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Calendar of Museum Events NEW 2010 CALENDAR -- CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2010 CALENDAR Click on any underlined item for more information
The museum offers free showings of railroad history and travel documentaries, as well as train-theme feature films, in the Gandy Dancer Theater. Admission is free but seating is limited, so our guests are encouraged to call ahead (805-964-3540) for reservations. Showings are every Sunday and Thursday at 1:30 and 2:45 p.m. The program changes monthly.
"Toy Trains and Teddy Bears! What better symbols are there of the Holidays, Past and Present. In that spirit, these cherished keepsakes are shared anew this Joyous Season - as their gift to you - by members of our Museum Family, young and old." So reads the label that introduces the museum's annual holiday exhibition, which opens Friday, Nov. 26, 2010 and continues through December in the Waiting Room at Goleta Depot. The display features toy locomotives and cars and a menagerie of stuffed animals - some rare, all precious - borrowed from the homes of Junior Engineers Club members, museum volunteers, members, trustees, and staff, as well as from the museum's own collections.
Saturday, May 15, 2010. Unlimited free miniature-train and handcar rides will be given on this May Saturday, as the museum celebrates the 29th anniversary of its spring fundraiser. This will be the 14th year in which the event will use a "Great Goleta Rail Race" theme. The event is made possible by contributions from hundreds of museum members, friends, and supporters. Reminiscent of the tale of John Henry, the Great Goleta Rail Race offers its own version of the epic struggle between human and machine, as the people-powered museum handcar is pitted against the Goleta Short Line miniature-train in a competition to determine which can complete the greatest number of passenger-miles over a three-hour period. From 1 until 4 p.m. on race day, both the handcar and train will operate continuously, giving free rides to all visitors. Race officials will keep careful record of the total passengers carried and the distance completed by each conveyance. The Great Race winner will be determined based on these totals, adjusted using a handicap based on the previous years' results. Museum members, as well as the general public, are invited to attend, to observe the action and cheer on the participants, as well as to actively join in as rider-participants, themselves. At the event, you, your family members, and friends may throw your support behind either the handcar or train, simply by riding that vehicle once or as often as you like; or, you may use the opportunity to enjoy the free rides on both the train and handcar. All riders will receive a certificate acknowledging their Great Race participation. The museum's normal, slow operating speeds will be maintained throughout the event. Train riders must be at least 34 inches tall; the handcar ride has a 48-inch height requirement. The 14th Annual "Super Saturday!" will be held at the museum on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010, the day before the Super Bowl football game. Hours: 1-4 p.m. The event marks the first weekend day of unlimited free miniature-train rides during the new year. It is open to the general public. Sponsors for the 2010 Super Saturday event include: * Ron and Sue Bruns The 18th annual "Candy Cane Train," the railroad museum's popular year-end family event, begins Friday, Nov. 26, 2010 continuing daily through Dec. 26. Event hours are 1 to 4 p.m. each day. Candy Cane Train tickets are $3.50 (adult or child), which includes a ride on the festively-decorated miniature train, an assortment of holiday treats and favors, and a coupon good for a future museum train ride. Extra rides on the Candy Cane Train will be available for $1.50 each. Museum members receive their customary 25¢ discount on all tickets purchased. Tickets will be sold at the museum during event hours. For the safety of our guests, all train riders must meet the 34-inch minimum-height requirement. Those attending the Candy Cane Train event also will be able to enjoy the museum's holiday display, Toy Trains and Teddy Bears!, also opening on Nov. 26.
Free Miniature-Train Rides 
Each year the museum schedules several days during which unlimited free rides are offered to all of our visitors on the "Goleta Short Line" miniature-train. On these free days, trains normally run several times an hour, starting at 1:15 p.m., with the last train of the day dispatched at 3:45. Download a copy of the “Free-Ride Flyer.” Free Ride Saturdays - The 2010 schedule of Free-Ride Saturdays has yet to be determined. These days are sponsored by the Hutchinson Family. Free Fridays - Train rides are free every Friday in 2010 until Thanksgiving. Sponsored by Fairview Car Wash. Super Saturday - Scheduled each year on the day before the Superbowl football game. Free Rides For Moms - Mother's Day, Sunday, May 9, 2010. Great Goleta Rail Race - Saturday, May 15, 2010. Features free miniature-train and handcar rides. Rotary Day - Saturday, June 10, 2010. Free miniature-train and handcar rides. Sponsored by the Goleta Noontime Rotary Club. Free
Handcar Rides Handcar rides are free on the third Saturday of every month. Sponsored by Noel and Peggy Langle. Download a copy of the “Free-Ride Flyer.” The museum offers frequent educational programs on railroad and local-history topics. These include lectures, slide shows, and other presentations. “Introduction To The Coast Starlight Trails & Rails Program”
Find out what it's like to be a member of the team of dedicated museum volunteers who ride the Coast Starlight, sharing with passengers information about local history, points-of-interest along the route, things to do, and the natural history of the area. This presentation is designed especially for persons who are interested in becoming Coast Starlight guides for the 2009 travel season (March 8 thru Nov. 1). All incoming guides are required to attend a full day of classroom training on Saturday, March 7 in Santa Barbara, Calif. (Please contact the museum office, 805/964-3540, for location and other information about the classroom training.) The public is cordially invited to
attend the Feb. 25 presentation. There is no admission charge. Most Continuing Lecture Series programs are held at the Goleta Public Library, 500 North Fairview Ave., Goleta, beginning at 7 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. Refreshments are usually served following the program. The 2010 edition of the Easter Bunny Express (18th Annual), one of the museum's most eagerly-awaited family events, will be held on Saturday, April 3, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those holding the event's egg-shaped tickets may participate in a variety of activities, including scheduled stops at Wabbit-Twacks Station (to board the museum's miniature train for a 1/3-mile ride around the grounds); Harvey's House (where a cookie and beverage await); Easter-Bunnyville (to meet the Easter Bunny and select an egg surprise); Jack-Rabbit Junction (to enter a drawing for some marvelous gifts); and What's Up Dock (to collect another event souvenir). Tickets ($4 for adults and children) will be available at the museum during the event until 3:30 p.m.; or they may be purchased in advance during museum hours (Wed.-Sun., 1-4 p.m.). Hop aboard the Easter Bunny Express on April 3, 2010. It promises to be another hare-raising eggs-perience for the whole family! If it rains on April 3, the event will be moved to the following Saturday (4/10/10).
The 28th annual Depot Day has been scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 26, 2010 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Depot Day is held each fall to commemorate and celebrate the preservation of Goleta Depot. Depot Day, which is made possible by members and friends, is also the museum's main annual community fundraiser. Depot Day is traditionally held on the last Sunday of September. MORE about Depot Day. In 2009, Steaming Summer grew to become “Goleta Railroad Days.” The 2010 event will be held over the weekend of July 24-25. Visit the Goleta Railroad Days website Hours will be 11 am to 4 pm each day. Stories on past events can be found in the "In The News" pages. Or, conduct a search for "Steaming Summer" (with quotes), using the search tool on the menu to the left.
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Learn about the South Coast Railroad Museum's volunteer guide program aboard Amtrak's Coast Starlight trains, which is conducted in partnership with the National Park Service's “Trails & Rails” program, Juan Bautista De Anza National Historic Trail, and Amtrak.