Six-Stop Tour: Abilene, KS
Celebrate America with a visit to Abilene where you can learn about our 34th president and enjoy small-town charm and hospitality.
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Heart of America President
Visit the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home where you can learn about the only five-star general who became president of the United States. The Eisenhower library is one of 15 presidential libraries. With hands-on exhibits, videos and artifacts, this museum is a must-see for history buffs.
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All Aboard!
Ride through the Smoky Hill River Valley on the former Rock Island track laid in 1886 aboard the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad. Learn how railroads built Kansas as you ride in vintage passenger cars pulled by steam or diesel locomotives. They offer excursion train rides, dinner trains and special events May through October.
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Wild West
On Saturdays throughout the summer, Old Abilene Town invites visitors to experience the Old West firsthand. Watch can-can dancers and gunfights, try mechanical bull-riding, enjoy live music and savor cowboy fare. The museum teaches visitors about the history of the railroad, cattle trails and Abilene. They host Chisholm Trail Days during Labor Day weekend.
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Giant Landmark
An Abilene landmark, the 28-foot-high Big Spur stands on its ends to form an arch and weighs a ton. Found in front of Rittel’s Western Wear, the Big Spur was built by Larry Houston in 2002 and was certified as the world’s largest spur by Guinness World Records until 2017. Pull out your camera to snap an Insta-worthy pic.
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Cowboy Supper
Hitching Post Restaurant & Saloon is a classic Western eatery dishing up hand-cut steaks, homemade chips, fried mushrooms, Buffalo chicken sandwiches, wings, mashed potatoes and gravy, loaded nachos and hearty home cookin’. Located in Old Abilene Town, the Hitching Post is a local favorite known for nostalgia and delicious food.
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Wonder-ful Kansas
Named one of the “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, which was featured on the History Channel’s Mysteries at the Mansion.
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Bonus Stop: World's Largest Belt Buckle
At 19 feet 10 ½ inches wide and 13 feet 11 ¼ inches tall (not including the frame), Abilene, Kansas, is now home to the World’s Largest Belt Buckle. Unveiled December 21 at noon at Eisenhower Park, the project celebrates Abilene.