It's the perfect time of year for road trips, but who wants to spend their entire paycheck at the gas station? We've designed this awesome road trip that takes you to at least 10 amazing places in Kansas...and you'll only have to fill your tank once. The average mileage for a tank of gas is anywhere from 300-500, depending on your vehicle. Our trip covers 458-miles, so you should be able to see all these memorable restaurants, towns and attractions.



When you plan a vacation, most people tend to go to more popular places, right? It's usually cities they've read about or towns and attractions that have been recommended by friends and family. But that's about to change, because there are plenty of small towns in America that are worth traveling to, even if you didn't even know they existed. These 50 unheard-of towns across the U.S. might not have made it onto your bucket list yet, but they absolutely deserve a spot.


Visitor spending on lodging in Abilene increased to more than $2.5 million in 2018. This equals more than $200,000 in transient guest tax collections.  

Thank you for staying in Abilene and supporting our hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts and AirBnB partners!


Treat your Valentine to one of Chef Adrian's special dinners while you are staying at Abilene's Victorian Inn February 12-17. Reserve now, limited seating.
 
We will also be taking reservations for lunch from 11-2pm for small groups Wed -Fri through the month of February. Please call to reserve.


Throwback Thursday - Sunflower Hotel
 

5 Star Reviews - Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum & Boyhood Home
 
2019 Calendar of Events

2019 marks 150 years since the City of Abilene's official incorporation. Community events make Abilene not only a great place to live, but also a great place to visit. Make plans now to visit Abilene, Kansas and enjoy these great events! 

Take the Abilene Event Challenge - how many can you attend? Snap a photo and tag us in your Facebook posts @VisitAbilene.


EVENT

WHEN

LOCATION
LEARN MORE
Kansas Day Celebration
Saturday, January 26 @ 2-5 pm
Dickinson County Heritage Center
Website
Plain Great Players Cabaret Saturday, January 26 @ 6 pm Great Plains Theatre
  Website
Moulin Rouge: A Party In Paris
GPT FUN-Raiser kicks off our 25th Anniversary Season in style!

Saturday, February 23 @ 6 pm Great Plains Theatre
Les Misérables performed by PGP
Thursday, February 28 @ 7 pm
Friday, March 1 @7 pm
Saturday, March 2 @7 pm
Sunday, March 3 @ 2 pm
Great Plains Theatre
30th Annual Ida Stover-Eisenhower Memorial Quilt Show
February 11-24
Dickinson County Heritage Center
KS Gift & Craft Show Sunday, March 31 @ 1pm Sterl Hall
Eisenhower Marathon
Saturday, April 6 @ 7 am
St. Andrews Parish Hall
Easter Bunny Train Saturday, April 13 @ 1 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
National Greyhound Association Spring Nationals April 15-20 National Greyhound Association
Reitz & Rust Vintage Market
Saturday, April 27 @ 10 am
Dickinson County Fairgrounds (Abilene)
Arts & Ales Saturday, April 27 Downtown Abilene
Abilene Aviation Association Fly-In  Saturday, May 4 Abilene Municipal Airport
National Travel & Tourism Week May 5-11 Abilene
Antique Fest Saturday, May 11 Downtown Abilene
Mother's Day Tea Saturday, May 11 Eisenhower Presidential Library
Dinner Train (Fried Chicken by Brookville Hotel) Saturday, May 25 @ 6:30 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (Steam Locomotive)
Steam Locomotive #3415 train rides Saturday, May 25 @ 10 am & 2 pm
Sunday, May 26 @ 2 pm
Monday, May 27 @ 10 am & 2 pm
Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
Symphony at Sunset
Saturday, June 1
Eisenhower Presidential Library grounds
75th anniversary of D-Day Thursday, June 6 Eisenhower Presidential Museum
Dinner Train (Prime Rib by Mr. K's Farmhouse) Saturday, July 6 @ 6:30 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (Steam Locomotive)
Dinner Train (Prime Rib by Mr. K's Farmhouse Saturday, June 8 @ 6:30 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (Diesel Locomotive)
Pirates of Penzance June 14-23 Great Plains Theatre
Heart of America Greyhound Gathering June 20-22 Sterl Hall
Dinner Train (Fried Chicken by Brookville Hotel) Saturday, June 22 @ 6:30 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (Diesel Locomotive)
Disaster! July 12-21 Great Plains Theatre
Old Fashioned 4th of July celebration July 4 Eisenhower Park
Steam Locomotive #3415 train rides
Thursday, July 4 @10 am & 2 pm
Friday, July 5 @ 10 am & 2 pm
Saturday, July 6 @10 am & 2 pm
Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
Wild Bill Hickok PRCA Rodeo
Wednesday, July 31 - Saturday, August 3
Dickinson County Fairgrounds (Abilene)
Central Kansas Free Fair
Wednesday, July 31 - Monday, August 5
Dickinson County Fairgrounds (Abilene)
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
August 2-18 Great Plains Theatre
National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo August 2-3 Shockey & Landes Building
Vintage Base Ball Game August 3 Eisenhower Presidential Library grounds
Dinner Train (Fried Chicken by Brookville Hotel) Saturday, August 31 @ 6:30 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (Steam Locomotive)
Chisholm Trail Days Saturday, August 31 - Sunday, September 1 Old Abilene Town
Steam Locomotive #3415 train rides
Saturday, August 31 @ 10 am & 2 pm
Sunday, September 1 @ 2 pm
Monday, September 2 @ 10 am & 2 pm
Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
Dinner Train (Prime Rib by Hitching Post Restaurant)
Saturday, September 14 @ 6 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (Diesel Locomotive)
Dinner Train (Fried Chicken by Brookville Hotel) Saturday, September 28 @ 6 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (Diesel Locomotive)
Heritage Day Saturday, October 5 Dickinson County Heritage Center
Steam Locomotive #3415 train rides
Saturday, October 5 @ 10 am - 3 pm (hourly departures)

