​​​​Dutch Oven Cooking Class
Outdoors over an Open Fire
April 25th from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm
This class will teach you how to prepare a full meal in a Dutch Oven. The meal will be 9-10 courses, including appetizers, entrée and desserts. Attendees must be age 18 or older and physically able to be around a hot fire. There is a registration form to complete. Cost is $45 per person which includes the gate fee to all Plains, Trains and Cowboys events.
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Plains, Trains and Cowboys
April 24th from Noon to 11:00 pm
April 25th from 10 am to 11:00 pm
The Heritage Center, Old Abilene Town and Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad have teamed up hold this event as a 250th U.S.A. celebration on the grounds of the Heritage Center and Old Abilene Town. Celebration of Western Heritage through singers, cowboy laureates, wild west show and educational experiences and a whole lot more. The Lazy Wayne Band will play Friday evening and Rusty Rierson on Saturday at Old Abilene Town. Dust off your boots and make sure to bring your family and friends to Abilene on April 24th and 25th. Watch our Facebook page for more information on this event.
Heritage Center and Museum
Explore a historical world
Ride our 1901 Carousel
Three museums that bring history to life
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Welcome to the museum with three museums. Our society is dedicated to preserving the rich history of Dickinson County and sharing it with the community. Explore our exhibits, attend our events, and learn about the people and events that shaped our local area. Join us in our mission to educate and inspire future generations.
History to life
Feel the wind through your hair while “rocking” on
a hand-carved wooden horse as a 1901 C.W. Parker carousel spins to the music of a 1904 Wurlitzer Band Organ.
Step inside the one-room log cabin and immerse yourself in the daily life of a pioneer family who settled on the prairie, where homes were lit by a kerosene lamp and heat came from a wood-burning stove.
Try your hand at using a party-line switchboard
that once connected telephone calls throughout the country.
The Heritage Center consists of the Dickinson County Historical Society Museum (including outdoor exhibits and additional buildings), C.W. Parker Carousel National Historic Landmark, and the Museum of Independent Telephony.
Explore outside
Watch chickens scratch in the ground near their coop, and walk into the big red barn to find early-day artifacts.
Ring the school bell, then sit at a desk in the one-room schoolhouse and test your knowledge with the arithmetic problem on the blackboard.
See the forge and tools used by a blacksmith when horses were used for transportation.
