President Eisenhower Makes Top 5


The 2017  C-SPAN  Presidential Historians Survey ranking all U.S. Presidents was recently released and guess who made the top 5 for the first time...  Dwight D. Eisenhower !

Click here to learn more!
New Merchandise

Thanks to Abilene's  Last Chance Graphics & Apparel  for these awesome new Abilene pint glasses! The glasses are now available in the Abilene Visitors Center and Gift Shop. 


Abilene in the News

20 Top Things to Do in Kansas
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Traveling Kansas: Abilene


The Smoky Hills Public Television show, Traveling Kansas: Abilene, will air again on Friday, March 3. The show is also available online.

Symphony in the Flint Hills Tickets

Thanks to the nearly 200 Dickinson County residents who purchased tickets to the 2017 Symphony in the Flint Hills! 

Tickets will go on sale to the public Saturday, March 4.
 
Tickets on Sale for the Public March 4:
Walk-Up Location
Kansas City Symphony Box Office, 1703 Wyandotte, Suite 200, KC, MO
Beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 4
 
Phone and Online Orders
816-471-0400
www.kcsymphony.org
 
For more event information visit symphonyintheflinthills.org.
Support your Local Restaurants
KANSAS! Magazine Asks Readers to Pick their Favorite Local Eats in Kansas

KANSAS! magazine, the state's premier travel magazine, invites readers to nominate their favorite local place to eat in Kansas for the magazine's third annual readers' choice issue. Only local restaurants, cafes, food trucks, bakeries, and other eateries will be will be considered. Nominations opened close March 14.

Click here to nominate for favorite Abilene restaurant!


Attraction Update:
Dickinson County Heritage Center

The Dickinson County Heritage Center's gift shop is getting a makeover. Make sure to stop by and check it out!

Annual Ida Stover-Eisenhower Quilt Show

The Dickinson County Heritage Center invites quilters to bring their quilts for display at the 27th Annual Ida Stover-Eisenhower Quilt Show. The show is open  March 13-26.
Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum

2017 Royer Film Festival
The 26th Annual Paul H. Royer Film Festival series begins March 2 in the Visitors Center Auditorium. All films are free and open to the public. The movies are shown at 7 p.m. in the Visitors Center Auditorium and include free soda and popcorn.

A special reception with light refreshments is planned  March 2 at 6 p.m.  to recognize Hank Royer's generosity in supporting this annual film festival. Film-goers get to experience this year's festival with a new sound system and big screen installed last summer courtesy of the Jeffcoat Memorial Foundation.

The 2017 Schedule is comprised of musicals with a western theme as we celebrate the Chisholm Trail 150th anniversary. All films were Academy Award winners in at least one category.

March 2 - Seven Brides for Seven Brothers 
Starring:  Jane Powell Howard Keel
Adam, the eldest of seven brothers, goes to town to get a wife. He convinces Milly to marry him that same day. They return to his backwoods home. Only then does she discover he has six brothers - all living in his cabin. Milly sets out to reform the uncouth siblings, who are anxious to get wives of their own. Then, after reading about the Roman capture of the Sabine women, Adam develops an inspired solution to his brothers' loneliness.   Nominated for five Academy Awards and won in 1955 for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture.  1954 - 102 minutes - Color

March 9 - Calamity Jane 

Starring:  Doris Day, Howard Keel

Deadwood, Dakota Territory, is largely the abode of men, where Indian scout Calamity Jane is as hard-riding, boastful, and handy with a gun as any; quite an overpowering personality. But the army lieutenant she favors doesn't really appreciate her finer qualities. One of Jane's boasts brings her to Chicago to recruit an actress for the Golden Garter stage. Arrived, the lady in question appears (at first) to be a more feminine rival for the favors of Jane's male friends...including her friendly enemy Wild Bill Hickok. Nominated for three Academy Awards and won in 1954 for Best Music, Original Song (Secret Love).  1953 - 101 minutes - Color

March 16 - Annie Get Your Gun 
Starring:  Betty Hutton, Howard Keel
 A story very loosely based on the love story of Annie Oakley and Frank Butler who meet at a shooting match. Fabulous music although the lead characters have virtually nothing to do with the actual historical figures. Annie joins Frank Butler in Col. Cody's Wild West Show. They tour the world performing before Royalty as well as the public at large.  Nominated for four Academy Awards and won the 1951 Oscar for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture.  1950 - 107 minutes - Color


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Eisenhower and the Great War
March 2017 - March 2018
(Library)

Almost 100 years ago, Eisenhower was a young officer in a rapidly expanding US Army. Fresh out of West Point and with the Great War raging across the globe, Eisenhower was thrust into an unexpected role.

*New exhibit* opened March 1 - experience the life of Ike's early days in the Army as the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum present "Eisenhower and the Great War." Come find out what Ike's role was and how it prepared him for future endeavors.
Great Plains Theatre

Irish Folk Music to Return to GPT!


Cinema

Jeffcoat Photography Studio

Kodak Reflex II
From the Jeffcoat Photography Museum collection is the Kodak Reflex II camera that was manufactured by the Eastman Kodak company from 1948 to 1954. The Reflex II weighed only 2 lbs, 1 oz. and was originally priced at $155.00.

Some interesting events that occurred during the time of this camera were that "Silly Putty" was introduced, minimum wage was about 40 cents, President Truman was re -elected in 1948, the average cost of new house was $7,700.00, only one in ten Americans had seen a television set up to this point and a gallon of gas was 16 cents. In 1949, the Department of War becomes Department of Defense and a first-class stamp was $0.03. The Soviet Union detonates its first atomic bomb and the most popular song was Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend. Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected in the United States presidential election in 1952 and in 1953; Two Cambridge University scientists describe the structure of DNA. In 1954 Ore-Ida offered 'Tater tots' in grocery stores which were simply pressed leftovers from their French fry line. The most popular TV show was I Love Lucy.

Hours of Operation:
Thursday 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
Friday and Saturday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
or call for appointment

Admission is free

2017 Calendar
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Stay in Abilene
Abilene is home to 202 rooms. Whether you're in town to visit the Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum, enjoy a show at the Great Plains Theatre, attend the Central Kansas Free Fair, meet with greyhound industry leaders or take a ride on the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, we invite you to extend your visit and spend the night and enjoy all Abilene has to offer!

Click here to learn more about places to stay in Abilene!
Help us, help you
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: director@abilenecityhall.com.
We do our best to make sure all information is correct. 
It is advisable to always call ahead before visiting.
Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau | 785.263.2231 | Email | Website

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