For the third year in a row, Abilene placed in the top ten nationwide in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Best Historic Small Town contest.

“Thanks to everyone for voting for Abilene,” said Julie Roller Weeks, Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau director. “We appreciate this recognition, and it reinforces what visitors say, and locals know – Abilene is one of the best historic small towns in the country.”

The top 10 winners in the Best Historic Small Town Category are as follows:
  1. Granbury, Texas
  2. De Smet, South Dakota
  3. Taos, New Mexico,
  4. Abilene, Kansas
  5. Natchez, Mississippi
  6. Mineral Point, Wisconsin
  7. St. Augustine, Florida
  8. Mackinac Island, Michigan
  9. Natchitoches, Louisiana
  10. Berkeley Springs, West Virginia

According to USA Today 10 Best, the contest provides users with original, unbiased, and experiential travel content of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world. The core of the site's uniqueness is its team of local travel experts: a well-traveled and well-educated group who are not only experts in their fields - and their cities - but discriminating in their tastes. The 10best.com site averages 5 million visitors each month. The Nominees for all categories are chosen by a panel of relevant experts, voting is then open for four weeks, and the winners are revealed.

“Regardless of size or budget, this contest highlights our ability to get people excited about Abilene and compete with others across the country,” Roller Weeks said.

This recent announcement adds to Abilene’s ever-growing list of national publicity including:

  • Best U.S. Small Town by TravelAwaits (2021)
  • #2 Best Historic Small Town by USA Today (2020)
  • Coolest Small Town in Kansas by Far and Wide (2020)
  • Most Beautiful Small Town in Kansas by House Beautiful and O, The Oprah Magazine (2020)
  • #8 Best Historic Small Town by USA Today (2019)
  • #1 True Western Town of the Year by TrueWest magazine (2018)
  • Best Weekend Getaway by KANSAS! magazine (2018)
  • Best Small Town to Visit by Smithsonian magazine (2017)

For more information about Abilene, visit www.AbileneKansas.org.