Things To Do In Abilene Texas: A Guide For First Time Visitors

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There’s always a first time for everything, and here’s your guide on things to do in Abilene Texas on your first time in the city. Whether you visit by yourself, with your partner, friends, or family, you will be surprised at numerous things to do in this city with a population less than 125,000.

Just recently my family and I visited Abilene Texas for the first time. It was a long weekend, so we got to visit the city from Friday to Sunday. 

As always, our dog Snoopy was coming with us. He enjoys exploring Texas cities and state parks with us. He is one of the good road trippers. 

Where is Abilene?

If your children are full time students, a long weekend is one of the times to explore cities around where you live, right? That’s what we like to do from our home in the south of Fort Worth Texas.

Abilene is situated about 2 to 2-½ hour drive to the west of Fort Worth, depending on the traffic when you leave Fort Worth. You will go on I-20 W and stay there until you find an exit to Abilene. Normally the traffic is not bad. You will find lots of gas stations along the highway if you need to make a pit stop.  

Or, you can take the backroad like we did. We took US-67 through Glen Rose and Stephenville, made a quick stop at Dublin, back to US-67, before we got on I-20 W in Eastland and continued to Abilene.

It’s a bit longer, but we like backroad more than the highway. We get to see more of Texas this way.

Our visit to the city was hosted by Abilene CVB and TownePlace Suites by Marriott Abilene, but you will see that all opinions are ours and unbiased.

Things To Do In Abilene Texas: A Guide For First Time Visitors

When we got to Abilene, it was already afternoon. We went straight to our first stop, Frontier Texas! A history museum that is also the location of the official Visitor Center for Abilene and the Texas Forts Trail Region.

1st stop – Frontier Texas!

Frontier Texas! is a place where you will learn about the Old West and life before it. From the Ice Age to when people walked on foot in this region, and from when the Comanche called this area their home in the 1700s to when the Texas Frontier was settled.

The museum has state-of-the-art technology throughout the exhibit. You will find life-size holograms that bring people from those years alive to tell the stories of what life looked like in the Texas frontier. And there are two theaters, at the beginning of the trail and at the end of the trail. The first one is a Welcome Theater where they play a movie about introduction to Frontier Texas! In the second one, the Frontier Experience Theater, you will find yourself in a stampede, a thunderstorm out on a prairie, a Comanche attack, and so much more. You are part of the frontier.

Our dog Snoopy wasn’t comfortable in his first theater experience. We had to pet him while watching the twelve minutes introduction movie. When we heard a thunder sound coming out from the Frontier Experience Theater, we just knew that he wouldn’t make it there.

If you have a 6th grader in the house, it’s the right time to take your kid here before they start Texas History in 7th.

All in all, touring the exhibit in Frontier Texas! is one of the best things to do in Abilene Texas that you can’t skip. I didn’t expect to see a top-notch museum like this in the city. You will spend around 90 minutes in this museum that is perfect for children and adults.

Address: 

625 North 1st St., Abilene, TX 79601.

Hours: 

Monday – Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.   

Last show on Monday to Saturday is at 4.30 p.m. and 3.30 p.m. on Sunday.

Closed New Years Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

Closed at 4 p.m. on July 4th, Thanksgiving Eve, Christmas Eve, and New Years Eve. Last show for these days is at 2.30 p.m.

Easter hours is 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission:

Adults $10; Seniors (60+) and Military $7; Students and Teachers $6; Children (ages 3-12) $5; Ages 2 and Under are FREE.

2nd Stop – 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum

If you are a history buff, a student, or you just think it’s right to learn about the servicemen/servicewomen during World War II, the 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum is a place for you. It’s not only a teaching museum for the study of World War II, but also its impact on the American people.

The museum is unique, as it is dedicated to one unit’s combat history in WWII, that is the 12th Armored Division. They don’t only display military hardware and uniforms, but more important is, they tell stories of what war was like from the perspective of the guys who were on the ground. You will learn a lot from photographs, artifacts, and personal testimonies in this three floor museum. It is very personal.

You can also visit a Holocaust room in this museum. I found it pretty graphic, so prepare yourself before you enter the room. In my opinion, younger children can skip this room.

A note for you: this is not a pet friendly museum, but easily become the favorite things to do in Abilene Texas for history buff.

Address: 

1289 N. 2nd St., Abilene, TX 79601.

Hours:

Tuesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Last ticket sales at 4 p.m.

