Instead of a few days at a convention, why not have a Colorado vacation. The 2009 National Garden Railway Convention Committee has planned a full week of activities for you and your family. We suggest you take a few moments and see what we have in mind.
Come to Colorado and enjoy a fun-filled vacation for the whole family. Come to Colorado and experience the majestic Rocky Mountains where gold and silver mines attracted narrow gauge railroads and brought fame and fortune for the strong hearted. Visit and ride the many historic railroads still operating here in colorful Colorado. For the most enjoyable stay, we have reserved the Marriott Denver Tech Center Hotel, featuring all the amenities for Mom, Dad, and the kids. Would you believe for only $115.00 per night?
The 2009 convention will be full of activities for everyone. Tours of G gauge layouts, clinics, banquet, ice cream social, barbeque, train rides, mine tours, museums and many related points of interest. We are also having a dance after the banquet so bring your dancing shoes.
We are expecting vendors from around the country offering all kinds of G-scale train engines, rolling stock and accessories. Find out what is new and visit with the people who make and sell all the train products.
The Denver area has some of the finest railroad museums in the country, including the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, which celebrates its 50th Anniversary in 2009. There will be live steam narrow gauge engines pulling trains and the added attraction of a Rio Grande Southern Galloping Goose to ride on.
One of our favorite displays there is the Denver Garden Railway Society’s garden railroad that covers approximately one quarter of an acre. The garden railroad is comprised of ten different loops: one in a rose garden, two loops for steam operation and 7 more track powered loops totaling over 1500 feet of track.
We also have a trip to the Forney Museum of Transportation, which has one of the last Union Pacific Big Boys, the world’s largest steam locomotive. This giant 4-8-8-4 engine and other locomotives, antique cars, buggies, bicycles, motorcycles and many other forms of transportation are on display.
A stop in Denver is not complete without shopping. For the
railroaders, we have two of the largest hobby shops in the United
States, Caboose Hobbies and Mizzell Trains. For the non-train shopper,
there are many large shopping centers to satisfy all your shopping
desires. Plus there is an excellent shopping center accessible via
Denver’s Light Rail which is just a short walk from the Marriott.
If you have the time, we would suggest other museums and attractions
such as the Buffalo Bill Memorial Museum, Children's Museum of Denver,
Colorado History Museum, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Leanin'
Tree Museum of Sculpture and Western Art, The Molly Brown House, Black
American West Museum and the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space
Museum. Do you need more reasons to come to Colorado? Browse our ‘Area
Attractions’ page and you will find lots of places to satisfy
everyone's interest.
Attending the 2009 convention will be a time to share those railroad
stories, visit with old friends, catch up on what's new, and learn how
to build that garden railroad you have always dreamed about.
Welcome... to a Colorado Vacation!
