Celebrating the holidays in Abilene, Kansas

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Seelye Mansion lit up at night.
Seelye Mansion lit up at night.

Abilene enjoys the holiday season. From Seelye Mansion decorating its 25 rooms to people showcasing their homes, Abilene is a fun place to celebrate the season.

Seelye Mansion

Disclaimer: Thank you to Visit Abilene KS for the complimentary accommodations and attraction tickets. However, all opinions are ours.
Disclaimer: Thank you to Visit Abilene KS for the complimentary accommodations and attraction tickets. However, all opinions are ours.

A must-see attraction when visiting Abilene, the holiday season makes Seelye Mansion a top-rated attraction. Decorations include dozens of Christmas trees and more than 75 poinsettias, as well as 750 nutcrackers. While tours take up to two hours, they are worth every minute. The mansion’s owner encourages visitors to join him in singing Christmas carols as he plays a 100-year-old Steinway piano.

A bathroom is decorated with nutcrackers at the Seelye Mansion.
A bathroom is decorated with nutcrackers at the Seelye Mansion.

The mansion, itself, is a walk through history, having hosted dignitaries and celebrities, including President Theodore Roosevelt and inventor Thomas Edison. The dining room also includes holiday-themed china and candles.

The dining room at Seelye has been the site of dinner with people such as Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Edison.
The dining room at Seelye has been the site of dinner with people such as Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Edison.

As you visit the master and guest bedrooms, you’ll find each room elegantly decorated with Christmas trees, ornaments and decorations. A third-floor dance hall has one of the most beautiful room displays I’ve ever seen. With poinsettias as anchors, trees with white- and cream-colored ornaments and lights seemingly lead the path to a lighted bowl of ornaments and trimmings.

A beautiful display in the dance hall.
A beautiful display in the dance hall.

Abilene’s Heritage Homes Holiday Tours

Members of Abilene’s Heritage Home Association open their homes to the public the first weekend of December. The tour includes four houses, a church and a log cabin at the county heritage center. Each house features decorations in most rooms, with some showcasing Christmas trees in each room, as well as holiday china in dining rooms. Even bathrooms are decorated for the season. Tickets for the two-day event run about $10 each.

A living room is decorated for the season at one of the houses during the Heritage Homes Association open house weekend.
A living room is decorated for the season at one of the houses during the Heritage Homes Association open house weekend.

Downtown stores decorate their storefront for the holidays. The Jeffcoat Photo Museum features a bow-tied camera in its display.

While you can find fantastic Christmas decorations and programs all around the Midwest, Abilene’s attractions are worthy of a weekend visit to take in its sights and sounds of the season.

For more information on Abilene’s holiday season, please check out Visit Abilene.