Attendees know they’re in West Texas when they hit the city limits of Abilene. Established in 1881, Abilene retains that Texan pioneer spirit with historic warehouses, buildings, and museums touting the story of Texas. Most of these venues exist in the Abilene Cultural District downtown, one of the first five cultural districs statewide to be designated by the Texas Commission on the Arts. “You actually can see cowboys here,” says Kim Bosher, director of sales for the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We offer the real Texas experience.”
The city boasts one of the largest zoos in the West Texas region, the Abilene Zoo, which houses more than 240 species of animals.
It also has three colleges—Hardin-Simmons University, McMurry University, and Abilene Christian University—and is considered the “Storybook Capital of America” due to housing the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature and some 37 large, bronze storybook sculptures at the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden and other downtown sites. The storybook artwork began in 1996 when the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council commissioned film and literature artist William Joyce to produce a character from his book “Santa Calls,” which was set in Abilene—and it only grew from there. Today, Abilene has one of the largest public collections of such storybook sculptures in the country, with new ones added every June during the city’s annual Children’s Art + Literacy Festival. “During the second weekend in June, Abilene turns into a storybook land, if you will,” Bosher says.
Abilene lies nearly three hours west of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Other Texas towns are in proximity as well, with about 60% of Texas’ population located within 250 miles of Abilene. The largest airport close by is Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), and American Airlines also has six flights daily from DFW to Abilene Regional Airport, Bosher notes. “It’s easy to access,” Bosher says of Abilene’s central location. “It’s easy to get in and out of town. A lot of our visitors drive, too.”
“I love doing events here because it’s the best of both worlds,” says Abilene native and event planner Kendra Duke, owner of Kendra Duke Design. “It has a small-town feel [with] big amenities, and it’s close to Dallas-Fort Worth, Lubbock, and Odessa.”
Duke credits the friendly service as well as the accommodating meeting venues and planners for why she loves working in her hometown. Eating out at a downtown restaurant doesn’t mean waiting an hour for a table, she says, and it’s easy to park anywhere downtown. The best of all are the prices, she adds. “It’s one of the most affordable events markets in the state. The people here are down to earth and great to work with.”
A Plethora of Options
Abilene serves up several venues for meetings, the largest being the Abilene Convention Center downtown, owned by the City of Abilene. Meeting rooms here include a 20,000-square-foot exhibit hall; a 13,394-square-foot conference center with meeting rooms; and an auditorium that seats up to 2,182 with a 70-by-72-foot stage, orchestra pit, 12 wheelchair spaces near the stage, and a 667-seat balcony. The auditorium has four private and two chorus dressing rooms with showers and makeup lights alongside a green room adjacent to the stage. An in-house event manager can assist with arranging floor plans, catering, and more. “[It] holds all kinds of events and shows—you name it,” Bosher says.
Newer to downtown is the DoubleTree by Hilton Abilene Downtown Convention Center, which opened in 2023 and provides convenient access to the convention center via attached walkway. The Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden with its whimsical storybook sculptures is a block away, and two of the city’s largest museums—The Grace Museum and Frontier Texas—are within a mile, and both offer event space on-site.
The DoubleTree features 13 meeting rooms totaling more than 23,000 square feet, with the Heritage Ballroom being its largest space at 11,600 square feet. Additionally, the hotel offers 200 guest rooms and full-service custom catering. “We have it all here—catering, audiovisual, [plus] a full restaurant and bar,” says Joleen Kachurak, group sales coordinator at the hotel.
Other Abilene hotels to consider are the Hilton Garden Inn Abilene on the south side of town with 127 guest rooms, four meeting rooms totaling 2,617 square feet, and an on-site restaurant, and MCM Eleganté Suites, which has 12,000 square feet of versatile meeting space across six breakout rooms that accommodate up to 300 guests. MCM Eleganté also provides full-service catering, a bar, and a team of on-site event planners. What’s more, all three universities in town have rentable event spaces, including a chapel at Abilene Christian University.
