I-70: 50 Years of Family Vacations, Sunday Drives and Roadside Attractions |
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2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the completion of I-70 in Kansas. This 424-mile stretch helped pioneer travel and shape how we hit the pavement today. President Eisenhower’s vision extended beyond providing accessible roadways for Americans and infrastructure to protect our borders, to expanding on travel and tourism, a $7.1 billion industry in Kansas*. Some of these attractions along I-70 were around to see the effects of the interstate system, while many are a result of the triumphant expansion.
I start to think back to 1970 and what travel looked like for American families. I-70 provided coast to coast accessibility while the automobile manufacturers reached peaked efficiency, thus making the automobile a staple in American households. World War II was the driving force behind leisure tourism in the United States. Soldiers returning home after traveling the world had this yearning to see more of their homeland and they wanted to experience this with their spouses and children. The American Family Road Trip was born, and the roadside attractions blossomed.
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Abilene, Kansas Was Just Named One Of The Top 10 Historic Towns In America |
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Kansas doesn’t make a lot of Top 10 lists, but we’re proud to say we’ve found another winner! Kansas was lucky enough to make USA Today’s 10Best list of Best Historic Small Towns, and we couldn’t be prouder of that. There’s plenty of things about Abilene that helped us reach the #2 spot in America. Come see why we’re on the Top 10 Historic Towns list and how cool this spot in Kansas really is. |
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Bi-Centennial Historical Marker Project |
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In October 1977 one of the first actions taken by the Abilene Bicentennial Commission when it was appointed by the city of Abilene in 1975 was a decision to erect an undetermined number of historical site makers. With no funds, the first decision was not to go to the taxpayers. Henry Jameson, as chairman, delegated it to a sub-committee. The committee took the assignment seriously and the site markers were installed at 11 locations around the city. The theme is a cross-section of Abilene history in the overall, more than individually labeled specifics. The committee started with 11 markers, which were fairly costly, but of lasting design and construction, and the eleven exhausted the committee’s budget. Six are mounted on posts, five on buildings. |
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5 Reasons We Love the Historic Seelye Mansion |
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Named an “8 Wonders of Kansas – Architecture”, the Seelye Mansion is like a time capsule. Most of the home’s furnishings were purchased at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. The furnishings cost more than the $55,000 that was spent building the 11,000 square foot home. |
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Abilene Boutique Crawl - Thursday, September 3 from 5:30-9:30 pm |
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Girls Night Out! Join us for a night of shopping, drinks, snacks, and fun!
Start at The Flower Box and follow the map to get select discounts and sales, and be entered to win the Grand Prize! **Select stores serving drinks**
Aksent Boutique, Hair Emporium, Cypress Bridge, C'est La Vie, Ortiz Cafe, Rivendell Bookstore, Amanda's Bakery and Bistro, The Other Jones Store, Countrypolitan, and Hairtiques will all be participating and offering amazing savings!
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Chisholm Trail Days - September 4-5, 2020 |
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Visit Abilene, Kansas during Labor Day weekend for Chisholm Trail Days!
The event kicks off Friday, September 4 at 6 pm with the Kansas/Missouri Draft Horse Pull.
On Saturday, throwback to Abilene’s days as a wild and wooly Cowtown with National Cowboy Poets, Geff and Dawn Dawson, historic reenactments, cancan dancers, stagecoach rides and more!
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Abilene Welcomes 2020 Heart of America Greyhound Gathering |
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Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau
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