Abilene Tourism Advocate
October 27, 2022
Favorite & Friendliest Small Town in the U.S. - TravelAwaits Readers (2022)
Live, Work and Visit Abilene!
Abilene is a great place to live, work and visit! Thanks to the League of Kansas Municipalities for this video highlighting our community!
Latest News
Abilene CVB Receives Award
The Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau received a Travel Industry Association of Kansas (TIAK) marketing award at the Kansas Tourism Conference in Wichita.
Abilene Businesses Receive Awards
Congratulations to these Abilene businesses on their recent To the Stars: Kansas Business Awards from the Kansas Department of Commerce!

Merit:
  • Abilene Machine – Agribusiness
  • Abilene’s Victorian Inn Bed & Breakfast – Retail/Service
  • Wilkens Acres – Retail/Service

Regional Winners (North Central):
  • Rawhide Portable Corral – Manufacturing/Distribution
  • Russell Stover Chocolates – Non-Traditional Talent Pools

State Winners:
  • Russell Stover Chocolates – Non-Traditional Talent Pools
Abilene Business Gear Up for Pink Friday
Abilene businesses are gearing up for a new local shopping promotion ahead of the holiday season - Pink Friday.

The Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau says that “Shop Small First” is its message for shoppers during the upcoming 2022 holiday season.
Heritage Homes Association Receives Grant
Thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Dickinson County, the Heritage Homes Association is preparing to celebrate and share Abilene’s historic properties in a new way.

The grant, in partnership with the Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau (Visit Abilene Kansas), will help the organization develop a new logo, capture photos of nearly 200 homes and districts, and create a website with each property’s history.
Cowboys, Calls, and Carousels
On a warm summer day we rolled into Abilene, Kansas. We arrived from the south, much like the cattle drives of old. The first destination on our itinerary was the Dickinson Heritage Center. This multi-subject museum is a good spot to learn the background of the area, as well as some extra informational tidbits. The museum is located in a section of the city that has a collection of historical sites and specialty museums. It was nice to find that many of the places we would be touring were all within walking distance of each other. The Dickinson Heritage Center begins with a chronological walk through the growth of the city of Abilene, Kansas. It is split between indoor and outdoor exhibits, so we began with the indoor museums.
6 Ways to Experience the History of Abilene, Kansas
For a town of less than 7,000 people, Abilene, Kansas has some seriously big local history. From a presidential library and museum to more than 40 sites on the National Register of Historic Places, there’s a historic site for every sort of traveler in this Kansas community.
Upcoming Events
October
21-22; 28-29
Haunted Cowtown
The ghosts of Old Abilene Town have returned. Take a walk, if you dare, through your worst nightmare, the cursed schoolhouse, the possessed cabin, the haunted cemetery, the spooky saloon, and much more.
November
18
Friday
Pink Friday
We've all heard of Black Friday, American Express Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday, but what about Pink Friday?
Pink Friday is a small business spin on the traditional Black Friday shopping experience, reminding people to #ShopSmallFirst. Learn more
December
2-18
The Christmas Schooner - A New Musical at Great Plains Theatre
This Holiday treat will have you leaving the theatre with warm fuzzies about a story of the Great Lakes voyages of Christmas Tree ships and a family’s positive spirit to share the power of classic inspiration and Christmas miracles. The heartbeat of life is in our stories and our songs! Learn more
December
3-4
Saturday & Sunday
Cowtown Christmas
Visit Abilene December 3-4, 2022, for the Heritage Homes Association’s Homes for the Holidays Tour, enjoy an Old Fashioned Christmas at the Dickinson County Heritage Center and Old Abilene Town, tour the historic Seelye Mansion and see more than 60 beautifully decorated Christmas Trees, ride the rails with Santa and the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, see the live production of The Christmas Schooner - A New Musical at Great Plains Theatre, take an evening cruise and see Griswold-style decorations, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to see Santa, and remember to shop small all season long at Abilene’s small businesses. Learn more
Have an Abilene tourist-related event that isn't listed? Submit it here!
Community Attractions
Experience Art & Culture

Journey to the Old West

Live the American Story

Explore Ike's Life & Legacy

Have an Adventure


Enjoy Family Fun and Learning

201 NW Second St.
Abilene, Kansas 67410
785-263-2231
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday:
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday & Sunday : Closed