Hop on one of Santa Fe, New Mexico’s premier train excursions and go on an adventure.
By Bianca Dumas
April 2024
When I was a little girl, the trains that came through my small town were pulling cars filled with coal. There was no place to take a fantasy ride behind those engines, but it didn’t stop me from imagining all the fun I could have if I just hopped on. The rocking back-and-forth motion. The clickity-clack and chugga-chugga-chugga. The screech and the bump we’d all feel when the train got rolling or came to a gentle (but riotous) stop.
I never did get to take that childhood train ride, but on a recent trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, I hopped aboard Sky Railway. It was just as fun as I’d imagined, and I avoided getting coal dust up my nose.
The Santa Fe Railyard, opened in 1880, is now a hub for trains, restaurants, and shops.
Santa Fe is well known for its Plaza — a district of century-old adobe buildings and traditional Native American and Western arts. It’s now becoming known for a second historical area, the Railyard District, which is where my adventure began.
The Railyard District is Santa Fe’s working railyard at the terminus of a short-line railroad and has become a hot spot for visitors and locals alike. Once the city’s industrial center, it’s now home to a number of galleries and museums that feature contemporary art, including the new Vladem Contemporary, part of the New Mexico Museum of Art, as well as SITE Santa Fe. It also has drinking and dining options, movies, and shops. From the Railyard, you can hire a local tour guide, see an outdoor concert, or browse at an enormous farmer’s market. And at the end of the day, you can ride the rails.
Sky Railway is a new incarnation of a historic excursion train. In 2020, Bill Banowsky, owner of Violet Crown Cinemas; George R. R. Martin, author of “A Game Of Thrones” from the “A Song Of Ice And Fire” series; author Douglas Preston; and artist Gary Oakley banded together and decided to bring back this rail line that once transported guests to a luxurious Fred Harvey hotel in Lamy.
The restored passenger cars are a piece of history.
I met Banowsky as I was strolling through the Railyard the morning of my train excursion. He was working the grounds at another Railyard business he’s partnered in: Nuckolls Brewing Co. When I told him that I would be riding the Sky Railway that evening, he lit up and asked, “Did you see our cars on Oppenheimer?” I didn’t know it at the time, but the interiors of Sky Railway’s 1924 Pullman cars served as stage sets for several scenes in the movie, whose real-life events mostly took place in New Mexico. Banowsky, wanting me to experience the train inside and out, walked with me to his theater across the street and bought me a ticket to the show.
That evening, imagining Los Alamos scientists hidden among us, I boarded my train. The theme for my ride on this late summer evening was the Sunset Serenade, which puts New Mexico’s famous sky on display. Since my daughter is a student at nearby St. John’s College and was busy with her first senior-year lecture, she couldn’t ride the rails with me. I was on my own.
Sky Railway passengers can enjoy local beers, wines, and handcrafted cocktails.
But I had no reason to feel alone, and I never did. I was immediately led to my seat and given a glass of champagne. My porter, Taylor, was friendly and conversational. My server, Austin, took my order with a smile. I chose a beer from one of Santa Fe’s local breweries and started munching on some complimentary snack mix. Our singer-songwriter, JD Nash of Albuquerque, started performing an intriguing folk version of an Eagles song, and we settled in.
With a creative team led by George R. R. Martin, muralist Joerael Numina painted the train exterior to invoke a dragon flying through the New Mexico sky. Inside, the car interiors are true to their Pullman roots. They’re decorated with historic pendant lamps and a bit of gold filigree. Classic brass luggage racks were posted above our heads, but we wouldn’t need to stow any luggage. Our trip would only last about three hours and would take us to the rim of the Galisteo Basin and back — not all the way to Lamy.
Each classic train car featured a bar and a bartender, a musician, and rows of plush passenger seats situated for maximum views out the antique windows. Our drinks were delivered, and we got the safety talk we all know by heart: “Please keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times.” After just a few minutes, we got to experience that exciting screech and bump that signaled we were rolling down the tracks. Not long into the excursion, I wandered to the outdoor flatbed car to watch the sun set over the Sandia Mountains.
