Events on this Day

Free and open to the Public   Advertising - Art - Photos - & Articles - Up to 150 years old. Sourced directly from the pages of American Magazines. A Unique Historical & Educational Experience!   A Museum and Gift Shop - All in one

Improve forest health, support stewardship and conservation education and shop locally at SJMA's Christmas Trees for Conservation Lot! "Christmas Trees for Conservation" is this San Juan Mountains Association's biggest fundraiser of the year, supporting our education and stewardship efforts throughout the entire San Juan Mountain region. Each year we begin selling both local white fir (cut from the San Juan National Forest) and Wisconsin balsam first the day after Thanksgiving. Volunteers donate hundreds of hours to help cut trees, set up the lot, and sell the trees. Once again, SJMA will have a pop-up-shop alongside the tree sales on the weekends. We will have some fun stocking stuffers and gifts for everyone in the family. We'll also have some special guests visiting the tree lot on Noel Night (December 1st). Trees usually sell out by December 15th, so visit us early to get your perfect tree! Shop local and support stewardship and conservation education on Southwest Colorado's public lands!

Not all who create have a storefront, but that shouldn't deny us the opportunity to gift the best that our community has to offer! Come, shop hyper-local... as in... from the craftsman themselves!!! A different set of vendors will be showcasing their delights daily! Come, grab a hot cider and chat about the uniqueness of each artisan.

Multiple excursiona a day! Check our website for specific times.  Experience the magic this holiday season! Join us for a truly magical recreation of the classic holiday story, THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride. Climb aboard a vintage steam train as it departs our Durango Depot for the North Pole to pick up Santa Claus himself. Upon arriving at our depot, you'll be immersed in the story as our chefs serve you hot chocolates and sweet treats while the conductor recites a reading from the Polar Express book. After arriving at the North Pole, you'll enjoy an incredible light show set to holiday music. On the return trip to Durango, Santa will visit each coach and hand out the first gift of Christmas to each passenger. First told in the award-winning book by Chris Van Allsburg, this is the story of a child's Christmas Eve journey. It was adapted to the big screen in 2003. And now it comes alive each year with THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride! All ages can enjoy the experience, warmth, and fun of the Christmas season on a special steam train trip to the North Pole! Certain dates and car types will sell quickly so you'll want to book soon to reserve your preferred seating! THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride is our most popular event of the year and is an annual holiday tradition for many riders. While the train excursion is roughly 65 minutes in duration, we recommend allowing 2 hours for the entire adventure so you can enjoy the full experience! The weather can be cold at the North Pole, so we recommend layering properly, even though all the cabins are heated aboard the train. As always, we recommend wearing pajamas to capture the Christmas spirit!