Abilene Tourism Advocate

December 27, 2024

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Best Historic Small Town - USA TODAY

Abilene, KS Honored as Top True Western Town by True West Magazine!

If you love Old West history, cowboys and cattle drives, President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the very best of small-town Midwestern America, then you will love Abilene, Kansas. That is one reason Abilene is #7 among True West Magazine’s 2025 Top Western Towns. They will be featured in the Jan/Feb 2025 issue, hitting newsstands on January 14, 2025.

Visitors to Old Abilene Town will be regaled by reenactors in period costumes, gunfighter shows, stagecoach and steam engine rides. The Gunsmoke Trail city boasts other great museums not to be missed: the Dickinson County Heritage Center, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home and the Historic Seelye Mansion. While staying in town, don’t miss a chance to ride on the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad.

“Abilene is a treasure of the West,” says True West Executive Editor Bob Boze Bell. “But they have done an amazing job in preserving the town’s history and presenting it to the world. There’s no question: Abilene is a Top True Western Town.”

This is the 20th year True West has presented this annual award. Editors base their selection on criteria demonstrating how each town has preserved its history through old buildings, museums and other institutions, events, and promotions of historic resources. True West magazine is in its 72nd year of leading the way in presenting the true stories of Old West adventure, history, culture and preservation. For subscriptions and more information, visit TWMag.com.

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Thanks to Yellowstone's "Jimmy" (Jefferson White) for the shoutout!

The towns of the year are:

10. Grapevine, Texas

9. Dodge City, Kansas

8. Bandera, Texas

7. Abilene, Kansas

6. Sheridan, Wyoming

5. Tombstone, Arizona

4. Cody, Wyoming

3. Prescott, Arizona

2. San Angelo, Texas

1. Deadwood, South Dakota

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End the Year on the Rails: Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad's Special Dinner Trains

As 2024 draws to a close, there’s no better way to celebrate the season than aboard Kansas’ Official State Heritage Railroad! The Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad invites you to experience one of its final three dinner trains of the year. These two-hour journeys combine an authentic experience of riding the rails through the Smoky Hill River Valley, a touch of history, and mouthwatering cuisine—all from the comfort of climate-controlled, antique passenger coaches departing from Abilene’s historic 1887 Rock Island Depot.

Reserve your seats today for a delicious culinary adventure paired with the charm of Kansas railroad history. Here’s a look at what’s in store:

Sunday, December 29 – Smoky Valley Limited: Goodbye 2024 – Italian Night

Caterer: Lucinda’s Katering

Kick off your end-of-year celebrations with a hearty Italian feast! Enjoy cheesy, meaty lasagna, breadsticks, Italian-seasoned green beans, tossed salad, and tiramisu for dessert. Iced tea and water are included.

Departure Time: 6:00 PM

Monday, December 30 – Smoky Valley Limited: Goodbye 2024 – Happy Silvester!

Caterer: Schatzi’s Schnitzel Haus

Celebrate the German tradition of “Silvester” with a meal fit for a Bavarian feast. Choose between breaded pork schnitzel or German beef goulash, paired with homemade spätzle, rotkraut (red cabbage), and decadent black forest cake. Iced tea and water are included, with authentic German beer available for purchase.

Departure Time: 6:00 PM

Tuesday, December 31 – Elegant New Year’s Eve Dinner Train

Caterer: Kite’s

Welcome 2025 in style with a sophisticated dining experience. Select from smoked peppercorn chicken breast or succulent roast pork loin, served with Yukon gold potatoes, mixed vegetables, and assorted dinner rolls. For dessert, savor creamy cheesecake. Iced tea and water are included, with beer, wine, and champagne available for purchase.

Departure Time: 6:00 PM

All Aboard for Unforgettable Memories!

Seats are filling fast, so don’t wait to reserve your spot for these unique dinner train experiences. Whether you’re celebrating with family, friends, or someone special, the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad promises an evening to remember.

Reserve your tickets now and make the end of 2024 truly unforgettable!

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Abilene, Kansas: Food Options in the Heart of America

Abilene may be a small town of 6,500 in the Heart of America, but it’s packed with delicious dining options. After all, the way to your heart is through your stomach! From iconic local favorites to nationally recognized chains, Abilene offers more than meets the eye. Ready to explore these 27 options?

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Cook Like Ike

Thanks to the The New York Times for the shoutout!

"Endless wars, expensive groceries, extreme weather — those are just some of the issues in the E section of our index of things we’d prefer to have skipped in 2024. So we asked Times Opinion staff members to share how they escaped it all this year. These are the habits we started, the ones we quit, the culture that brought comfort and the memes that made us laugh so hard, we momentarily achieved a state of Zen. This is what we’ll carry with us as we turn the page to 2025."

Dwight D. Eisenhower's Personal Cookbook

2025 American Flag Sponsors

Visitors to Abilene frequently comment on the beautiful American flags lining Buckeye Avenue and NW 3rd Street. The American flags are one of the many wonderful attributes that make our community stand out.

