SIX-STOP TOUR: ABILENE, KANSAS

Celebrate America with a visit to Abilene where you can learn about our 34th president and enjoy small-town charm and hospitality.

Visit the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home where you can learn about the only fivestar general who became president of the United States. The Eisenhower library is one of 15 presidential libraries. With hands-on exhibits, videos and artifacts, this museum is a must-see for history buffs.

Hill

Valley on former Rock Island track laid in 1886 aboard the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad. Learn how railroads built Kansas as you ride in vintage passenger cars pulled by steam or diesel locomotives. They offer excursion train rides, dinner trains and special events May through October.

On Saturdays throughout the summer, Old Abilene Town invites visitors to experience the Old West firsthand. Watch can-can dancers and gunfights, try mechanical bullriding, enjoy live music and savor cowboy fare. The museum teaches visitors about the history of the railroad, cattle trails and Abilene. They host Chisholm Trail Days during Labor Day weekend.

An Abilene landmark, the 28-foot-high Big Spur stands on its ends to form an arch and weighs a ton. Found in front of Rittel’s Western Wear, the Big Spur was built by Larry Houston in 2002 and was certified as the world’s largest spur by Guinness World Records until 2017. Pull out your camera to snap an Instaworthy pic.

Hitching Post Restaurant & Saloon is a classic Western eatery dishing up hand-cut steaks, homemade chips, fried mushrooms, Buffalo chicken sandwiches, wings, mashed potatoes and gravy, loaded nachos and hearty home cookin’. Located in Old Abilene Town, the Hitching Post is a local favorite known for nostalgia and delicious food.

Named one of the “8 Wonders of Kansas –Architecture,” the Seelye Mansion is like a time capsule—most of the home’s furnishings were purchased at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. The furnishings cost more than the $55,000 that was spent building the 11,000-square-foot home, which was featured on the History Channel’s Mysteries at the Mansion

Little Acorns 10:00, Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center. Join volunteer naturalists for a fantastic journey through magical places as they read books. Pre-reg at 816.759.7300.

Nature Story Time 10:00, Overland Park Arboretum. Enjoy music, movement and adventure in the great outdoors. Pre-reg at OPKansas.org/events.

Story Time in the Barn 10:00, Alexander Majors Home. Preschoolers enjoy themed activities and crafts based on a storybook. WornallMajors.org

1876 Historical Event 10:00, Shoal Creek Living History Museum. Enjoy family fun activities and historical demonstrations. ShoalCreekLivingHistoryMuseum.com

Kid’s Ukulele Class 11:00, Shawnee Town 1929. Beginners’ tutorial on tuning and strumming— and even a little history about the ukulele. Pre-reg at ShawneeTown.org.

Food Truck Frenzy 4:00, Old Town Lenexa. Feast on a variety of cuisines from area food trucks and enjoy live music by local band Fast Times. Lenexa.com

Movie Night on the Lawn 6:00, Legends Outlets. Watch timeless classics and Hollywood blockbusters on the big screen on Saturdays through October. LegendsShopping.com

16 Sunday

The Great Car Show 10:00, National World War I Museum and Memorial. A day of music, food trucks, demonstrations, ride-alongs and … cars! TheGreatCarShow.com

Public Tours 11:00, Cedar Cove. Explore Cedar Cove with an experienced guide. See these epic animals and learn about them. Tours start every half-hour. SaveOurSiberians.org

Family Fundays 1:00, Legends Field. Bring a glove and ball and play catch on the field, and after the game, the kids run the bases. MonarchsBaseball.com

KC Northern Train Rides Noon, Line Creek Park. Ride restored trains around a half-mile track in the park for 75 cents/ride. KCNRR.com

White Christmas 8:30, Shawnee Theatre in the Park. See the story of a song-and-dance team work with a sister act to save a failing Vermont inn. TheatreInThePark.org

17 Monday

Beach Bash Thru Friday, Church of the Resurrection. Enjoy games, food, fun and some surprises at the beach themed vacation Bible camp! Pre-reg at COR.orb/vbc

VBS 2023 Thru Friday, Wyandotte County Christian Church. Discover why God designed us and how we can use our talents to bring glory to Him. Pre-reg at WyandotteCCC.org/vbs.

