ABILENE

ABILENE

Abilene was founded by cattlemen as a cattle shipping spot on the Texas and Pacific Railroad. Eventually Abilene became a major cattle growing area.

And then in 1981, during Abilene's centennial celebration a demonstration rig was set up at the county fairgrounds to demonstrate how an oil well is drilled. Purely by accident the demonstration struck oil! Not a lot of oil, but sufficient to add some funds to the city's coffers.

The West Texas Fair takes place for 10 days in mid-September, featuring exhibits and fun stuff from Abilene's early days, in addition to exhibits featuring modern attractions of West Texas.

The Western Heritage Classic takes place in early May with rodeo, cowboy cook-offs, a Western art show and many other Western heritage themed events.

The Celebrate Abilene festival takes place the second weekend in April in downtown Abilene.

Abilene Zoo is one of the 5 biggest in Texas. The zoo is in Nelson Park.

Abilene State Park is 621 acres big, near Lake Abilene with camping, picnicking, a swimming pool, hiking and fishing.

At Fort Phantom Hill & Lake you can visit the ruins of an 1850s frontier fort built to protect Miner 49ers on their way to California during the Gold Rush.

The Grace Museum is in the former Grace Hotel, built in 1909. Inside are the Fine Arts Museum, Abilene Historical Museum and the Children's Museum.

Frontier Texas! is a multi-million dollar attraction housing the Welcome Theater with a holographic introduction to Spirit Guide historical figures, like Indians, buffalo hunters, frontier women and children, soldiers and settlers. The Spirit Gallery contains multiple exhibits that experience various frontier lives. The Frontier Experience Theater is a visual thrill ride through Texas frontier history.

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