Explore Ike’s Abilene: A Self-Guided Eisenhower Itinerary
“The proudest thing I can claim is that I am from Abilene.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Long before he became a five-star general and the 34th President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower was an Abilene boy.
It was here that Ike grew up, attended school, worked and developed the values that stayed with him throughout his remarkable life. No matter where his military career and public service took him, Eisenhower remained proud of his Kansas roots and always called Abilene home.
Today, his story can be found throughout his hometown. Follow this self-guided itinerary to museums, murals, monuments, historic homes and landmarks that connect Abilene to Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Ready to explore? Start at the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum & Boyhood Home and follow Ike’s story through Abilene.
Stop 1: Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum & Boyhood Home
200 SE 4th St.
There’s no better place to begin your Ike itinerary than the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum & Boyhood Home.
Explore the Presidential Museum, tour the home where Ike grew up, visit the Presidential Library and stroll the 22-acre campus dedicated to preserving and sharing the story of Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The Eisenhower family moved into the boyhood home in 1898, and it remained the family home until Ike’s mother, Ida, died in 1946. Today, the home is furnished with original family pieces and offers visitors a glimpse into the Abilene childhood that helped shape the future general and president.
While on campus, visit the Place of Meditation, the final resting place of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Mamie Eisenhower and their first-born son, Doud.
Planning your visit: You may notice a construction fence in the south parking lot as work moves forward on the Eisenhower Foundation’s new Ike Education Center. Don’t let the construction deter your visit! There is still ample parking available.
Stop 2: Ike “Heart of America” Silo Mural
509 SE 4th St.
Just blocks from the Eisenhower campus, this larger-than-life mural celebrates Ike’s connection to his hometown.
Featuring Eisenhower alongside the words “I come from the very heart of America,” the mural makes a memorable photo stop and a fitting tribute to the community Ike always considered home.
Stop 3: First Eisenhower Home in Abilene
112 SE 2nd St.
Before moving to the home now preserved on the Eisenhower Presidential Library campus, the Eisenhower family lived on Southeast Second Street after coming to Abilene in 1892.
The home is privately owned, so please enjoy it from the street as you visit a place connected to the family’s earliest years in Abilene.
Stop 4: Abilene Travel Information Center / Historic Union Pacific Depot
201 NW 2nd St.
The railroad played an important role in Eisenhower’s Abilene story.
From this location, a young Dwight Eisenhower departed Abilene on his journey to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Decades later, the railroad brought him home following his death in 1969.
Today, the historic depot serves as the Abilene Travel Information Center. Stop in for visitor information, maps and more ideas for exploring Ike’s hometown.
Stop 5: Little Ike Park
324 N. Spruce St.
Meet Ike before he became President Eisenhower.
A bronze statue depicts Dwight Eisenhower as a young boy, offering a reminder that one of America’s most recognized leaders once walked the same Abilene streets visitors explore today.
And before you leave, look for a much BIGGER tribute to Ike.
Stop 6: World’s Largest “I Like Ike” Button
324 N. Spruce St.
You don’t even have to move your car for the next stop!
“I Like Ike” became one of America’s most recognizable presidential campaign slogans, and Abilene celebrates that piece of presidential history in a BIG way.
Created by local artist Jason Lahr, the six-foot “I Like Ike” button is located at Little Ike Park and makes a fun photo stop on your itinerary.
Stop 7: Dwight D. Eisenhower Mural, “Ike Wins”
401 N. Buckeye Ave.
Look up!
Artist William Counter’s downtown mural commemorates Eisenhower’s 1952 presidential victory. Painted 70 years to the day after Ike won the election, the mural connects downtown Abilene with one of the biggest moments in its hometown hero’s life.
Stop 8: Historic Sunflower Hotel
409 NW 3rd St.
In 1952, Abilene welcomed Eisenhower home as he pursued the presidency. Ike and Mamie viewed his hometown parade from the Sunflower Hotel, once one of the city’s premier hotels.
