News
We love to share positive stories about our five-star community!
Check out some of our favorites:
- Best Small Town to Visit in the U.S. by TravelAwaits (2023)
- #2 Best Historic Small Town by USA TODAY (2023)
- Top 10 True Western Town of the Year by True West Magazine (2023)
- Best Promotion of a Historic Place by True West Magazine (2023)
- Destination of the Year by Midwest Travel Network (2022)
- #2 Best Historic Small Town by USA TODAY (2022)
- #1 Favorite U.S. Small Town by TravelAwaits (2022)
- #1 Friendliest U.S. Small Town by TravelAwaits (2022)
- Best Promotion of a Historic Place by TrueWest magazine (2022)
- #4 Best Historic Small Town by USA TODAY (2021)
- 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 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)
Keep checking back as we continue to populate this list!
Unique places perfect for a quick Kansas road trip
Summer is right around the corner. Memorial Day weekend typically marks the unofficial start of the summer travel season, and AAA of Kansas predicts this year will be the third busiest on record....
Golis: A prairie town still celebrate its favorite son
It would be beyond our imaginations today, but each major party wanted Dwight Eisenhower to be its candidate for president in 1952. Read more
Kansas communities launch ‘Gunsmoke Trail’
With a message of “get the heck into Kansas,” four Kansas towns, including Wichita, rolled out their new “Gunsmoke Trail.” The trail winds through four Kansas towns -- Abilene, Dodge City, Hays and...
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“Gunsmoke Trail” Launched
Get the heck into Kansas is the message four Kansas communities are sharing. This week, the Abilene, Dodge City, Hays and Wichita Convention and Visitors Bureaus rolled out their new “Gunsmoke Trail...
Antique Fest, Holm Auto Car & Truck Show set for Abilene Saturday
National Travel and Tourism Week is May 7-13, and Abilene is celebrating with two popular events on Saturday. Abilene Antique Fest Beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, walk the streets of downtown Abilene...
Take a ‘world’s largest’ road trip through Kansas
The saying “go big or go home” was taken quite literally by certain Kansas artists and entrepreneurs. And while some came by as happenchance (like the cow hairball in Garden City) Kansas is home to...
Those Roadside Attractions • Cottonwood Connections Season 2 Ep 12
Balls of Twine. Enormous eggs. The Garden of Eden. The highways and byways of Kansas are blessed with wonderful and unusual landmarks that capture a fun perspective on the Sunflower State. Watch...
The 7 Best Small Towns In Kansas To Chill Out
Kansas offers a lot of charming tiny towns that you may visit for weekend vacations or combine a couple to make a nice Kansas road trip. Several are also day excursions from bigger Kansas cities such...
We Found the Most Charming Small Town to Visit in Every State
These small towns in the United States are quaint, but full of restaurants, hotels, and excursions. Find out which destination from your state made our list. Read more
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Check out the World's Largest Belt Buckle in Abilene, Kansas
Whether on a cross-state road trip or just looking for a unique stop in central Kansas, the small town of Abilene has a new roadside activity to make your list. Last December, Abilene unveiled its...
Abilene Named Finalist in Best of Travel Awards
Abilene is named a finalist in TravelAwaits' "Best Of Travel Awards" in the Favorite U.S. Small Town and Favorite Roadside Attraction category for its new World’s Largest Belt Buckle. According to...
Best Historic Small Town Winners Announced
In his Homecoming Speech, Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “The proudest thing I can claim is that I am from Abilene.” And, thanks to a recent announcement from USA TODAY, Abilene is giving Ike another...
Abilene, Kansas - A True Western Cowtown
The once lawless cattle town is now one of the West’s most historic Old West destinations. The railhead town of Abilene, Kansas, had a wild range of characters vital to its prosperity on the...
Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad Receives Unexpected Anniversary Present
Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad officials have received an unexpected present as the railroad nears its 30th anniversary in June. After filing the required Federal Railroad Administration...
The President Visits Home
Featured in the KANSAS! Magazine January/February issue of 1955 It was dusk in Abilene. A large crowd of several hundred people, complete with a brass band, had gathered in front of the Hotel...
World's Largest Belt Buckle Unveiled! - Abilene, Kansas
World's Largest Belt Buckle Almost 20 feet wide and 14 feet high, built out of metal inlaid with blue quartz tributes to local heroes and attractions. You can climb a staircase and pose as if...
Kansas town named finalist in best historic small town contest
Abilene will have another shot at being named the best historic small town in 2023. USA Today’s 2023 Reader’s Choice Best Historic Small Town content includes the town of Abilene for the fifth year...
Abilene a finalist for Best Historic Small Town for 5th year in a row; vote now
For the fifth year in a row, Abilene is a finalist in USA Today's 2023 Readers' Choice Best Historic Small Town contest. "This is so exciting," said Julie Roller Weeks, Abilene Convention and...