Closed Sunday, Monday, and major holidays.

Admission:

Adults $5; Seniors, Military and Students $4; Children (ages 7-12) $2; Children 6 and under are FREE; WWII Veterans are FREE.

3rd Stop – Taylor County History Center 

Started with the original old stone Taylor County Courthouse, followed by an original log cabin built by Taylor County early settlers, the Taylor County History Center is now home to thirteen other historic buildings. Some of them are home of Abilene’s first Marshall, doctor’s office, old press printing, school house, bank, post office, and a train depot. 

As you walk from one building to the other building, you will experience the formative years when the region changed from the Wild West to civilized settlements. You will learn a lot from the artifacts inside each building that represents the material culture of West Texas.

When we visited, the girl at the gift shop gave us a printed laminated map of the center that has information about each building. It also has arrows that will direct you from the beginning of tour to the end of it. It was really helpful. 

Another thing about this museum, they try really hard to preserve the buildings and the artifacts inside. So, when it’s muddy from rain or snow, they will close the buildings. You still can see it from outside and walk the ground though, and since you will only see half of the museum, you will only pay half price of the admission.

The museum is located less than 30 minutes drive to the southwest of Abilene. If you visit on the 3rd Saturday like us, you will get to stop at a flea market in the city.

It is also a pet friendly place, so Snoopy could walk and enter the buildings with us. Cool, isn’t it? 

Address:

133 William St., Buffalo Gap, TX 79508.

Hours:

Tuesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

Last tour begins at 4 p.m.

Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.

Admission:

Adults $7; Seniors (65+) and Military $6; K-12 & college students with ID $4; ages 5 and younger are FREE.

*Hours and pricing subject to change.

4th Stop – The Grace Museum

Located in the heart of downtown historic Abilene, The Grace Museum is a combination of Art, Children, and History Museum under one roof. Art exhibitions focus on historic and contemporary American art and artists with Texas connections. The history gallery on the 3rd floor is dedicated to displaying pieces of history of Abilene and West Texas. The Children’s Museum on the 2nd floor offers hands-on learning activities that focus on art and science concepts.

The Grace Museum is not big, so don’t expect to see numerous collections of art pieces here. Although it’s not in a big building, I found the Children’s Museum has more hands-on activities for the younger ones compared to the Children’s Museum in Fort Worth. As for the history display, they brought back memories to my husband and I. However, our son who is almost thirteen and doesn’t care about art, didn’t find this museum fit his interest.

If you have a museum membership card from the museum in your city, check if it is an American-Alliance of Museums accredited museum. If yes, then you don’t need to pay an admission to get in.     

Before you leave the building, don’t forget to check the Museum Store at the corner of the first floor. You can also ask to check the other side of the building, where they rent the property for a variety of events, from parties and weddings to school functions and business meetings. After all, The Grace Museum is located in a charming historic building.

Of course dogs are not allowed in this museum.     

Address:

102 Cypress St., Abilene, TX 79601.

Hours:

Tuesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Thursday closes at 8 p.m.) 

Closed on Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

Admission:

Adults $6; Seniors, Students, Non-Active Duty Military $3; Ages 3 and younger are FREE; Active-Duty Military and their families are FREE.

Thursday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. FREE.

5th Stop – Storybook Capital of America

Another I can’t believe this is Abilene moment is when you see storybook characters in the downtown cultural district. 25 sculptures (and counting) from children books favorite brand Abilene as the Official Storybook Capital of America.

Most of the sculptures’ locations are not too far from each other. In fact, they put some of them together in one place. Like six iconic Dr. Seuss sculpture in Everman Park, across the Grace Museum. We had fun taking pictures with Cat in the Hat, the Lorax, the Grinch, Sam-I-Am with his Green Egg and Ham, Yertle the Turtle, and Horton.

If you come in June, there will be an annual event called Children’s Art and Literacy Festival (C.A.L.F.). A family friendly event where they transform the downtown area into a magical storybook land. During the event they will unveil a new sculpture to add to the Storybook Character collections.

Your children will love hunting for their favorite storybook characters, and they will bring back memories of your childhood. For visitors with little children, this is easily becoming one of the top things to do in Abilene Texas.

Besides the Storybook Character Sculptures, Abilene is also home of beautiful sculptures and street art spread along the side of the road, city parks, and campuses yards. Another fun activity to do while in the city, hunting for sculptures and street art. You will need to drive though, since their locations are far from each other.

