My son is a BIG train lover and we decided to surprise him with a trip to the Georgetown Loop Railroad. We had been wanting to go for the Christmas lights ride but learned these sorts of things book up fast for holiday events. This might’ve been a little off-season going in May (and was less crowded). His reaction and the whole experience was really awesome! I will be eyeing tickets as soon as they open for the Christmas show… and probably the fall colors ride as well.
Booking
We booked coach tickets (cheaper than the parlor option) and honestly (at least for today’s non-themed event) was awesome! From what I could tell today, a parlor booking would give you a table and nicer chairs to sit in. We did not have a table and sat on a basic bench. The experience is mostly about looking out the window, so I don’t think we really needed a table. The kiddos did fine eating their snacks out of their bentgo boxes while taking in the show (though I think packing similarly to airplane carryon packing works well for this too).
We booked our tickets a couple of days in advance, but if you’re planning on going to one of the special events, I’d try to book well in advance. Kids under 3 are free (sitting on laps), children ages 3-15 are $29 each and ages 16 and up are $35 each. Kids 4 years and younger are not allowed to do mining tours, but if you’ve got older kids this can be booked for an extra fee. We weren’t able to explore this option but seems like it’d be fun!
Getting There
The website/booking gives really great instructions and we did not have any trouble parking at the Devil’s Gate Station. After booking your tickets online, you’ll get an email with info needed. The recommendation was to arrive at least 20 mins before your departure time. We arrived about 40 mins before and were glad we did! We got to see the train come in from the parking lot which was very exciting for our littles. When you arrive, you do have to get your tickets from will call and bathroom breaks before stepping on the train are recommended (as there are none on the train).
The Ride
The ride itself had spectacular views and the staff explained a lot about how trains work, what the whistles mean, and the history of the Georgetown Loop Railroad which was awesome! The ride was an hour and 15 mins total with one 20min stop and one very short stop to let the Mine tourers out. The first stop was mostly just a bathroom break… I’m betting at other times of the year there is actually things to see but today there wasn’t really much.
For littles, I’m glad the trip wasn’t any longer. We booked the 10am train, they got on, snacked, had a great time and were ready to leave after that amount of time and ready to grab some lunch. No tears about leaving and no tears during the ride.
We messed up and let our springtime loving boy choose shorts over pants and didn’t bring enough layers to keep him warm… one really cool pair of train Jammies ended up being a lesson learned for us. The cabins have windows open so you can take in the views. Looked like everyone was fairly prepared to be cold except for my husband and son haha!
What to pack
- Jacket/beanie/warm clothes
- Optional cozy blanket
- Snacks
We’ll be taking our little train lover to the Colorado Railroad Museum in the coming months for their “Day out with Thomas the Train” and probably coming back to the Georgetown loop for the Christmas lights.
Any questions? Comments? Tips for our next adventure for our train loving boy? Let me know in the comments!