To continue this tradition, the City of Abilene’s Convention & Visitors Bureau is seeking sponsors for the American flags, which are placed on poles from I-70 along Buckeye Avenue to the south city limits and from Buckeye west on NW 3rd Street. The flags are flown from the Eisenhower Marathon weekend in April through Veterans Day. Because they are displayed for seven months, the flags and poles are more prone to wear and tear. The City of Abilene’s Public Works Department replaces them as needed.

Our goal is to purchase 200 flags for the 2025 season. The cost of each flag remains the same at $25, which includes the cost of the pole.

While the City of Abilene’s Public Works Department, Vyve Broadband and Linder Electric install the flags on the light poles, we rely on the community to provide funding for this project.

We hope you will consider purchasing one or more flags this year. Please complete the enclosed form and return it to Julie Roller Weeks at the Abilene CVB by January 24, 2025.

Thank you in advance for your continued support!

2025 American Flag Sponsors:

Scott Litke
Brad Dunlap
Marlene and Bill Howe
KJIL Radio
Wildcat Services, Inc. Krinhop
Matt and Jen Helmer
Curtis & Sandy Rein
Annette Wilson
Rackets Tap House
Shelly Crane
Larry & Tina Rankin
Rawhide Portable Corral
Gary & Bunny McCloud
Craig Richardson
Abilene Termite & Pest Control
Tim & Sharon Burt
Great Plains Federal Credit Union
Holm Automotive Center
West's Plaza Country Mart
John and Judy Anguiano
Robson Oil Co. Inc./Corner Stop Cenex, Liberty Cenex
Tony & Sarah Geiger
Jeremy Stuck
Carol & Moe Spitcaufsky
Bill & Nanc Scholl
Casey & Jane Foltz
Martin Becker Carlson Funeral Home
Danner Funeral Home
Vine Creek Accounting
Bert and Wetta Abilene
Harlan & Peggy Janke
Duri Ridge Free State Armory LLC
Marlin & Melinda Fitzwater
Chuck & Ann Brussow
Rick & Marcia Williamson
Greyhound Hall of Fame
Eisenhower Foundation
Cathy Strowig
Lumber House Inc.
Bielefeld Insurance
Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Post 1969
Gary Sweatland
Lynn Peterson Monuments & Design, Inc.
Theresa Brierton
Les & Michele Snowball
The Wendell & Nancy Gugler Charitable Giving Fund
Geske Interiors, Inc
Abilene Rent-All and Sales, Inc.
Faith Lutheran Church
Sonic Drive In of Abilene
Brandon L. Rein
Pinnacle Bank
In Memory of Kim Bogart
Pioneer Farm & Ranch
David Debenham
The Abilene Group Financial Advisors
First Bank Kansas
Steve & Tish Cathey
Bruce & Denise Youtsey
Pottberg, Gassman & Hoffman Chtd.
Patterson Healthcare Pharmacy
Solomon State Bank
Chris Murphy
Brown Memorial Foundation
Dick & Sharon Evers
David & Angela Elliott
Amanda West State Farm
Pattie Mayhew
Brian Tajchman Agency, Inc. - American Family Insurance
Rod & Tracey Kuecker
Ann Manning
Kent & Stephanie Clark
Larry & Connie Cooper
Emilies Bauernhof
In Memory of Joyce and Gordon Kippenberger
In Memory of Joseph and Sarah KippenbergerIn
Memory of Joseph and Sarah Kippenberger
Timber Ridge

*As of 12/19/2024

2025 American Flag Sponsorship

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Upcoming Events

December

29-31

Sunday, Monday & Tuesday

Smoky Valley Limited: Goodbye 2024

Join us on the Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad as we present the three great end-of-year dinner trains on the Smoky Valley Limited. Your two-hour journey across the Smoky Hill River Valley begins at 6:00 p.m., leaving Abilene’s historic 1887 Rock Island Depot and riding in our climate-controlled antique Chicago and Enterprise passenger coaches

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Community Attractions

Experience Art & Culture

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Journey to the Old West

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Live the American Story

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Explore Ike's Life & Legacy

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Have an Adventure

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Enjoy Family Fun and Learning

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Community Spotlight

Stay in Abilene

Abilene is home to more than 200 rooms ready to serve travelers. From national chain hotels to locally-owned motels, award-winning bed and breakfasts, and unique Airbnbs, Abilene's lodging community offers something for every price point.

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Gunsmoke Trail

Howdy, partners, and welcome to the Gunsmoke Trail! This road trip visits four cities in Kansas that had a role in Gunsmoke, the Emmy award-winning primetime Western that entertained audiences for 20 years.

The show still runs on select networks, with iconic characters telling the story of frontier life in the Old West. Several present-day cities in Kansas play a part in the show’s storylines, including Wichita, Abilene, Hays City (now Hays), and of course, Dodge City.

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Itinerary

Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau

201 NW Second St.

Abilene, Kansas 67410

785-263-2231

Office Hours:

Monday - Friday:

8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Saturday & Sunday : Closed