News
We love to share positive stories about our five-star community!
Check out some of our favorites:
- 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!
Cowboys & Chisholm Trail Tales In Abilene
Abilene, Kansas has its place in America’s Old West history: It’s the end of the Chisholm Trail, that led cattle from Texas to Kansas for years. It’s funny how the end of the trail was the start of...
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A Five-Star Visit
Dear Mayor Marshall: My wife and I recently returned home from a visit to Abilene that was part of the Kansas Tourism media day. We are travel writers for the Cedar Rapids Gazette and will file an...
I Like Ike! Plan a Trip to Abilene, Kansas to Visit Dwight Eisenhower’s Presidential Library & Museum
Abilene, Kansas is famous for two things: 1) Being the end of the Chisholm Trail where cattle were herded up from Texas ranches to railroads in Kansas to be shipped across the country in the late...
Where’s the beef? Coming soon to this famed Kansas fried chicken spot? A sixth-generation cattle family’s prize-winning steaks
Creating a legacy doesn’t happen overnight, Deanna Munson said. And rarely is it a solo venture. The former Brookville Hotel, a striking white vestige of Kansas’ past, is more than its dinner...
The Charming Small Town In Kansas That Was Home To Dwight Eisenhower Once Upon A Time
For Kansas to have a reputation as a boring flyover state, we have a surprising number of famous people born here. From doomed pilot Amelia Earhart to singer Janelle Monáe, rocker Joe Walsh to jazz...
2022 Central Kansas Free Fair Barn Quilt Fan Favorite
Dickinson County is home to more than 250 barn quilts. Thanks to the Central Kansas Free Fair and Historic Seelye Mansion, barn quilters have a place to display their beautiful works of art. Join...
Iron Horse Trail Groundbreaking
After several years of planning, the Iron Horse Trail is breaking ground and moving forward. Community members, volunteers and donors will gather on Tuesday, August 2 at 1 p.m. south of the Dickinson...
My people; Abilene rodeo is long-time tradition for Dickinson County woman
MY PEOPLE Dickinson County woman loves Abilene rodeo, has missed 3 out of 64 years Abilene, Kan. (July 25, 2022) – The Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo has been a part of Sharolyn Adams’ life for 61 of her...
Abilene Named Midwest Travel Network Destination of the Year
The Midwest Travel Network named Abilene, Kansas, as its 2022 Destination of the Year at the recent Midwest Travel Network Conference in St. Cloud, Minnesota. “This Kansas destination continuously...
Abilene Makes 10Best List
According to a release from the Editors of the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice contest, Abilene is a winner in the 2022 Best Historic Small Town category. “Since this nomination was carefully made...
The 7 Best Steam Train Trips in the U.S.
Black smoke still billows from steam locomotives in southeastern Pennsylvania, just as it has since 1832. The Strasburg Rail Road, said to be “America’s oldest continuously operated railroad,” turned...
12 Friendliest Small Towns In The U.S.
As someone who lives in a small town, I know why folks tend to be so friendly. In a big city, you might flip someone off for cutting you off in traffic. In small towns, well for one, there’s not much...
20 Top Things to Do in Kansas
Like its endless-sky sunsets, the Sunflower State expands horizons with urban exploration in Wichita; treks through OZ and otherworldly rock formations; and cultural experiences in Topeka, Salina,...
11 Best Small Towns To Visit In The U.S.
From town squares lined with family-owned shops and diners to proximity to the great outdoors, small towns across the U.S. are treasure troves of good ole’ fashioned Americana. This list of our...
The 15 Best U.S. Small Towns for a Summer Vacation
There's just something about a small town in summer that hits a little differently. Perhaps it's the community festivals, the breezy nights walking down Main Street, or an ice cream truck rumbling...
Abilene Visitors Guide Receives National Award
The 2021-2022 Abilene Visitors Guide received an Award of Distinction from The Communicator Awards. The guide, designed by New Boston Creative Group, provides information for visitors to Abilene....
‘A hole in the ground' and other quirky curiosities mean money and pride for small Kansas towns
For small towns with dwindling populations and shrinking tax bases, luring travelers to stop and spend a few dollars is a matter of community survival. Some turn to quirky roadside tourist...
Small Town Presidents
I don’t know how many small-town Presidents there are. This spring we visited two small-town Presidents’ museums and libraries. It was fascinating. Bill Clinton was from Hope, Arkansas. Dwight...
Abilene Named Best Historic Small Town Finalist
Abilene is a finalist for USA Today’s 2022Readers’ Choice Best Historic Small Town contest for the fourth year in a row. “Thank you to the tourism attractions, businesses, residents, employees,...
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A Story-Worthy Adventure in North Central Kansas
Who doesn’t love a good story? The North Central region of Kansas introduces inspiring characters like former President Dwight D. Eisenhower (who loved reading history books as a boy in Abilene), “...