Abilene, Kansas, offers history buffs a timeline of experiences that begins in 1857 when Timothy and Elizabeth Hersey first settled on the banks of Mud Creek.
In 1867, Abilene became the western end of the Kansas Pacific Railroad, where it met The Chisholm Trail.
The town was the wild west in the truest sense, as cowboys herded cattle from Texas to Abilene and boarded them into railroad cars to ship them throughout the nation.
You can ride the rails on the Abilene & Smokey Valley Railroad, where a 100-year-old steam engine pulls the train. The railroad also offers the experience of an open-air car.
While the Greyhound Hall of Fame Museum is a fun stop due to the canine critters, like Ginger greeting you at the door, the museum continues this history theme.
The museum includes over 100 items, cure-alls to processed vanilla that the company sold throughout 14 states.
If you’re looking to continue the history theme, the Engle House Bed & Breakfast is where you’ll want to stay in your overnight accommodations.