations – The trains are powered and scheduled using a computerized system, so multiple trains can run simultaneously, stopping at stations, passing each other, and even recreating operations you’d have seen on the real railroad.

When you’re there, play a game of “I spy” to see what intricate details you can spot among the model train village.

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

Legend has it that the rails carry more than just passengers and freight… they bear witness to secrets, passion, and tragedy that echo through time. They say the restless spirit of Kate dwells deep within an Emigrant Sleeper Car #0460, which you’ll find inside the Durango Train Museum.

Her story begins on a bitter winter night when love and jealousy collided on the iron rails. A young fireman, desperately smitten with Kate—a woman surviving by her wits and wiles in a harsh world—smuggled her aboard his work train departing from Salida. Hidden away in car 0460 among the weary laborers, Kate caught the attention of a drunken brakeman who recognized her from their shared encounters in the past.

When drunken flirtations turned to advances, and the fireman returned to find his beloved lady in distress, honor demanded action. Steel flashed in the lamplight as the two men fought savagely through the narrow confines of the railcar. When the violence finally stopped, Kate cradled her dying lover, as the fireman’s lifeblood seeped into the wooden floor beneath them.

Now, more than a century later, Kate’s anguished spirit refuses to depart. Visitors report inexplicable chills, glimpses of a woman in white, and the unsettling sensation of being watched from the shadows. A mysterious photograph even captured what appears to be her ethereal form, though skeptics and believers are divided on the authenticity.

The truth may be lost to time, but the spooky legend endures. As you walk through these weathered spaces, listen carefully… You might just hear Kate’s whispered weeping from beyond the veil. If you believe in spirits, perhaps pay your respects and take a selfie to see if Kate shows up over your shoulder as you tour her forever home.

History of Railroad Sleeper Car #0460

Back in 1886, the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad built this beauty for $2,510 – quite a sum for the time! Originally, car 0460 could sleep 28 people and seat 30. These “Emigrant Cars” (later called Tourist Cars) were the budget option of their day, offering basic accommodations for travelers willing to rough it a bit. If you rode in one, you’d bring your own blankets and cook your meals in the shared kitchen area.

The D&RG was pretty busy during those years, building 20 similar cars between 1883 and 1889.
Things changed around 1902 when the 0460 Sleeper Car got a makeover and became a work car, with sleeping space cut down to just 8 bunks. For almost 60 years, this car was home base for railroad crews working out of Salida – they’d live aboard while maintaining miles of track and cleaning up after train accidents.

By 1957, the 460 was sold off to the Black Hills Central Railroad for a bargain price of just $250.
Fast forward to May 1983, when the Durango & Silverton Railroad rescued the neglected car and gave it new life. Today, the 0460 proudly shares its fascinating piece of railroad history and ghostly lore with visitors like you!

Vintage Modes of Transportation

When I visited the Durango & Silverton Railroad Museum, I was also impressed by the different ways people used to get around these rugged Colorado mountains – and I’m not just talking about trains. I saw some cool vintage cars, including a 1925 Buick Roadmaster, a 1923 Nash Roadster, and a 1924 Model T Ford, which really showed me how these early cars started giving folks another option besides the railroad in this remote area.

I also saw several interesting pieces, like an old Sears & Roebuck buggy from the 1800s and an unusual contraption called a railroad velocipede – basically a hand-powered vehicle that railroad workers used to travel along the tracks. I was fascinated by the Casey Jones railbus – they built it in 1915 using a Model T. It was supposed to be an ambulance for the Sunnyside Mine in Eureka.

Book a Ride on a Galloping Goose RailBus

I learned about these unique vehicles called Galloping Goose railbuses – picture this: during the Great Depression, some folks decided to combine car and bus parts to make these 7 homemade railcars that could haul mail and people. If you check on the Durango Silverton Train website, you can find out when you can book a ride on a Galloping Goose. Wouldn’t that be wild?

It’s really something how people back then just figured out ways to make whatever they had work, all so these mountain towns wouldn’t be cut off from the outside world.

What Else is Fun to Do at the Railroad Museum?

The museum brings all the excitement of learning and exploring the giant train engines, miniature train city, and much more. Plus, when you step inside, you can ask an employee about the scavenger hunt that’s fun for kids and adults alike. Rumor has it that you may even win a prize if you complete it.

Find Answers to Your Railroad Trivia Questions

Are you a fan of all things relating to railroads? Did you know all the names for a railroad fan? Here are a few: train fan, rail buff or train buff (American English), railway enthusiast, railway buff, anorak (British English), gunzel (Australian English), trainspotter (British English), or ferroequinologist are all names for people who are recreationally interested in trains and rail transport systems.

No matter what you’re called, if you have questions, you may find answers at the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge RR Museum. This mini library contains books for train enthusiasts, and those working at the museum and around the property may also have the expertise to answer those curious questions you have.