Spider-Man: Beyond Amazing Thru Oct. 1, Union Station. The story of the web slinger, from his origins in 1962 to his modern-day adventures. UnionStation.org

Tabletop Games 6:00, Gardner Library. Join us for a fun-filled event with family and friends. Discover new games or bring one to share! JoCoLibrary.org

18 Tuesday

Revenge of the Space Pandas 10:00, Theatre for Young America. See David Mamet’s fanciful science fiction play for young audiences. TYA.org

Story Time in the Park 10:00, Indian Creek Library. Bring a blanket for stories, songs and fingerplays. Stories geared to 3- to 5-year-olds, but all are welcome. OlatheLibrary.org

Pop in at the Park 3:00, Spring Valley Park. Stop by for summer learning resources for families, fun kids activities and more. KCParks.org

Summer Movies 10:00 and 12:30, Gem Theater. Summer matinees every Tuesday while schools are out for summer vacation. All movies cost $2. Gem-Theatre.com

19 Wednesday

Festival of Butterflies 9:00, Powell Gardens. Spend a day outdoors exploring tropical and native butterflies alongside botanic displays. PowellGardens.org

Summer Movie Clubhouse 9:30, Cinemark Merriam. Bring the kids and enjoy exciting bigscreen entertainment for just $1.50 per ticket. Cinemark.com

Doctor Dolittle 11:00 and 1:00, the Coterie. See this new youth and family audience’s version of a country physician who can talk to animals. TheCoterie.org

Platte County Fair Thru July 23, Platte County Fairgrounds. Old-fashioned county fair with games, rides, carnival, food, music and more! PlatteCountyFair.com

Touch-a-Truck Night 5:00, Shawnee Town 1929. Bring the kids for a fun night of climbing into vehicles of all sizes from across the City of Shawnee. ShawneeTown.org

20 Thursday

Summer Kids Series Select days, B & B Theatres. Another reason why it’s great to be a kid in the summertime! Specially priced movies in July. BBTheatres.com

Life on the Farm 9:00, Colonial Gardens. Activities may include feeding the chickens, hugging an alpaca or holding a baby goat! ColonialGardensKC.com

Pay for Play 10:00, Backyard Specialists. Plan a playdate for your children and their friends at the amazing showroom! BackyardSpecialists.com

Free Family Fun Nights 5:00, Kansas Children’s Discovery Center. Come explore a special place where children can create, discover and learn through play. KansasDiscovery.org

Family Fun Nights 6:00, Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm. Family fun includes stagecoach rides, fire starting workshop and more! Mahaffie.org

21 Friday

Summer Chill Expo 10:00, the Pavilion at John Knox Village. Enjoy the creations of Midwestern artists and crafters. IBDPromotions.com

Third Friday Art Walk 5:00, Downtown KCK. Free, family-friendly events in Strawberry Hill, along with pop-ups, art exhibits, performances and more. VisitKansasCityKS.com

WeekEnder 6:00, Crown Center Square. Cap off Friday with local bands and food trucks followed by a famous flick under the stars. CrownCenter.com

ICI Summer Nights 6:00, Independence Community Ice. Each Friday night public skate this summer has a fun theme. IndependenceCommunityIce.com

KC South Patrol Movie Nights 6:00, KCPD South Patrol. Enjoy free popcorn, hot dogs and movies starting at dusk. Facebook.com/kcpolice

Summer Concerts in the Park 6:30, Central Park (Zona Rosa). Bring a chair, blanket and friends and enjoy free concerts on Fridays. ZonaRosa.com

Olathe LIVE! 7:00, Stagecoach Park. Bring blankets, lawn chairs, food and nonalcoholic beverages to enjoy a night of live music. OlatheKS.org

Movie in the Park 9:00, Buffalo Meadows Park. Pack some snacks, grab a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy family-friendly films under the stars. Lenexa.com

22 Saturday

Kids Fest 9:00, Linden Square. Activities include arts and crafts, face painting, temporary tattoos, games, food, live performance and more! LindenSquare.info

Race with a Point 0.5K Foam Run 9:00, Journey Church International. Run, walk, skip, hop, etc., one-half of a kilometer and finish with foam. Pre-reg at RunSignUp.com.

