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Sunflower Summer Program
The Heritage Center is a Sunflower Summer venue from July 12th through August 3rd.
History comes to life with FREE admission for Kansas families!
Ride the 1901 CW Parker Carousel, explore early pioneer life and learn how Abilene shaped the West. 
Download the app at SunflowerSummer.org. 

Memories of the Prairie
Experience first-hand stories, educational programs and re-enactors bring history to life at the Historical Society and Museum on Saturdays during the summer.  Come learn about the history of Dickinson County and Kansas from those that have lived it.  The series culminates with an old-fashioned ice cream social.  Each session starts at 7:00 pm at the Heritage Hall.​
July 12th:  James Holland - T.C. Henry's speech about Tom Smith
July 19th:  Ice Cream Social - Enjoy homemade ice cream and good fellowship with a chance to take home a pie, cake, cookies or other baked goods up for auction.  Auction revenue benefits the Historical Society.

 

                           EXPERIENCE HISTORY
                   Museum of Independent Telephony
 

Play the role of a telephone operator or dial a rotary telephone at the Museum of Independent Telephony, located within the Heritage Center museum building. This hands-on experience follows the history of the telephone from Alexander Graham Bell's first message to Mr. Watson to the flip phone of recent fame. 

 

Discover the story of local entrepreneur C. L. Brown, who after having his right arm amputated following a farming accident as a youngster took his misfortune and turned it into a global empire under the United Company umbrella, founding several businesses including one that later became Sprint Telecommunications.

 

The Museum of Independent Telephony showcases the first telephone installed in Kansas in 1877 and exhibits the progression of telephone manufacturing to modern day. We tell the story of the Kansas men and women whose fine workmanship and innovation created the device that transformed the world.

The Dickinson County Historical Society is pleased to display

the history of the Independent Telephone industry through this museum

established in 1973 with the cooperation of United Telecommunications, Inc.