Take a Break in Rail Car #6600s Mini Movie Theater

One of the coolest surprises inside the Durango Silverton Railroad Museum is its mini movie theater that’s housed in railcar #6600. The train car was a prop built for the western classic buddy film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”. This tiny theater blends Hollywood history with Durango’s railroading past. The car was originally used in the movie’s famous robbery scene. Today, it’s been transformed into a space where visitors can see posters and photos from movies that filmed Durango Silverton trains on location, and a cozy spot to sit in vintage seats and watch short films about the railroad.

Even better, throughout the exhibit you’ll see QR codes that link to clips from movies featuring the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, letting you see the trains in action on the big screen. It’s a fun and interactive way to experience both film history and Colorado’s legendary railroad heritage—all without leaving the museum!

Whether you’re a movie buff or a history lover, this unique train car delivers a fun, interactive way to experience how the Durango train has chugged into Hollywood history—no ticket required!

What Movies have the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Trains Been Used in?

Are you a Western movie buff? The Durango and Silverton train is a bit of a film star! As I mentioned, it appeared in several famous movies, most notably “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” where it played a starring role in those classic Old West train heist scenes. The famous outlaws also jump from a cliff near the Baker’s Bridge on the Durango Silverton Railroad line. At the narrow Rockwood Cut, Butch and Sundance jumped onto the top of the train.

Here are just a few of the iconic movies you can watch clips from when you point your camera phone at the QR codes at the DSNGRR museum. Or for added fun, rent or buy some of these movies to watch before and after you visit the museum or ride the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, then see how many scenes you can identify on your trip.

• Colorado Territory (1949), starring Joel McCrea and Virginia Mayo. Outlaw Wes McQueen is sprung from jail to help pull one last railroad job.
• A Ticket to Tomahawk (1950), starring the one and only Marilyn Monroe, is set in 1876. Dawson wants to prevent a train from getting to Tomahawk, Colorado on time, to keep it from competing with his stagecoach line. The beautifully restored “Emma Sweeny” locomotive chugs through scenic Colorado on steam shots—a Technicolor classic that helped put the Durango Silverton line on the Hollywood map
• Denver and Rio Grande (1952), a Technicolor Western filmed right on the current Durango & Silverton line, is known for its dramatic and real-life locomotive head-on collision scenes. Remember, they didn’t have CG back in the ’50s.
• Around the World in 80 Days (1956), starring David Niven and based on the story by Jules Verne. It features the historic Rio Grande #315 in an adventurous globe-trotting storyline
• Night Passage (1957), starring James Stewart, filmed along the “High Line” above the Animas River Gorge using an authentic Durango & Silverton steam locomotive
• And of course, the iconic classic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)—starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Watch for the iconic cliff-jump scene and train action filmed near the Animas River.
• Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971), a Comedy/Western starring James Garner and Suzanne Pleshette. A con artist arrives by train in a mining town controlled by two competing companies. Both companies think he’s a famous gunfighter and try to hire him to drive the other out of town.

When you ride the Durango Silverton train, the rugged scenery and vintage locomotives make it a go-to choice for movie magic. Even if you’re not a fan of Westerns, you’ll feel like an on-screen adventurer as you roll along the tracks. You might even recognize a stretch of track or a mountain backdrop from your favorite film—so keep your eyes peeled, and your camera ready!

The Durango Train is Even Part of Disney Magic

Formerly, Denver & Grande Western Railroad No.482 [pictured above] was featured in the Disney California Adventure Park movie, Golden Dreams. The No.482 was painted as a Southern Pacific Railroad engine and shown with a passenger train along the Animas River gorge. However, in the movie, it’s supposed to represent a Southern Pacific passenger train going over the Donner Pass route in California.

Are There Guided Tours of the Durango Train Museum?

For a small fee, the Durango Silverton RR offers guided tours of the D&SNG rail yard, machine shop, roundhouse, car shop, rolling stock, and train museum with one of their knowledgeable tour guides. You may get to see the specially trained mechanics working on vintage locomotives in the roundhouse or expert carpenters rebuilding and refurbishing the vintage rail cars in the car shop. The tour guide will fill you in on Durango Silverton train history and answer all those nagging questions about trains, too.

These tours are only available in the peak season months, from May to October. Yard Tours are once each day at noon, every day of the week. The tour takes about an hour and a half, and you’ll walk about a half mile on concrete floors and hard surfaces.

You can book the tours online in advance here or you can check at the ticket window inside the train depot to buy tickets. Since the tours are at noon, you may not be able to go the same day as your train ride, but it all depends on your schedule.

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Durango Silverton RR Train Museum Hours

Winter: Open 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Mon.-Sat. and closed on Sunday.
Summer Train Season: Open daily 7 a.m – 7 p.m. peak season and 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. May, early June, and October.