This is a charming little place where the star is the train. And who doesn't love the miniature train ride? Kids and brave adults can even ride in the caboose. It's not overly pricey for an afternoon excursion with kids near Denver. They have food but it's a limited menu, which again, no issues. There is also a small gift shop. I can't say how much is volunteering and how much are paid employees but with land at a premium, I imagine there are hefty property taxes. Locally owned and operated by people who put their heart into their product are far better than anything owned by a nameless conglomerate who only cares about profit. So why 4 instead of 5 stars? For starters, the snack bar is cash only. Yes, there is a convenient ATM but there is also a $3 surcharge. I get that CC machines charge a usage fee every time the card is swiped but a $3 seems on the high end. The other reason was we had a dog with us. We asked before we went in if she could go to and we're told no dogs. I imagine it's because they don't want dogs marking the miniature buildings and dealing with irresponsible owners who won't clean up after their dogs. Fine. No problem. We took turns sitting with the dog so she wasn't in a hot car and there were other people doing the same thing. However, they allowed someone's dog about the size of a bichon frise to wander the grounds and not a single employee pointed out the no dog policy. Moreover, if said dog was truly a service dog, it would have been identified as such and in this case, it wasn't. How do I know you ask? Because my husband said something to them about their dog being inside the park and me on the other side of the fence with our dog. The owner said it was not a service dog. So please, either allow dogs or inform guests of the no dog policy. read more