Address:

Storybook Capital of America.

Hours:

Dawn to dusk.

Admission:

FREE.

6th Stop – Fort Phantom Hill

You may only see ruins of the 1851 Army post here, but somehow walking among the dozen chimneys and three buildings made this place one of our favorite things to do in Abilene Texas.

Start your visit at the Visitor’s Kiosk by reading information about the Fort on the board. Then grab the brochure and begin your self-guided tour following numbers in the brochure. Let your imagination go wild while walking from one point to another point, as if you are watching the soldiers going about their daily routines.

Your four-legged family members will have a good time here. Just remember to keep them on a leash while exploring the ruins.  

Address:

10818 FM 600, Abile, TX 79601.

Hours:

Open daily from dawn to dusk.

Admission:

FREE.

7th Stop – Abilene Zoo

For a not too big zoo (32+ acres), I would say Abilene Zoo has a wide collection that most people expect to see when visiting a zoo in general. They have lions, rhino, giraffe, reptiles, birds, zebras, and monkeys. They even have Reptile House that made me goosebump from the moment we entered and left the house, and you can also feed the giraffe.

The exhibits in the zoo include the Giraffe Safari, the Wetlands Boardwalk, Reptile House, Pampass Exhibit, Elm Creek Backyard, and the Caribbean Cove. When we went there some of the animals were kept inside because of the winter season.

Other fun things to do in the zoo are riding on a carousel, mining for fossils and gemstones, and riding on a train. Seeing young couples with their toddlers waiting in line brought back memories from a few years back. I teased my son if he wanted to go on a train ride. Haha…

Like I mentioned earlier, the zoo is not that big, but they have classes and camps offered for toddlers to teens. Isn’t it cool? Plan your visit accordingly, so your kids will have a blast in the zoo! But you must leave your dog in the car or find a dog sitter.

Address:

2070 Zoo Lane, Nelson Park, Abilene, TX 79602.

Hours:

Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Last admission at 4 p.m.

Closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

Admission:

Tickets only: Adults $8; Seniors (60+) $7; Children (3-12) $5.50; 2 years and younger are FREE.

ZooMorePass (One admission ticket, a giraffe feeding experience, a ride on the Wildlife Carousel, and a tour on the Safari Express Train): Adults $13.99, Children $11.99.

Get a Roundup Pass to help you save some money while visiting the city.

Other Things To Do In Abilene Texas

Here are snippets of information on other things to do in Abilene Texas. You might find one/s that interests you more to help you make an itinerary to visit the city.

National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature – 102 Cedar St.

Learning more about children’s book authors and illustrators through exhibits of their original artwork.

The Center for Contemporary Arts – 220 Cypress St.

The center has five galleries featuring original, contemporary art by local and other Texas artists in a variety of media.

Paramount Theater – 352 Cypress St.

Abilene’s landmark theater, home to live concerts and theater, classic and special event films, and 24fps International Short Film Festival. It is a 1930s fully restored theater that you can tour during operating hours.

Dyess Air Force Base Memorial Center Museum & Linear Park

A place to learn more about historic aircraft and so much more. Admission is free.

Abilene State Park – 150 Park Road 32, Tuscala

If you like camping, hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor activities, make your Abilene SP your home base when visiting the city.

Historic Downtown Walking Tour

If you like history and learn about old buildings, walking around historic downtown Abilene is one of the things you must do while in the city.

Morgan Jones Planetarium – 700 S. Mockingbird Lane

Are you a fan of Texas night sky? Visit the planetarium and see if you can touch the stars here.

Where to Eat in Abilene?

Abilene offers a variety of food and dining options to its visitors. Steak place, barbecue, Italian, Mexican, fried chicken, Asian, food truck, coffee shops, bakeries, dessert places, you name it, they have it for you. 

On our way to the hotel, I saw 3 places in my food list that I want to try in the city. We were tired from the trip and exploring the city on that day, so it was great to see them near the hotel.

We had supper at Betty Rose’s Little Brisket on 2588 E Lake Road. I was hungry for ribs, but they were out of it. I was a bit disappointed, but what can I say. It was Valentine’s Day, I guess people in Abilene liked to have ribs for that special day. So, I went for brisket and chicken plate instead, and I was happy with my choices. The brisket was perfect and the chicken was tender. My husband tried their turkey and sausage jalapeno. I’m not a turkey person, but my husband said it’s good. It’s moist. The sausage was really good, but it’s really spicy, too.

