If you're looking for a great Kansas road trip destination, you have come to the right place! 

The Abilene CVB is pleased to be featured on the back cover of the State's Official Kansas Travel Guide!

Request a  free copy of the 2019 Kansas Travel Guide to plan your next adventure!



Spring break is upon us. If you don't have plans, here are some great suggestions on how you can spend spring break. Depending on where you live; some of these places may be a short drive for you and your family.


When it comes to dining in Kansas, it is truly hard to go wrong! Basically anywhere you go (and any restaurant you visit), you are almost guaranteed to find a delicious meal. However, when it comes to these 11 under-the-radar joints in particular, you can truly never go wrong. If you are looking for a home-cooked and flavorful meal, check out...


The Official 2019 White House Christmas Ornament honors President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and symbolizes his commitment to innovation.

On July 12, 1957, Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first president in office to employ a helicopter in his transportation service. This event marked a significant development for both the White House and the helicopter industry. In the short term, the helicopter became a key feature of presidential safety in the event of nuclear war. At the same time, Eisenhower's occasionally contentious decision to utilize helicopters for personal transport signaled an evolving conception of the role of travel in the presidency. His administration embraced a new model for jet-setting diplomacy that relied upon fast and flexible transport in the face of Cold War realities. For the nascent helicopter industry, this development showed to the world that rotary wing technology had become safe and reliable. 

Order your 2019 White House Christmas Ornament from the online I Like Ike Store at the Eisenhower Presidential Library's visitor center. 

National Chili Day



Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial

Work on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial continues in Washington, D.C. 

Throwback Thursday - Seelye Sisters: Journey to the Mansion
 
A Series of Seelye Laboratories. 2nd Lab (1896-1900). 

The Seelye family moved from their home on 12th and Olive in 1896. Dr. Seelye was establishing himself as  a major player in patent medicines in the Midwest. No one in town knew just how well he was doing financially until he purchased the Coble House located on 11th and Buckeye. George W. Coble was a wealthy farmer from Pennsylvania that built the Victorian home in 1885 in Abilene, but moved back east to Illinois around 1895. 

The Seelye's bought the property, moved the old laboratory to the grounds while there was a second house standing on the property to the south that Dr. Seelye turned into his second laboratory. Sometime after 1900, when the Seelye's laboratory moved downtown, the 2nd laboratory, which sat on the south lawn of the Seelye property (where the gazebo is today) was moved to the 700 block of N. Cedar. The home/laboratory still stands today. 

As for the Coble House, the Seelye's knocked that home down when it was only 20 years old to build their new mansion in its place. The wood from the front porch was used to make the gazebo, and the living room fireplace was moved to the guest room of the new house.

5 Star Reviews - Diamond Motel
 
2019 Calendar of Events

2019 marks 150 years since the City of Abilene's official incorporation. Community events make Abilene not only a great place to live, but also a great place to visit. Make plans now to visit Abilene, Kansas and enjoy these great events! 

Take the Abilene Event Challenge - how many can you attend? Snap a photo and tag us in your Facebook posts @VisitAbilene.


EVENT

WHEN

LOCATION
LEARN MORE
Echoes of Grant with John C. McManus Thursday, February 28 Noon - 1pm Eisenhower Presidential Library Visitors Center Auditorium
Les Misérables performed by PGP
Thursday, February 28 @ 7 pm
Friday, March 1 @7 pm
Saturday, March 2 @7 pm
Sunday, March 3 @ 2 pm
Great Plains Theatre
30th Annual Ida Stover-Eisenhower Memorial Quilt Show
March 11-24
Dickinson County Heritage Center
Most Hallowed Ground with Tom Tudor Thursday, March 28, 
Noon - 1 pm
Eisenhower Presidential Library Visitors Center Auditorium
Kansas State Geography Bee Friday, March 29 Eisenhower Presidential Library
KS Gift & Craft Show Sunday, March 31 @ 1pm Sterl Hall
Eisenhower Marathon
Saturday, April 6 @ 7 am
St. Andrews Parish Hall
Easter Bunny Train Saturday, April 13 @ 1 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
National Greyhound Association Spring Nationals April 15-20 National Greyhound Association
Eisenhower Easter Egg Roll Saturday, April 20 @ 1 pm Eisenhower Presidential Library grounds
Eisenhower with Louis Galambos Thursday, April 25 @ Noon - 1 pm Eisenhower Presidential Library Visitors Center
Reitz & Rust Vintage Market
Saturday, April 27 @ 10 am
Dickinson County Fairgrounds (Abilene)
Arts & Ales Saturday, April 27 Downtown Abilene
Abilene Aviation Association Fly-In  Saturday, May 4 Abilene Municipal Airport
National Travel & Tourism Week May 5-11
Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
Antique Fest Saturday, May 11 Downtown Abilene
Historic Home & Barn Tour Saturday, May 11 @ 12:30 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
Mother's Day Tea Saturday, May 11 Eisenhower Presidential Library
The Road to Abilene with Tim Rives and William Snyder Thursday, May 23 @ Noon - 1 pm Eisenhower Presidential Library Visitors Center Auditorium
Dinner Train (Fried Chicken by Brookville Hotel) Saturday, May 25 @ 6:30 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (Steam Locomotive)
Steam Locomotive #3415 train rides Saturday, May 25 @ 10 am & 2 pm
Sunday, May 26 @ 2 pm
Monday, May 27 @ 10 am & 2 pm
Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
Symphony at Sunset
Saturday, June 1
Eisenhower Presidential Library grounds
75th anniversary of D-Day Thursday, June 6 Eisenhower Presidential Library
Steam Locomotive #3415 train rides Thursday, June 6 @ 10 am & 2 pm
Friday, June 7 @ 10 am & 2 pm
Saturday, June 8 @ 10 am & 2 pm


Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (Steam Locomotive)
Historic Home & Barn Tour Saturday, June 8 @ 12:30 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad 
Dinner Train (Prime Rib by Mr. K's Farmhouse Saturday, June 8 @ 6:30 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (Steam Locomotive)
Pirates of Penzance June 14-23 Great Plains Theatre
Heart of America Greyhound Gathering June 20-22 Sterl Hall
Dinner Train (Fried Chicken by Brookville Hotel) Saturday, June 22 @ 6:30 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (Diesel Locomotive)
Disaster! July 12-21 Great Plains Theatre
Old Fashioned 4th of July celebration July 4 Eisenhower Park
Steam Locomotive #3415 train rides
Thursday, July 4 @10 am & 2 pm
Friday, July 5 @ 10 am & 2 pm
Saturday, July 6 @10 am & 2 pm
Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
Dinner Train (Prime Rib by Mr. K's Farmhouse Saturday, July 6 @ 6:30 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (Steam Locomotive)
Historic Home & Barn Tour Saturday, July 13 @ 12:30 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
Wild Bill Hickok PRCA Rodeo
Wednesday, July 31 - Saturday, August 3
Dickinson County Fairgrounds (Abilene)
Central Kansas Free Fair
Wednesday, July 31 - Monday, August 5
Dickinson County Fairgrounds (Abilene)
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
August 2-18 Great Plains Theatre
National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo August 2-3 Shockey & Landes Building
Vintage Base Ball Game Saturday, August 3 Eisenhower Presidential Library grounds
Historic Home & Barn Tour Saturday, August 10 @ 12:30 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
Dinner Train (Fried Chicken by Brookville Hotel) Saturday, August 31 @ 6:30 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (Steam Locomotive)
Chisholm Trail Days Saturday, August 31 - Sunday, September 1 Old Abilene Town
Steam Locomotive #3415 train rides
Saturday, August 31 @ 10 am & 2 pm
Sunday, September 1 @ 2 pm
Monday, September 2 @ 10 am & 2 pm
Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
Historic Home & Barn Tour Saturday, September 14 @ 12:30 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
Dinner Train (Prime Rib by Hitching Post Restaurant)
Saturday, September 14 @ 6 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (Diesel Locomotive)
Dinner Train (Fried Chicken by Brookville Hotel) Saturday, September 28 @ 6 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (Diesel Locomotive)
Heritage Day Saturday, October 5 Dickinson County Heritage Center
Steam Locomotive #3415 train rides
Saturday, October 5 @ 10 am - 3 pm (hourly departures)

Dickinson County Heritage Center
Steam Locomotive #3415 train rides
Sunday, October 6 @ 2 pm (last steam run of the year)
Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
Historic Home & Barn Tour Saturday, October 12 @ 12:30 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
Dinner Train (Prime Rib by Mr. K's Farmhouse Saturday, October 12 @ 6 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (Diesel Locomotive)
Empires Fall October 18-27 Great Plains Theatre
Dinner Train (Fried Chicken by Brookville Hotel) Saturday, October 26 @ 6 pm Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (Diesel Locomotive)
Tombstone Talks Saturday, October 26 Abilene Cemetery
Makin' Magic - 25 Years of Fun November 29 - December 15 Great Plains Theatre
Abilene's Victorian Inn Christmas Afternoon Tea Saturday, December 7 Abilene's Victorian Inn
Heritage Homes Association's Homes for the Holidays Tour Saturday, December 7
Sunday, December 8
Varies each year
Night of Christmas Magic Saturday, December 7 Downtown Abilene
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  Julie@abilenecityhall.com.