The Expo Center of Taylor County is near Abilene Regional Airport and hosts more than 200 events a year, including the West Texas Fair & Rodeo, concerts, and trade shows. The center comprises several large structures—including the Coliseum with 30,000 square feet of space and the First Financial Pavilion, which seats 1,000—but also works well for smaller groups with versatile configurations.
Offbeat Abilene
Downtown Abilene is home to numerous meeting venues beyond the traditional hotel ballroom, from event centers like 201 Mesquite Event Center and The Mill Wine Bar & Event Center, to dining outlets like Beehive Restaurant & Saloon and notable museums.
The 201 Mesquite Event Center came to life when Charlie Wolfe restored a 1900s building between 2017 and 2018 to host events. The historic food warehouse at 201 Mesquite St.—hence the name—lies about five blocks from the DoubleTree and was built to accommodate the rail line that once serviced Abilene. When Wolfe restored the warehouse, he found trap doors with steps descending to the basement.
“We took out the trap doors because some of our guests like to do the Cotton Eyed Joe [dance], and we didn’t want them stomping through the floor,” Wolfe says. The venue seats anywhere from 75 to 350 people banquet-style. Wolfe also can divide the space into two rooms for breakout sessions or open up the entire space for a larger social gathering or banquet. “We take care of people and let them have a good time and a good event,” Wolfe says.
The Mill Wine Bar & Event Center is another 20th-century venue to consider, built in 1910 as a grain mill. The family-owned venue includes a warehouse, seating up to 150 people; a pavilion for 200; and a vineyard space for 200 attendees. Alternatively, Beehive Restaurant & Saloon caters to meetings and special events in its banquet room or smaller groups in its main dining room. Best of all is Beehive’s location for those at the convention center.
“It’s right beside the DoubleTree,” Duke notes.
Grain Theory brewery and taproom has an event center in back, an ideal space for an evening event. Vagabond Pizza next door serves up wood-fired pizza, craft beers, and wines for small groups. Cypress Street Station is a landmark destination as it was one of the only restaurants in downtown Abilene during the city’s revitalization in the 1980s and 1990s. Today, it offers catering on-site for events. “We really have many historic venues all over downtown,” Bosher says, adding that more come online all the time. “We have lots of growth going on here.” Most notably, Abilene’s Cultural District is easily walkable and offers ample parking.
For those who might want a smaller venue outside of downtown, The Acre is a venerable farmhouse with rentable spaces, and The Winery at Willow Creek uses West Texas wine grapes to produce its wines. Groups of 35 people or more can book the winery’s tasting room, outdoor patio, and outdoor yard space.
Activities at a Glance
For the authentic Texas experience that Abilene offers, look no further than the newly renovated Frontier Texas museum. The Old West is on display here but with modern interactive exhibits. The downtown nonprofit museum also serves as the official visitor center for Abilene and the Texas Forts Trail Region, a 650-mile driving loop comprised of 29 counties in central West Texas. The museum’s lobby and a meeting room are available to rent, plus 75,000 square feet of outside space—mostly fenced, with some sheltered spaces.
The Grace Museum inside a 1909 building that once served railroad travelers as the Hotel Grace is now a downtown arts, dining, and family center. The Grace Museum features six spaces for rent to host both large and small groups and is open daily. Planners can connect with the museum’s Director of Events Thomas Pierce to organize an event.
Other attractions that offer rental space include Abilene State Park; Abilene Zoo, where groups can explore the grounds after hours and take part in activities like feeding the giraffes; and the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden downtown. The latter can be reserved through the City of Abilene.
Because of Abilene’s small-town feel, many attractions and specialty vendors rely on word of mouth for business. Some of the city’s finest vendors might not have a website, Duke says, so her advice is to hire an area event planner, or connect with the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau or individual properties to begin the process. “You should definitely get a planner from Abilene, those who know people and can point you in the right direction,” Duke says. “Finding someone who knows the area will be your best option.”