The historic building has since been converted into apartments, but it remains another piece of Eisenhower history in downtown Abilene.
Stop 9: Abilene’s Victorian Inn Bed & Breakfast
820 NW 3rd St.
Your Eisenhower experience doesn’t have to end when it’s time to turn in for the night.
Built in 1887, this historic home was once connected to Edward “Swede” Hazlett, one of Eisenhower’s closest childhood friends. Hazlett encouraged Ike to apply to West Point, and the two remained lifelong friends.
Today, visitors can make this piece of Abilene history part of their stay.
Stop 10: Site of Former Abilene High School
300 NW 7th St.
Before West Point, there was Abilene High School.
A historical marker identifies the site where Eisenhower attended school before graduating in 1909. His path from an Abilene classroom eventually took him to West Point, military leadership during World War II and the White House.
Stop 11: Seelye Mansion
1105 N. Buckeye Ave.
Even one of Abilene’s grandest homes has an Ike connection.
As a boy, Eisenhower delivered ice to the Seelye Mansion. Today, visitors can tour this National Register landmark and discover another connection between Ike’s childhood and the community he called home.
Stop 12: Eisenhower Park & Rose Garden
500 Pine St.
Eisenhower Park has been part of Abilene’s community life for generations and played a role in one of the biggest chapters of Ike’s story.
On June 4, 1952, Eisenhower returned to Abilene and announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. Later that year, he was elected the 34th President of the United States.
Take time to explore the park and Rose Garden before stopping for a photo with one of Abilene’s BIG attractions.
Stop 13: World’s Largest Belt Buckle
400 N. Pine St.
Here’s another stop where you don’t have to move your car.
At nearly 20 feet wide, the World’s Largest Belt Buckle is located in Eisenhower Park and offers a fun addition to your itinerary.
Climb the stairs, snap a photo and take in the park that bears the Eisenhower name.
Stop 14: Abilene Cemetery
502 NW 21st St.
The Eisenhower family’s roots remain throughout Abilene.
Ike’s parents, David and Ida Eisenhower, are buried in Abilene Cemetery. Their family and life in Abilene were important influences during Eisenhower’s formative years.
Stop 15: Dickinson County Heritage Center
412 S. Campbell St.
What was Abilene like when Ike was growing up?
The Dickinson County Heritage Center helps put Eisenhower’s childhood into context with exhibits and historic buildings that share the story of life in Dickinson County.
Don’t miss the 1901 C.W. Parker Carousel, built in Abilene during Eisenhower’s youth and still giving visitors a ride more than a century later.
Stop 16: Ike’s Galaxy Painted Cowboy Boot
419 N. Broadway St.
Presidential history meets public art on Abilene’s Cowboy Art Trail.
“Ike’s Galaxy” celebrates Eisenhower’s presidency and the establishment of NASA in 1958. It’s one of the larger-than-life painted cowboy boots found throughout Abilene and another fun photo stop along the way.
Stop 17: Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum
321 N. Broadway St.
Finish your itinerary by seeing Abilene through another lens at the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum.
The historic photography collection preserves images of generations of Abilene residents, businesses and community life, providing another window into the hometown Eisenhower knew.
Come Home to Ike’s Abilene
Dwight D. Eisenhower’s life took him from Abilene to West Point, across the battlefields of World War II and ultimately to the White House. Through it all, he never forgot where he came from.
After his death in 1969, Eisenhower made one final journey home to Abilene aboard a funeral train. Today, he rests alongside Mamie and their first-born son, Doud, at the Place of Meditation on the grounds of his presidential library.
More than a century after Ike grew up here, his connection to Abilene is still easy to see. It’s in his boyhood home, the depot, the park, the streets he walked and the murals and monuments that continue to tell his story.
Plan your visit, follow the Ike Sites itinerary and discover the hometown that helped shape a president!