Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Reviews

I love, I love, I love this place. It is a magical place which I need to return. My experience was in the month of September and the weather was wonderful.

A most do we have been 3 times and loved each and every one. Winter is so amazing train is clean and staff was friendly. If you find yourself in durango and have time for a beautiful ride this is the way to go

Amazing experience, take the Alamosa car! Beautiful

I absolutely loved this train ride. I would recommend this experience 100%. We rode to a canyon ( Cascade Canyon, I think) because the train cannot get to Silverton during the winter months. The ride took about 3-4 hours. We were served lunch and some snacks. Looking forward to coming back to ride again.

The blues train is the bomb. I recommend it. The experience is like nothing I can describe

Fun family trip. Saw a ton of mountains and streams all without having to leave our seats.

Very cool experience, mild to wild Jeep and trial can bus you up, do a train tour and ride the train out. Or you can ride the train in to run some of the best class 4, 5 Whitewater or amazing country offers!

Great way to spend a day in Durango!! Parlor car is the stuff!!

The train ride was great. A bit long. I have never seen more beautiful scenery.

Lots of fun stuff to see in the museum and it is free! Definitely worth checking it out

This place has a lot of history in it. I love visiting here. I have plans to visit here again soon.

Awesome train ride! Hint for those in the condolas- have a mask to cover some of the coal that your breathing in

I enjoyed the trip into the canyon on the railroad. Purchasing my tickets the customer service person known as snowballs was very rude and impolite I almost walked away without purchasing the tickets because he yelled at me.

Immersed in the atmosphere of the epic of the railway

The kids had an absolute blast. I highly recommended the knight sky. The views were incredible and there is an attendant that will bring you all sorts of beverages. It was a wonderful experience.

Don't even think of not going!!! it is so cool!!!! worth every penny!!! totally loved it.
don't miss the museum, it is free!

Make sure to check out the museum. It is really very good.

Tremendous very large museum with a lot of artifacts and trains. Great museum

Took the train from Durango to Silverton in the summer. Incredible experience. Amazing views. Driving the million-dollar highway is NOT the same. You must ride the railroad.

Great time with the kids. You might consider a car with a top to shield you from rain or, if the train is pulled by a coal/steam locomotive, from potential soot.

Spectacular scenery...many pleasent fellow passengers. Snacks and drinks were a nice addition. Employees were so nice.

Great views, logistics, and experience! Loses a star for being 35 minutes late for arriving into Silverton, reducing time in town to barely enough time to eat and load back up. I would have liked the whole stated 2 hours.

Good collection of railway memorabilia. Big collection of you soldiers from various wars. Model trains running as well.

A treat for your bucket list. Any season. Taking the Polar Express soon!!!

Loved the ride up to Silverton. Scenery was awesome as was the staff. Glad we booked an inside car because of smoke and soot. Silverton was nice and comfortable. Should of taken the bus back. Just too long of a train ride both ways.

For the price paid, the trip is not worth it. My wife and I paid $200 each for the Presidential ticket. The trip was very scenic and I enjoyed the ride. I just feel as though the perks for the Presidential ticket didn't justify the cost. My wife and I did our do diligence in researching the ride prior to purchansing, but we noted that there was a dearth of information regarding just what you got for ticket level. There are just two perks for the Presidential ticket: (1) the porter tells stories and points out the sites along the route, (2) free soda drinks. Well, the porter was very entertaining so that was nice. I had two 9 oz cups of soda along the way, so I got three dollars worth of free soda, wow! No food is provided (oops, I just remebered you get a cookie). You don't get the printed trip guide for free, you have to pay another $10 for it. I would regard the fair cost for the trip to be $100, which is equivalent to the least expensive ticket that can be purchased. The rail line follows the Animas River from Silverton to Durango for 98% of the route. You cross the river several times, so in that regard it does not matter what side you sit on, however, the famous side of the cliff pictures you see of the railroad consists of about a 1/4 mile stretch of the ride and so the best view of that means you need to get a seat on the right if going Durango to Silverton (uphill) or seat on the left if going Sillverton to Durango. When you ride the train it surprisingly rocks sideways more than usual, so that adds excitement to ride with a feeling of instability. You can ride both ways, but most people choose to ride the bus one way and rail the opposite way. I don't think there would be any difference in enjoyment either way you go. The rail ride takes 3&1/2 hours one way. The average train speed is 15 mph. The railroad has arranged the times so that no matter which way you go, you always will spend two hours in Silverton which has more eateries per capita than any other place in the USA. No doubt a sweetheart deal between the tourist bureau and Silverton. So in summary, it is a very scenic ride, but you may feel as I did that the extra cost of the Presidential (or 1st class) tickets are a ripoff.

Great experience and loved the heritage of the train with the scenery. We did the 8am - 5:15pm train round trip and I would definitely only book the train & bus combo the next time. On the way back from Silverton those who remained on the train slept 3/4 of the way back! Plus you dont get back to Durango till about 5:50pm when they state 5:15pm into Durango.

Great old fashioned railroad ride. Very scenic and a very interesting museum too.

Get ready to spend at least 2 hrs. to see everything. An amazing collection of all things train-related & then some! The best part: it's FREE!! Run, do not walk to check it out!

Take the train to Silverton- fantastic scenery and shopping.