Grand Carnivale Thru Aug. 6, Worlds of Fun. Celebrate the sights, sounds, smells and tastes from cultures around the world. WorldsOfFun.com

KC Block Party 10:00, Special Olympics Missouri. Enjoy local food vendors, games, live entertainment, raffles, a scavenger bingo and more! SOMO.org

Bugs Extravaganza 10:00, Lakeside Nature Center. Learn cool things about bugs, including life cycles. Also find out how to support pollinators. LakesideNatureCenter.org

Miami County Fair Thru July 30, Miami County Fairgrounds. Youth rodeo, carnival, parade, demolition derby, dog show, concerts and more. MiamiCountyKansasFair.com

Summer Concert Series 7:00, Ward Parkway Center. Join for a free outdoor concert with genres from jazz and classic rock to Irish and indie. WardParkwayCenter.com

Beauty and the Beast 7:30, Rockhurst High School Rose Theatre. Step into the enchanted world of Broadway’s classic, a tale as old as time. LeawoodStageCO.org

Public Viewings 8:30, Powell Observatory. Bring lawn chairs or blankets to see images from the Ruisinger telescope on a large screen. ASKC.org/observatories/powell-observatory

23 Sunday

Brunch and Bingo 10:00, Chicken N Pickle (Overland Park). Join for a delicious brunch and enjoy FREE bingo games. ChickenNPickle.com

KC Northern Train Rides Noon, Frank Vaydik Park. Ride restored trains around a halfmile track in the park for 75 cents/ride. KCNRR.com

Free Afternoon Program 1:30, Prairie Park Nature Center. Free program for the family may include video, slideshow and going outside to enjoy nature. LawrenceKS.org

24 Monday

Visit Sea Life 10:00, Sea Life Aquarium. Bring the kids to see the Doodle Reef, the touch pool, Stingray Bay and more! Purchase tickets online at VisitSeaLife.com.

Gym for Me 9:00, Lenexa Community Center. Play items are available, including push toys, riding toys, balls and inflatables. Lenexa.com

Toddler Time 10:00, Ceramic Café. On Mondays and Thursdays, toddlers 5 and under can paint one selected item for just $12! CeramicCafeKC.com

25 Tuesday

Fairy Tale Village 10:00, Crown Center. Discover a world of make-believe as classic children’s tales come to life. CrownCenter.com

Leavenworth County Fair Thru July 20, Leavenworth County Fairgrounds. Delight in the fun of games, derbies, food, rides, exhibits and more. LeavenworthCountyFair.com

Story Time in the Park 10:00, Indian Creek Library. Bring a blanket for stories, songs and fingerplays. Stories geared to 3- to 5-year-olds, but all are welcome. OlatheLibrary.org

Summer Movies 10:00 and 12:30, Gem Theater. Summer matinees every Tuesday while schools are out for summer vacation. All movies cost $2. Gem-Theatre.com

AKMA After Hours 5:00, Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art. After-hours event features kids games and activities, chance to visit exhibitions and more! Albrecht-Kemper.org

26 Wednesday

Days Out with Frank and Ella 10:00, Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm. Enjoy a different history theme each Wednesday and Thursday with activities, crafts and a stagecoach ride! Mahaffie.org

What’s That Wednesdays 10:00, Watkins Museum. On Wednesdays stop by a cart full of artifacts to examine and explore. WatkinsMuseum.org

Summer Kids Series Select days, B & B Theatres. Another reason why it’s great to be a kid in the summertime! Specially priced movies in July. BBTheatres.com

Jammin’ on the Green 7:00, Shawnee Town 1929. Sit under the summer sky and enjoy tunes by Kansas City’s own Grand Marquis! ShawneeTown.org

27 Thursday

Spider-Man: Beyond Amazing Thru Oct. 1, Union Station. The story of the web slinger, from his origins in 1962 to his modern-day adventures. UnionStation.org

Revenge of the Space Pandas 10:00, Theatre for Young America. See David Mamet’s fanciful science fiction play for young audiences. TYA.org

Pop in at the Park 3:00, William Henry Harrison Park. Stop by for summer learning resources for families, fun kids activities and more. KCParks.org

Safety Fair 5:00, C. Lee Kenagy Park. The Raytown Police Department hosts a safety fair. Get up close to police cars, fire trucks and ambulances. Raytown.Mo.Us