Dickinson County: Discover History and Hotels

Dickinson County offers a variety of historical themes to help guide your stay: cattle drives and the Chisholm Trail, Eisenhower history, railroads, and museums. The places and attractions focus on different aspects—from historic homes to interactive exhibits and routes through the landscape.

Cattle Drives and Railroad History

Abilene played an important role during the cattle drives. At the end of the Chisholm Trail, many cattle were driven to Abilene and loaded into cattle cars there. The Trail Center at Old Abilene Town explores this history with an interactive museum about the Chisholm Trail and Smoky Hill Trail. You can explore Historic Old Abilene Town on foot; it includes museums and the Alamo. Check current dates before your visit.

Railroad history is also a subject of its own in Dickinson County. The Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad is a museum that brings history to life by exploring the railroad’s influence on the development of Kansas and the United States. The Herington Historical Museum houses thousands of artifacts, exhibits, and photographs documenting the history of Herington and the southeastern part of Dickinson County. A restored Rock Island baggage car, added in 1987, was intended to house the museum’s railroad exhibits.

Eisenhower and More Museum Visits

At the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home, you can explore the life and legacy of Dwight D. Eisenhower: he was a five-star general and became the 34th president of the United States. The Eisenhower Boyhood Home is furnished as it was at the time of Ida Eisenhower’s death in 1946. The furnishings are original, although some have been moved for visitor tours.

Tickets for tours of the Eisenhower Boyhood Home are available only on site. Tours are limited to ten guests and often sell out during peak season. Check these conditions before your trip. Seelye Mansion offers a different perspective on history: the house was built in 1905 and features many furnishings from the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church has been in continuous use as a religious institution since 1878.

The Dickinson County Heritage Center complex includes the Dickinson County Historical Society museum, with outdoor exhibits and additional buildings, the C.W. Parker Carousel National Historic Landmark, and the Museum of Independent Telephony. There, you can ride a hand-carved C.W. Parker carousel dating from 1901. At the Museum of Independent Telephony, you can also try out a party-line switchboard that once connected phone calls across the country. The Greyhound Hall of Fame honors champions, owners, trainers, and other contributors who have shaped greyhound racing. The Kansas Auto Racing Museum tells the story of the state’s motorsports history through stories from across Kansas, artifacts, and exhibits.

Parks and Trails for Different Interests

The Abilene City Park Historic District covers approximately 40 acres on the west side of Abilene. Abilene City Park/Eisenhower Park qualifies for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A in the areas of recreation and culture, as well as community planning and development. In Abilene, park history and urban development thus offer further aspects of the area’s historic heritage.

The 5.5-mile Iron Horse Trail connects Enterprise with the nearby city of Abilene. It runs through the Smoky Hill River Valley, with its fertile Kansas farmland. Two cycling options offer different experiences: one 34-mile route passes historic sites and artworks related to the Eisenhower era; check trail conditions before riding. A beginner-friendly gravel cycling route starts and ends at the Greyhound Hall of Fame Museum.

In Herington, the Father Padilla Trail runs around the lake. Public hunting of migratory birds is permitted at Herington Reservoir; check the applicable regulations before your trip. America's Park in Enterprise has covered picnic areas. If you’d like to include these places in your plans, confirm local details before your visit. The different options—historic collections, Eisenhower connections, trails, or park visits—can help you tailor your time in Dickinson County to your interests.

Discover more destinations: Hope, Wyandotte County, Lane County, Wilson, Cowley County, Leavenworth County, Norton County, Stevens County.

For the main travel overview: Kansas.