Take a weekend, and slip Back in time.
Relax, enjoy what Durango and all that surround it.

great museum, incredible displays helpful docents, our history on display. insufficient parking on site

We loved our train ride. The views were so scenic and the open air cabin was very comfortable.

What a great trip to take!! The train ride was fun and the scenery along the way was beautiful. Three hours each way but it really doesn't feel that long because there is so much to look at.

Fun for the family make sure to bring sunglasses, the cinders blow in your eyes

Great historical museum, seeing and hearing the steam locomotive was awesome, coming back in the fall to take the train ride

Very cool train kids had a blast you get to see a lot of things you can't get to by car.

My friend Dieter lives here and through him we got to know Durango & Silverton several times. We always like it here, especially when the foliage starts to bloom. My wife and I are from Leipzig Germany.

Was a Dream come true,
Best Train ride yet!

Too long! The train only covers 45 miles in 4 hours. Too many people squished together on the open gondola and a lady had a seat with a crack in it! So uncomfortable. Other than that. Pretty sights. Just not necessary to be seeing it one mile per hour..

I've always loved Durango, and have been on the Narrow Gauge train. Its pretty spendy but the rige is one of the most magnificent memories that you'll never forget. With wonderful food and drinks all the way there and back. And Silverton is so beautiful you won't want to leave and if thats the case they have great motels to stay in. And since your paying for a round trip, l believe you can catch the train back down the next day. Its a must see!!

Wonderful! Only thing we didnt like is the train took 7 hours round trip and we only had about 2 hours in Silverton

We have done the trip to Silverton twice. Each time was a different experience! Our children still talk about it. Matter of fact we did it originally bc it was a fond memory for my wife as a kid. The train crew was great. Very knowledgeable and enjoy their work. We've gone mid summer and during fall season. Highly recommend it.

Excellent day out. Round trip over 10 hours. You must like steam trains. THAT IS the experience.
Friendly and helpful staff.

Realy worth of visiting nice mix of the Alpine/Western appeal with a lots of shopping and restaurants/coffee shops

Lots of great scenery. It is an all day experience.

I love this spot! my boyfriend and I had an incredible time on the train from Durango to Silverton and back. It was the best anniversary present! We rode the glass dome car, which kept the soot to a minimum. Don't forget your sunglasses! You definitely want a have wrap or safety glasses while riding most cars or or standing on the area in between the cars.

I have spent a lot of time, on a few occasions, wondering around the museum. I find something new and interesting each time. I have been there with many family members. They have a few old car that are the same age as my 93 year old grandpa. He got a kick out of that.

outstanding scenery during late Sept and early October. recommend train one way and bus the other.

Took the "open gondala steam train" trip this weekend (Oct 3rd) Social distanced seating-Limted tickets. 2 hour trip (hour each way). Amazing views. Concession stand available before boarding.

It's has been a few years, But with that being said, I Would love to be married to my love of my life on such beautiful train ride through the pine fresh air! & the majestic snow capped Rocky Mountains!!!!..........

Our guide was truly informative and great. Train ride was spectacular

Awesome! The lady historian made that trip even better with her narrative.

It was a neat place all kinds of trains old cars and lots of old memorabilia want to go back and do the train ride back up into the mountains

A small museum with lots of exhibits, including 3 locomotives and several wagons from a century ago.

First time to Durango and the train ride. Absolutely beautiful! Took 1-day and visited Silverton and then another day and visited Ouray and it was all wonderful. The town of Durango is nestled in gorgeous mountains. Definitely a must see trip. Really enjoyed the Train museum, too!

Great museum for all ages. They have a couple engines and train cars inside along with model trains and various other displays, including an old airplane! You can sit in one of the old train cars to watch a video too! It is free (donation encouraged but not required). Inside was a little stuffy and warm but not too bad (visited mid-August). Highly recommend!

I will start by saying I have been on a lot of scenic railroads and love locomotives. Durango and Silverton Narrow gauge railroad is definitely one of the best. My usual complaint is that the ride is never long enough, definitely not the case. I love having a destination you can ride to in Silverton for lunch. The scenic ride next to the Animus River beneath mountains and above a canyon is fabulous. The best part is they offer numerous car options so you can do it a different ride each time. A msut ride attraction for any who appreciate history, railroads, or beautiful sights.

The most beautiful train ride I have ever taken, couldn't stop taking pictures. I took over 2 hundred pictures most with a 360 degree camera.

Beautiful railroad trip. The scenery is just great. I really recommend riding.

Great experience. Would highly recommend for a beautiful scenic view of the Colorado mountains that you can't see from driving on the roads. Everyone associated with this train ride has been awesome.

When in Durango, you really need to take advantage of the Durango Silverton train ride. We, really enjoyed the train, and the staff was friendly and very knowledgeable. I would really recommend doing the open-air cars for the best views when going from Durango to Silverton. And maybe the bus or one of the other train cars on the way back. We took the bus back and the driver was very informative about the history and areas on the route back to Durango.

I have rode the this train several times now. I recommend riding the train in the summer and late winter, as the seasonal experiences are completely different. It is expensive, but worth the money. If you have young kids you need to be aware that a train ride to Silverton and back will take the whole day. Make sure to plan accordingly.

The museum is in a old round house. It was pretty interesting and cool to see everything. We saw steam engines and walked through a caboose. There are old cars, a old fire truck, and train and track models there as well.