True Western Towns of the Year

According to the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau, they are thrilled to end 2023 and kick off 2024 on a high note. Following a year of remarkable achievements, True West Magazine has honored Abilene with the prestigious title of being one of the Top 10 True Western Towns of the Year. This recognition is featured in the magazine’s January/February 2024 Best of the West Collector’s issue, now available to subscribers and on newsstands.

“Abilene, though small in size, boasts big tourist attractions that rival communities many times our size. This award celebrates not only Abilene’s wild and wooly Chisholm Trail days but also our ongoing efforts to enhance and promote our rich western history,” expressed Julie Roller Weeks, Director of the Abilene CVB.

This isn’t Abilene’s first time in the top 10, having secured previous recognitions in 2023 and 2018. The community has also clinched the Readers’ Choice Award for Best Promotion of a Historic Place for the past three years.

Visitors to Abilene are encouraged to delve into its rich cowboy history by exploring Old Abilene Town, riding the rails with the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, touring the Dickinson County Heritage Center, and immersing themselves in the tales of Wild Bill Hickok and Tom “Bear River” Smith. Other highlights include the Cowboy Boot Art Trail, western-themed murals, the World’s Largest Belt Buckle and Big Spur, and the exhilarating Wild Bill Hickok PRCA rodeo.