The excursions feature performances by local entertainers.
It was glorious to be outside on a rocking railcar on a cool summer evening with nothing but sky overhead. I didn’t need my sweater yet, but I had one with me just in case. The same sky that had drawn Georgia O’Keeffe to this place was on display in every direction.
My daughter had told me over and over that the sunsets look different in New Mexico. “I can’t explain it,” she said. “But they’re blue. Only the sun turns red.”
Surely, it couldn’t be like that, I thought. Nobody has ever heard of a blue sunset. But as I watched that big ball of fire tuck itself in for the night behind the Sandia Mountains, I realized that somehow it had been a spectacular blue sunset after all.
While we enjoyed the view from the open car, I spoke to Kai Johnson, the assistant director of operations. He told me that there’s a lot more to Sky Railway than the Sunset Serenade. Set designers take advantage of the Rail Trail that winds alongside the train tracks to arrange performances. And many other themed trips are offered as well. A guest on the Santa Fe Scenic excursion enjoys live music while riding, and the train stops for a demonstration of Native American dancers. On the Fright Train, this same strategy is used to showcase eerie Halloween tableaux.
Select train rides incorporate live performances by dancers from the Lightning Boy Foundation.
On the Lore of the Land history train, live music alternates with presentations of New Mexico’s past. The Stargazer tour makes the most of New Mexico’s dark night sky (and alien lore). Deathcookie: A Murder Mystery train, written by St. John’s College professor Kit Slover, tantalizes with technology.
The team seems to get a kick out of producing one-time-only ideas as well, like the “Barbenheimer” train that honored Barbie and Oppenheimer, the two biggest movies of last summer, as well as the Solar Eclipse train in honor of 2023’s biggest solar event.
At Christmas time, the Santa Fe Depot and the Lamy Depot both are put to use, and trains depart from both locations.
We got back to the Railyard at about 10:00 that night, having had to wait a while on the siding while the Rail Runner commuter train used the shared part of the track to make an unscheduled trip to Albuquerque. But what was the use of being in a hurry? A cool breeze was blowing through my lovely, rickety window. Our singer had produced a fun rendition of a Hank Williams Jr. song. I ordered another beer and sang along. Outside, I heard a few New Mexico coyotes yip with contentment. They must have been having a great evening, too.
IF YOU GO
Sky Railway
430 W. Manhattan Ave.
Santa Fe, NM 87501
skyrailway.com
(844) 743-3759
Sky Railway round-trip train excursions depart from and return to the Santa Fe Depot.
AREA CAMPING
Los Suenos De Santa Fe RV Park & Campground
lossuenosrv.com
(505) 473-1949
This is your in-town park, just 4 miles from the Railyard on busy Cerillos Road. Guests can access a hiking and biking trail system from here. It’s also within walking distance of restaurants and stores. Public transportation stops at the entrance.
Santa Fe Skies RV Park
santafeskiesrvpark.com
(505) 473-5946
Take Cerillos Road to Valle Vista, about 10 miles from the Railyard. This park has a perfect restroom rating. It’s a bit outside of town but will give you the impetus to explore the villages of Cerillos and Madrid (say it like a local: “MA-drid”).
Rancheros De Santa Fe Resort
www.rancheros.com
(505) 466-3482
Take Interstate 25 about 13 miles south of town. This is reputed to be the only RV park in the area with a pool. It’s on 22 acres of pinion pine and juniper desert. Offers nightly movies and access to hiking trails.
Black Canyon Campground – Santa Fe
(Santa Fe National Forest, near Pecos Wilderness)
fs.usda.gov/recarea/santafe/recarea/?recid=75604
(877) 444-6777
Take Artist Road/Hyde Park Road into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, 8 miles above Santa Fe. This campground offers a rustic experience and is a great place for stargazing. Mountain biking and horseback riding trails are available. Check campsite lengths. Note: The facility was closed at this writing, so call ahead to check availability.