55 Best Small Towns to Visit on a Road Trip of America

The Abilene CVB responds daily to inquiries from writers. It's always exciting to see those responses come to fruition.

Check out this story from Auto Accessories Garage featuring Abilene, Kansas. 

 
Holiday Hours

The Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau will be closed Monday, December 25 and Tuesday, December 26. The Visitors Center will be closed Sunday, December 24 and Monday December 25.

                                                                 HOLIDAY HOURS

Business/Attraction

December 24

December 25

December 26

December 31

January 1

Amanda's Bakery & Bistro

Closed

Closed

Closed

Closed

Closed

Brookville Hotel

7:00 am - 2:00 p.m.

Closed

Regular Hours

Last seating @ 6:00 p.m.

Closed

Hitching Post

7:00 am - 2:00 p.m.

Closed

Regular Hours

Regular Hours

Closed

Ike's Place

Open until 5:00 p.m.

5:00 p.m.-Midnight (alcohol & appetizers)

Regular Hours

Open until 5:00 p.m.

Regular Hours

Joe Snuffy's

Closed

Closed

Closed

Regular Hours

Closed

La Fiesta

11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Closed

Regular Hours

11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Closed

M&R Grill

11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Closed

Regular Hours

11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Closed

Mr. K's Farmhouse

11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Closed

Closed

11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Closed

Three One One

Last seating at 6:30

Closed

Regular Hours

Closed

Closed

Tossed N Sauced

11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Closed

Regular Hours

Open Until Midnight

Closed

Tornado Alley Lanes

Open Until Midnight

Closed

Regular Hours

Open Until Midnight

Closed

Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad

Closed for Season

Closed for Season

Closed for Season

Closed for Season

Closed for Season

Dickinson County Heritage Center

Closed

Closed

Closed

Closed

Closed

Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum & Boyhood Home

9:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

Closed

Regular Hours

9:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

Closed

Great Plains Theatre

7:00 Movie

Closed

7:00 Movie

7:00 Movie

7:00 Movie

Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum

Closed

Closed

Closed

Closed

Closed

Russell Stovers

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Closed

Closed

Closed

Closed

Seelye Mansion

Regular Hours

Closed

Regular Hours

Regular Hours

Closed

*Steps are taken to ensure accuracy, however it is always advisable to call ahead.

2018 Eisenhower Marathon

Get a jump start on your New Year's resolution - register for the 2018 Eisenhower Marathon, Half, 10k or 5k. 

The Eisenhower Marathon was created as a benefit to low-income families in Dickinson County, Kansas.  Annually the profits are divided among up to 24 nonprofits which also assist in running the event.  Those nonprofits then use the funds to help families according to the mission of each organization.  In helping those nonprofits, Viola Family members carry out the teachings of their grandparents, Ralph and Mattie Viola, who believed in giving to those less fortunate in need. 

Click here to learn more.

 
Five-Star Reviews

Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum & Boyhood Home
Throwback Thursday

100 Years Ago: Eisenhower has a brilliant army career ahead

From the Abilene Daily Reflector, December 31, 1917
Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum & Boyhood Home
TALK Series Returns to  Eisenhower Library in 2018

Eisenhower Presidential Library partners with Kansas  Humanities Council to promote Kansas literature program

The T alk About Literature in Kansas  (TALK) program returns to the Eisenhower Presidential Library in 2018 with "Ike Book Talks." The programs are free and open to the public, and registration is not required.
The "Ike Book Talks" series of six book discussions will be held every other month from January through November 2018 in the Visitors Center Auditorium. The series will also feature films in conjunction with three of the books.

This  Talk About Literature in Kansas  (TALK) program is conducted through a partnership with the Kansas Humanities Council, Abilene Public Library and Eisenhower Presidential Library. The books selected for this series all have a connection to Dwight Eisenhower.
Add the list of books to your holiday wish list today:
  • Burnt Creek by Ernest Haycox
  • All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
  • Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruit Stewart
  • Trail Town by Ernest Haycox
  • The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan
  • Bugles in the Afternoon by Ernest Haycox
The books are available for purchase at the Eisenhower Presidential Library Gift Shop or may be available to check out from the Abilene Public Library.
The series kicks off on  Monday, January 8 at 7 p.m . when the book  Burnt Creek  by Ernest Haycox will be discussed. The book tells of the American pioneer experience through a series of interconnected short stories about Burnt Creek, a small crossroads town in central Oregon populated by a colorful group of homesteaders.

Additional information about the series can be found at www.eisenhower.archives.gov.
 
 
Chisholm Trail and the Cowtown that Raised a President
Exhibit in the Museum Tem porary Gallery u ntil May 2018


Celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Chisholm Trail, which brought nearly two million cattle from Texas to the railhead in Abilene, Kansas, between 1867 and 1871. See rare artifacts and historic photographs. Learn about the square meal, the real McCoy, origins of the cowboy boot, and "the wickedest town in the West." Discover stories behind the legends of T.C. McInerney, Bear River Smith, and Wild Bill Hickok among others. Find out why Dwight Eisenhower developed a love for all things western in the Cowtown that raised a President!

Eisenhower and the Great War
Exhibit in the Upstairs Library Gallery until May 2018

War erupted in Europe in 1914 and soon involved nations around the globe. The Great War, as it became known, shocked the world with its massive scope and the industrial-like slaughter created by advances in military technology. The United States reluctantly joined the conflict in 1917 and began to build a large professional army from the ground up. One of the young officers who helped in this endeavor was a lieutenant by the name of Dwight Eisenhower. Eisenhower showed remarkable talent for organization and leadership during the years of American involvement in the war. Tasked with training thousands of inexperienced troops in the new and untested art of armored warfare, Eisenhower quickly built a strong and motivated group of soldiers while overcoming severe obstacles and setbacks. This exhibit tells the story of the Great War and its influence on Eisenhower's leadership abilities. World War I, as it would become known later in the century, proved critical to the making of this American Icon.

Great Plains Theatre

Great Plains Theatre Cinema

 


December 28, 2017
6:30 pm - 9:30 pm 

Come watch the Dr. Who Christmas special on our big screen! Free admission, but donations are always welcomed. Feel free to bring a Dr. Who themed finger food or snack to share, and concessions will be available to purchase as well.

 



Season Sponsor: Astra Bank
Show Sponsor: Jeffcoat Foundation

1776: The Musical

March 1-4, 2017
 
The theme this season at GPT Academy is history, and what better way to learn American History than with a musical!  This is a large cast, 27 characters, mostly male.  So, in keeping with the tradition that started in a Kansas City production, we are using females to play members of the 2nd Continental Congress when needed. Imagine, females in Congress!  
 
This is a different kind of musical in that there is a little dancing and many wonderful songs, but there is considerable dialogue, much of it  taken directly from letters of the time, which provides a great opportunity for actors who don't usually do musicals to portray our colorful historic founding fathers; Ben Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, not to mention Abigail Adams and Martha Jefferson.


Greyhound Hall of Fame  Museum

Take a break from holiday shopping and visit Gary & Ginger at the  Greyhound Hall of Fame Museum  in Abilene. The Greyhound Hall of Fame Museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

 
Seelye Mansion

Holiday Tours

Visit Abilene's iconic Seelye Mansion to view beautifully decorated Christmas Trees, more than 750 unique nutcrackers and a home full of rare antiques. 

 
Stay in Abilene
Abilene Lodging Establishments

Abilene  is home to more than 200 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, spend the night and enjoy all  Abilene  has to offer.
Help us, help you
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:  [email protected] .

STAY CONNECTED