ATTRACTION & EVENT UPDATES

ACDC Annual Winter Film Fest
 
Our annual Winter Film Fest will begin Sunday, February 3, 2019. The list of films will show each consecutive Sunday. The free admission films start at 2:00 p.m. at the Eisenhower Visitor Center, 200 SE 4th Street, Abilene. Popcorn will be available, also free of charge. The Visitor Center has drinks available for purchase and will also be open for shopping. Joann Hettenbach of Abilene, will host the films. A brief discussion will follow the films for those who would like to stay and participate. 

Each year we ask our patrons to bring an item to contribute to the Abilene Area Food & Clothing Bank. This year we ask our patrons to please contribute toiletry items, i.e. tissues, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, toilet paper. Thank you in advance for the aid we give to one another.

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN (PG) Celebrates the birth of show business and tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.

ROMAN ISRAEL, ESQ. (PG-13) Roman J. Israel, Esq., a driven, idealistic defense attorney, finds himself in a tumultuous series of events that lead to a crisis and the necessity for extreme action.

Eisenhower Presidential Library
 
Echoes of Grant with John C. McManus
Thursday, February 28
Noon - 1 PM
Visitors Center Auditorium

"Echoes of Grant: The Second World War Leadership of Dwight D. Eisenhower" with John C. McManus

They led in different eras, but the parallels between Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower are striking - both successful army commanders in high-stakes conflicts and then president, with deep convictions about racial equity and determination to avoid war despite their military backgrounds. Ike greatly admired Grant, studying everything from his leadership style to his personality traits and scouring Grant's memoirs for lessons he could apply to the battlefield.

John McManus, a Curators' Distinguished Professor at the Missouri University of Science and Technology and one of the nation's top military historians, examines those connections, delving in particular into Eisenhower's World War II military campaigns. This program continues a series coinciding with the exhibit "Eisenhower's Middle Road" at Central Kansas City Public Library. All are made possible by a grant to the Eisenhower Foundation from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City.

The Lunch & Learn series is made possible courtesy of the Eisenhower Foundation and the generous support from the Jeffcoat Memorial Foundation.
Great Plains Theatre Academy Announces Les Miserables, School Edition
 
The Great Plains Theatre Academy in Abilene KS announces performances for the musical, Les Miserables School Edition performed entirely by students. This long-running all-sung musical was written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the classic novel of the same name by Victor Hugo. The original French text was by Alain Boublil with English lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer. In 1983 CATS producer Cameron Makintosh put together a team which included Trevor Nunn and the Royal Shakespeare Company to adapt Les Mis into an English version. The rest as they say is history. Les Miserables School Edition is not less difficult than the full length version, it is just shorter. The material is challenging and audiences will not be disappointed.
 
The cast of talented students includes High School Seniors Mara Coufal, Harlie Delay, Abigail Elliott, Ivy Tompkins, Dawson Whalen, Jackson Welsh for whom this will be their last show with GPT's Academy. Underclassmen include Laryssa Brown, Lela Campbell, Margaret Campbell, Warren Campbell, Liz Collins, Mason Cook, Elise Davis, Dylan Delay, Rachael Ely, Jendaya Leder, Maren Meneley, Riley Reitz, and Lewis Trotter. Many of the young cast members play multiple roles and have assisted with production elements like costumes, props and sets. Edith Campbell is the Tech Intern working under the tutelage of GPT's new Technical Director, Kelvin Doo. The production team includes Director, Randy West; Musical Director, Margaret Clair; Technical Director, Kelvin Doo; Costumer Becky Dibben; GPT Intern, Liz Collins; and sound assistance from Corey Frey.
 
Don't miss the opportunity to see Les Miserables School Edition and wave goodbye to some of our wonderful students who have graced our stage the last several years and see what's coming up in the next generation.
 
Les Miserables School Edition runs Thursday February 28 at 7:00 pm; Friday March 1 at 7:00 pm; Saturday March 2 at 7:00 pm; and Sunday March 3 at 2:00 pm. Rated PG-13. In keeping with a GPT tradition, the cast of Les Miserables will perform a FREE Cabaret show after Friday night's performance.
The Workplace & Life Through F.U.N.!
 
From our friends at the Abilene Area Chamber of Commerce:
About us
The Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau  is the marketing arm of the City of Abilene and provides services to tourists and groups convening in Abilene.
Sign Up!
Receiving this email from a friend? 
Join the Abilene Tourism Advocate e-newsletter list. 
Click  here to sign up!