Abilene again picked as one of the best small towns to visit

It should not come as a surprise to Kansans, but Abilene again has just been named one of the top 20 best small towns in the nation to visit.

The town made the Smithsonian Magazine’s list in an article posted Tuesday.

Talkeetna, Alaska, with a population of 876, was No. 1 on the list; Rockland, Maine was second. Abilene was No. 8 and came before Snowmass Village, Colo., and Spencer, Iowa.

“The Old West doesn’t feel quite so old in Abilene, Kansas. People come from all over the world to Abilene to get a sense of the cow town where a handful of rough-and-tumble characters used to drive thousands of cattle coming up from Texas,” read the magazine’s description of Abilene.

Abilene’s Trails, Rails & Tales; Dickinson County Heritage Center; Old Abilene Town; Central Kansas Free Fair; Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home; Seelye Mansion; Greyhound Hall of Fame; Three One One; Mr. K’s Farmhouse; and Brookville Hotel were all mentioned in the article.

Abilene made Smithsonian Magazine’s list in 2013.

“Abilene has a long-standing reputation as a tourism community,” Julie Roller, Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau director, said in a news release. “This recognition validates the ongoing work of Abilene’s tourism industry partners and leaders.”

This story was originally published May 2, 2017 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Abilene again picked as one of the best small towns to visit."