Dickinson County Heritage Center
Steam Locomotive #3415 train rides
Sunday, October 6 @ 2 pm (last steam run of the year)
Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
Dinner Train (Prime Rib by Mr. K's Farmhouse Saturday, October 12 @ 6 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (Diesel Locomotive)
Empires Fall October 18-27 Great Plains Theatre
Dinner Train (Fried Chicken by Brookville Hotel) Saturday, October 26 @ 6 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (Diesel Locomotive)
Tombstone Talks Saturday, October 26 Abilene Cemetery
Makin' Magic - 25 Years of Fun November 29 - December 15 Great Plains Theatre
Abilene's Victorian Inn Christmas Afternoon Tea Saturday, December 7 Abilene's Victorian Inn
Heritage Homes Association's Homes for the Holidays Tour Saturday, December 7
Sunday, December 8
Varies each year
Night of Christmas Magic Saturday, December 7 Downtown Abilene
Share your news!
Have an upcoming event? Help us, help you. We do our best to stay up-to-date, but please make sure to include us in your event and special promotions. Please send announcements to  Julie@abilenecityhall.com.

ATTRACTION UPDATES

Dinner Trains
 
All aboard! The 2019  Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad  dinner train schedule is now available. Book now to reserve your preferred time, train and meal

ACDC Annual Winter Film Fest
 
Our annual Winter Film Fest will begin Sunday, February 3, 2019. The list of films will show each consecutive Sunday. The free admission films start at 2:00 p.m. at the Eisenhower Visitor Center, 200 SE 4th Street, Abilene. Popcorn will be available, also free of charge. The Visitor Center has drinks available for purchase and will also be open for shopping. Joann Hettenbach of Abilene, will host the films. A brief discussion will follow the films for those who would like to stay and participate. 

Each year we ask our patrons to bring an item to contribute to the Abilene Area Food & Clothing Bank. This year we ask our patrons to please contribute toiletry items, i.e. tissues, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, toilet paper. Thank you in advance for the aid we give to one another.

WONDER (PG) Based on the New York Times bestseller, this movie tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters the fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.

THE GLASS CASTLE (PG-13) A young girl comes of age in a dysfunctional family of nonconformist nomads with a mother who's an eccentric artist and an alcoholic father who would stir the children's imagination with hope as a distraction to their poverty.

WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? (PG-13) An exploration of the life, lessons, and legacy of iconic children's television host, Fred Rogers. This film is a documentary and biography.

THE POST (PG-13) A cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country's first female newspaper publisher and a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented battle between the press and the government.

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN (PG) Celebrates the birth of show business and tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.

ROMAN ISRAEL, ESQ. (PG-13) Roman J. Israel, Esq., a driven, idealistic defense attorney, finds himself in a tumultuous series of events that lead to a crisis and the necessity for extreme action.

Great Plains Theatre - Moulin Rouge: A Party in Paris
 
Moulin Rouge: A Party In Paris
GPT FUN-Raiser kicks off our 25th Anniversary Season in style!

February 23rd at 6:00pm
Join us for an evening of food, fun, and frolicking!

There will be cabaret style music, games, tastings, entertainment, heavy hors d'oeuvres, a silent and live auction, prizes and more!

Advance reservations are just $25 or $35 at the door, and are only available to those 21 years of age and older. 
About us
The Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau  is the marketing arm of the City of Abilene and provides services to tourists and groups convening in Abilene.
Sign Up!
Receiving this email from a friend? 
Join the Abilene Tourism Advocate e-newsletter list. 
Click  here to sign up!