Dickinson County Historical Society

05/28/2026

🎠🇺🇸 America Likes Thrilling Rides!

Before theme parks and roller coasters, there was the magic of the carousel, and in Abilene, you can still take a spin on history.

The beautifully restored 1901 C.W. Parker Carousel at the Dickinson County Historical Society is one of the oldest operational Parker carousels in the country and a true Kansas treasure. Hand-carved horses, vintage charm and the joyful sound of carousel music make this a ride that delights kids and grown-ups alike.

Built by C.W. Parker, often called the “Carousel King,” this classic attraction has been bringing smiles for more than a century.

Hold on tight and enjoy the ride.
Because America likes thrilling rides! 🎠

05/24/2026

🚜🇺🇸 America Likes Agriculture!

Agriculture has shaped Kansas for generations, and in Abilene, you can experience that story in a fun and unexpected way at the Farm Toy Museum inside the Dickinson County Historical Society.

Packed with miniature tractors, combines, implements and detailed farm displays, this one-of-a-kind collection celebrates the hard work, innovation and traditions that built rural America. It is a favorite stop for kids, collectors and anyone who appreciates life on the farm.

As President once said, “Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field.”

Whether you grew up on a farm or simply want to learn more about Kansas agriculture, this is a stop worth making.

Because America likes agriculture. 🚜

05/20/2026

05/12/2026

Pioneer camp is full. We have from time to time campers that drop for different reasons. We will have a waiting list. If you sign up your youth for the waiting list and a drop happens you will get the spot. This will also allow your youth the first spots for next years camp if your youth qualifies. Thank you to everyone that support this great program.

05/04/2026

We are in the USA Today Midwest Escape Trail Guide on page 43. Take sometime today and see us and other great places to see around the Midwest. If you click on an ad it will take you to venues web site.
Thank you to Community Foundation of Dickinson County help make this possible. This ad get seen online by people from 17 different state.

This full replica of our printed product provides you the newspaper as you know and love it from the convenience of the web.

05/04/2026

Our May meeting of the Dickinson County Genealogical Researchers will be Thursday, May 7th, at the Heritage Center. We will meet on our Standard Summer Time Schedule, that is at 6:30 pm.

The program will be a presentation by Doug Engle on scanning documents and photos.

As usual there will also be time for those in attendance to share their genealogical discoveries.

In Grace and Gratitude,
Bob Frasier

04/28/2026

We have been looking for the best way to get the word out about our events for the local area. Post a comment where you look for local events.

04/23/2026

We are just a day away from Plains Trains and Cowboys USA 250 Celebration. I would like to thank all of the people that came together to make this event happen. Volunteers and Staff from the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, Old Abilene Town, and Dickinson County Historical Society and others that have stepped up. The Local Sponsorship includes.......

Holm Automotive – Abilene and Salina
Rawhide Portable Corral- Abilene

Reynolds Real Estate- Abilene
Robson Oil Co Inc.- Abilene
Thunder Struck- Abilene

Astra Bank- Abilene and Chapman
First Bank Kansas- Abilene
Pioneer Farm & Ranch- Abilene
The Simmons Company- Manhattan
Walt's Four Seasons- Rural Enterprise
Wildcat Construction- Chapman
Ken & Deb Wood- Chapman

Acorns Resort – Milford
Agri Trails Coop- Hope
Chisholm Trail Seeds LLC- Abilene
Chuck Henry Sales – Solomon
Crop Service Center Inc.- Abilene
Everett's Inc.- Abilene
Pinnacle Bank - Abilene
Rutz Construction- Abilene
Vyve Broadband- Abilene
Brown Memorial Foundation - Abilene

Abilene Printing- Abilene
Dickinson County Bank – Enterprise
Don's Tire- Abilene
Hildebrand Farms Inc.- Rueal Chapman
New Horizon Farm & Ranch Realty- Bennington
M & M Tire & Auto Inc.- Abilene
Stalder Auto Supply- Chapman
Smart Insurance- Abilene


We can not do this event without your support!!!
Below is the list of events and a map of the grounds.
Hope to see you all for Plains, Trains and Cowboys!

Friday - April 24, 2026
Gates open at 12:00 pm

1:00pm - Gunfight - Old Abilene Town Street
1:30pm - Cancan Girls – Old Abilene Town Alamo
2:00pm - Train Ride – Abilene and Smokey Valley Railroad
2:00pm - Storytellers - Old Town Pavilion
2:30pm - Cowboy Poet Ron Wilson – Heritage Hall
3:30pm - Gunfight/ Cancan girls - Old Abilene Town
4:00pm - Serenity String Band – Old Town Pavilion
4:30pm - Ron Wilson – Heritage Hall
5:00pm - Wild West Show – Arena
8:00pm – Dallas Pryor – Old Town Pavilion

Dickinson Co. Heritage Center
Carnival Games 12:00pm – 6:00 pm
Carousel rides – 12:00pm – 6:00 pm
Tractor Exhibit 12:00pm - 8:00 pm

Old Abilene Town
Old Fashioned Photos 12:00pm – 5:00 pm
Kids Activities/crafts 12:00pm - 4:00 pm
Stagecoach Rides 1:00pm- 4:00pm

Museums
Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad Museum

Dickinson Co. Heritage Center Museum and Village

Old Abilene Town – Trail Center & Great Western Cattle Co.

