Pikes Peak Historical Street Railway Foundation — Attraction in Colorado Springs

Found this place by searching for non mainstream things to do in Colorado Springs. The museum staff seemed partly surprised when I arrived.

I met a wonderful gentleman name Regis, who was my tour guide. I told him about how I was doing a photography trip, and wanting to shoot photos, and he told me that once the tour was over, I was welcome to go back and shoot as much as I wanted.

The museum had a great selection of historical items detailing the old railroad and electric trolley systems of Colorado Springs. The tour included a model train and toy exhibit, a ride on an antique silver trolley bus, and he even took me into the areas where the wood cars were being rebuilt and restored.

Regis was overly patient answering any and all questions I had, letting me find good positions for lighting, even stepping out of the way so that I could get great shots of the woodwork and the insides of the street cars with no one in the pictures. Before leaving I snapped the attached photo of him in front of one of the street cars.

This was an experience I will never forget thanks to the excellent tour guide and friendly staff working at this museum. I will return again in the future with others traveling with me.

I highly recommend this place for any history or train enthusiast, as well as those...

I poked into the Pikes Peak Historic Street Railway Foundation today, after following some nearby signs to it. Let me tell you that I was VERY impressed by the place and the people! Visiting has helped me to better understand the importance of rail and streetcars to the area, and bolstered my knowledge of Colorado Springs history considerably. I was so impressed that I am considering volunteering some time and energy there to help the Foundation in whatever way I can.

For a $5 donation, I got an extended tour of the place, got to enter 3 separate streetcars, and got to take a ride in a streetcar. The restoration and renovation work on some of these old cars is unimaginably intricate!

This Foundation is also well-connected in the community, and has plans to help Colorado Springs get a lightrail system in place that will go from the south end of town to downtown, to CC, to UCCS, and up to where Nevada runs into I-25 going North. Very ambitious, but also very necessary!

This museum and tour is strongly recommended for all locals, rail-fans, and...

This is without a doubt one of the worst museums I've ever been to. Most of the good members have left, and so have the best future plans for this place.

There was one young man there named Mikah Or Mic (Can't remember his name exact but believe me when I say the man knew how to get ducks in a row) who had an amazing vision for this place but it seems they kicked out the best potential the museum ever had. Along with their former VP! I used to visit this place with a group every year or so but they are just a mess. The entire place is like my granddad's basement, CLUTTERED. The tour is long and over informed. No focus on any real piece of information. The museum itself is absolutely awful shape, I DO NOT advise anyone in a wheelchair or walker to go. And above all, they expect funding for future plans but then lock themselves in a boring museum with not even a full week of tours.

If you want respectable railroad history, Do not go here and do not give them a dime. I've lost all respect...