Kansas City Day Trips - Abilene, Kansas

Abilene, Kansas is located in the Flint Hills of Central Kansas, just over two hours west of Kansas City, Missouri. If you are interested in the Old West, you might be surprised just how much American history has run through this small town on the Kansas Prairie.

Getting There

Abilene is easy to get to from Kansas City. It's located about two and a half hours west on Interstate 70. Once you get past Topeka, you enter into the Flint Hills area of central Kansas. Entering the Flint Hills, it's easy to see why so many people have the opinion that Kansas is the flattest state in America. However, the flat terrain doesn't equal boredom. The Flint Hills have a special, stark beauty all their own. This is especially true in the fall and winter, as the prairie grasses fade to a rust color and the starkness of the environment becomes really obvious.

Staying in Abilene, Kansas

While easily accessible from Kansas City, you might decide to make your trip into a long weekend or something other than a day trip, and there are quite a few options. In Abilene itself, you'll find several bed and breakfast options. Additionally, the larger city of Salina, Kansas is only 30 minutes further west. Here you'll find a host of major hotel chains and other options. But if you just decide to make a day of it, it won't be much of a problem as the drive to and from Kansas City is on a major Interstate and is fairly simple.

If you mention the words “cattle” and “Abilene” in the same sentence, many people might think first of Abilene, Texas. However, the city in Texas was actually named after this town in Kansas. This city is where the famous Chisholm Trail ended at its junction with the Kansas Pacific Railroad. With so many cattle moved north out of Texas and Oklahoma through Abilene, Kansas, it became the first real "cowtown" of the American West. And when you think of the American cowboy, regardless of which images that causes to pop into your head, this is where it happened first. Even Wild Bill Hickock once called Abilene home as he worked as a lawman, trying to tame the Abilene's legendary Texas Street.

Although cattle's dominance ended after only five short years, Abilene's place in history was assured. The advent of wheat farming quickly brought an end to its supremacy, and with this change came merchants and culture, along with Victorian-style architecture.

Abilene is also where C. L. Brown founded Untied Telephone. This is the company that has since grown into the telecommunications giant Sprint.

A Presidential Connection - Dwight D. Eisenhower

The 34^th President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, had a great deal of pride in his Abilene heritage. Even though he was born in Texas, he left little doubt that he considered Abilene, Kansas his home town. One of his famous quotes is, "The proudest thing that I can say is that I am from Abilene, Kansas."

Among his many other accomplishments, President Eisenhower was instrumental in creating the Interstate system - which is still formally known as the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways. As a young Army officer crossing the U.S., and later gaining appreciation for the German Autobahn system, he was a major proponent of any easy way to both cross the country and evacuate citizens as the need arose. Interestingly, on your way to Abilene you will pass a sign just west of Topeka proclaiming that this portion of Interstate 70 was the first completed section of the Interstate system.

Museums and More

While it may seem like a sleepy little town whose time has passed, visitors to Abilene will have a variety of things to see and do. There is something for a variety of interests. Of course, The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum is a key site, but it is far from the only one. There is also the Museum of Independent Telephony, the Greyhound Hall of Fame, the Heritage Center Museums and the historic C. W. Parker Carousel, which toured the country more than a hundred years ago. There are also tours of some of the historic Victorian mansions available.

Another attraction, hearkening back to the golden days of the railroads that were so instrumental in Abilene’s history, is the Abilene & Smoky Valley steam train excursion. It features both Diesel and steam locomotives, and there are a variety of options to satisfy most everyone.

From the heyday of the American cowboy to our current Interstate highway system, a lot of American history has been influenced by Abilene, Kansas. If you are at all interested in this type of history, Abilene is definitely worth a visit.