Saturday - April 25, 2026
Gates open at 10:00 am

10:00 am - Train Ride
10:30am - Story Teller – Old Town Pavilion
11:00 am - Train Ride
11:30am - Gunfights/cancan girls - Old Abilene Town
12:00pm - Train Ride - (train robbery)
1:00pm - Fiddlers - Heritage Hall
2:15pm - Dave Zerfas - Heritage Hall
3:30pm - Gunfights/Cancan Girls – Old Abilene Town
4:00pm - Serenity String Band - Old Town Pavilion
4:30pm - Dave Zerfas – Heritage Hall
5:00pm - Wild West Show - Arena
6:00pm - Chuck Wagon Meal – pre sale Heritage Center
6:00pm – Fiddlers – Old Abilene Pavilion
8:00pm – Rusty Rierson - Old Abilene Pavilion

Dickinson Co. Heritage Center
Carnival Games 10:00pm – 6:00 pm
Carousel rides – 10:00pm – 6:00 pm Cast Iron Cooking Class 3:00pm – 6:00 pm
Tractor show 10:00pm – 4:00 pm

Old Abilene Town
Old Fashioned Photos 10:00pm – 5:00 pm
Kids Activities/crafts 12:00pm - 4:00 pm
Stagecoach Rides 1:00pm- 4:00pm
Museums
Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad Museum
Dickinson Co. Heritage Center Museum and Village
Old Abilene Town – Trail Center & Great Western Cattle Co.

04/22/2026

We will not be open Sunday April 26th.

04/13/2026

Plain, Trains and Cowboys will have both Food and Craft vendors. Listed below are some of the vendors and what they do. Don't forget to bring cash and support these great vendors.

C Designs Jewelry- jewelry

Frontier Knife Works - frontier knives & muzzleloader items

Eskildsen Creative Works - 3D printing - animals & novelties

BBS Custom Co****le Boards - co****le boards & portable flag holders

Ezra Miller - baked goods

Crunchy Munchies Owl - kettle corn, cotton candy

Hitch'n Stitch - yarn & fabric crafts for home & baby

The Soapsmith - soaps, tallow products, scrubs, oils, wood pyrography

Food Trucks
BBQ Rollin Smoke- bbq meats, french fries, onion rings

TCB Street Eats - tacos, burritos, rice bowls, nachos, salsa/queso & chips

Wanderlust Foodie - smash burgers, Reubens, fried foods, cotton candy

100 Acre Woods Catering - pulled pork sammies, cowboy nachos, reg nachos, chips, hot dogs, smoked sausage, (breakfast burritos Saturday only)

Benevolent Masonic Lodge - walking tacos, corn chips & chili, cookies, water, Pepsi products

Dry Creek Buffalo Co Chuckwagon - buffalo burgers, chips, fries, onion rings, mushrooms, sweet potato fries

Parmely Workhorse 1 LLC - Native American fried bread, multiple varieties

04/10/2026

Ron Wilson is a Kansas cowboy poet. He lives with his family on the Lazy T Ranch in Riley County, Kansas, where he grew up. Ron writes a regular cowboy poetry column for the Grass & Grain newspaper and is the host of a weekly television show named Cowboy Up. He also chairs the Kansas Cowboy Poetry Contest. Ron won first place in the cowboy poetry contests at the Kansas Cowboy Symposium in Dodge City and at the Echoes of the Trail festival in Fort Scott, and was a top five finisher at the National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo. Ron’s poems have appeared in the Kansas! magazine, RFD-TV, and the Field Journal of the Symphony in the Flint Hills. He is the first cowboy poet in history to present a poem at the inauguration of the Governor of Kansas. Ron was named an Ambassador for the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum in Fort Worth, Texas and was proclaimed by then-Governor of Kansas Bill Graves as “Poet Lariat” (NOT Laureate).

Below is a clip that Ron did for the State of Kansas about Kansas being a Cowboy State. We are honored to have Rod Wilson be a part of Friday, April 23 line-up.

𝗞𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝘀By Ron Wilson, Kansas Poet LariatKansas is a Cowboy State it's in our legacy Kansas blazed a trail throughout Western historyIt all started with ...