After supper we went to 2 Profs Gourmet Ice Cream for desserts. I tried a scoop of strawberry ice cream and my husband tried their dark chocolate cherry. They were really good! They had the right sweet on each scoop although my husband said they could use more cherry in his ice cream. Try them at 1989 Hwy 351.

When we went to Buffalo Gap the next day, we had lunch at Perini Ranch Steakhouse on 3002 FM 89. It is highly recommended to make a reservation, but when we went to their website, the closest time available was on Monday and we left the city on Sunday. So, we just drove there after visiting Taylor County History Center and crossed our fingers. Fortunately they had room for the three of us.

We started our meal with Jalapeno Bites. It tasted delicious and the jalapenos weren’t that spicy. For main, I had Hamburger Steak, my husband had Peppered Strip, and our son chose to build his own burger, a.k.a. without the veggies. (They’re out of ribs and ribeye, too.) Everything was delicious and my husband’s medium-rare steak was cooked to perfection. The Hamburger Steak was actually the burger without the buns. If you’re watching your carb, it’s a perfect choice. The salad greens were fresh and crunchy. Then we closed our lunch with an order of Perini Ranch Bread Pudding. Mmm… I hope I can make it at home. They said the secret is sourdough bread and pecans. My advice for you, make sure you’re wearing stretch pants when you eat here.

Later in the afternoon, we stopped at Roll Shack to have our handcrafted rolled ice cream. A note at the door said the wait time for the ice cream was 45 minutes. Long, but we’re done exploring for the day, so we decided to wait. It’s really fun watching them making and rolling the ice cream. From a cream turned to a beautiful rolled ice cream. When you’re in Abilene, you must try it. Their location is on 2526 Buffalo Gap Road. You will not be disappointed.

The next day, on the way to the zoo, we stopped for lunch at Sharon’s Barbeque. Finally, I got my ribs here and they tasted really good. Tender and juicy. My husband’s turkey was also good, and their potato salad is interesting. It’s mashed!

We also stopped at the famous Candies by Vletas. The chocolates looked delicious, but we were still full from lunch and I just stopped taking caffeine starting this year. However, this ex-chocolate lover could tell from their looks how good they are. Besides, Vleta’s pralines were selected to be served at George W. Bush’s Inaugural Dinner. If it served in the White House, you can’t go wrong with its taste, right?

After two days in the city, I can say that eating is also one of the things to do in Abilene Texas.

Where to Stay in Abilene?

Abilene has choices of accommodations that suit your budget and style, from hotels/motels to Bed & Breakfast, and Guest Houses to RV Parks/Campgrounds. 

On this trip we stayed at TownePlace Suites Northeast by Marriott. Looks like the hotel is quite new. We stayed in a Studio Room with 2 queen beds and a sofa bed. The room is spacious and clean, with a kitchenette equipped with a stovetop, refrigerator, and a dishwasher. Basic pots and pans are available, together with kitchen utensils and plates and glasses for you to use. 

Bathroom is spacious and clean as well, and Marriott’s bed and pillows were comfy as usual. We had good sleeps during our two nights stay in this hotel. This is a pet-friendly hotel, and Snoopy enjoyed his sleeps here, too.

Room comes with free hot breakfast. You can choose from eggs, sausages, oatmeal, or toasts to Texas shaped waffle. Fruits, yogurts, milk, and juices are also available. Of course coffee and tea to help you awake for the rest of the day. One other thing, the lady in charge in the breakfast room was so kind and friendly.  

When we were there the lift at the front side was not working. The friendly front office guy put us on the third floor near the second lift at the back. So, we didn’t have to walk far to take Snoopy to our room.

Bare in mind, Abilene is an oil field town. So, no need to raise your eyebrows when you see traces of dry mud on the rug in the hallway, especially when you arrive in the evening.

All in all, we enjoyed our weekend visit in the city. I still can’t believe there are so many things to do in Abilene Texas that suit everyone in the family. Still, we haven’t got to visit all of the attractions. 

If you ask whether a day trip to Abilene is doable, I would say yes. But you must choose the attractions that really suit your party for the day. However, I recommend you to spend at least a night in the city because the drive itself is long enough. Unless you have someone else to drive you home.

Have you been to Abilene Texas? What is your favorite things to do in the city? Let me know by leaving a comment below.