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Top Things to Do in Abilene, TX
Welcome to Abilene, where the authentic Texas spirit thrives. Our community-centered city offers an abundance of amazing restaurants, exciting entertainment venues, world-renowned steakhouses, and pristine nature getaways. Our team at The Residence at Heritage Park has compiled a list of our favorite local hotspots so you can get to know the city we call home.
Best Restaurants in Abilene
Cork & Pig Tavern
This lively gastropub brings a chic and sophisticated dining experience to Abilene that excels in wood-grilled entrees and woodfired pizzas. The menu delivers signature items like the Scottish salmon and blue crab, the blackened ribeye, and highly recommended pizzas like the “SoCal” made with fresh basil, tomatoes, and avocado slices, the “Black Truffle” topped with roasted mushrooms and arugula, and the fan favorite, the “Ultimate Pepperoni” pizza. Guests can pair their meal with an impressive list of international wines, local brews, and house made cocktails.
Copper Creek Restaurant
Galveston Seafood Company
The natural bounty of the Gulf Coast merges with a rich cultural history, culminating in one of America’s most distinct culinary offerings— Cajun cuisine. Galveston Seafood Company brings the Gulf Coast to Abilene with fresh catches arriving on the daily. The menu revolves around a series of platters that deliver Cajun favorites like shrimp, catfish, hushpuppies, clams, and alligator. Guests can also choose from crab cakes, etouffee, gumbo, and fish filets. With fantastic service, healthy portions, and charming ambiance, it’s no wonder why Abilene loves Galveston Seafood Company.
Sweet Thyme Kitchen
Sweet Thyme Kitchen’s farm-to-table philosophy produces one of Abilene’s tastiest breakfast and lunch time menus. Located inside of a renovated home, the eatery’s cottage-style interior is the perfect setting for enjoying an artisan sandwich, action-packed salad, or homemade pastry. Fan favorites include the turkey caprese sandwich, the Italian meatball marinara, the poached pear salad, and the always rotating quiche of the day. Of course, the pastries take the cake (pun intended). Choose from cookies, cinnamon rolls, whoopie pies, bundt cakes, and much more.
Perini Ranch Steakhouse
One thing’s for sure: when you’re in Texas, you’re never far away from a world class steakhouse. Located just thirty minutes south of Abilene in the town of Buffalo Gap, Perini Ranch Steakhouse is an award-winning steakhouse with over 40+ years of perfecting the art of cowboy cooking. That said, Perini Ranch is more than just a restaurant; it’s a fully immersive experience that provides dining, a hotel, and gift shop. Using only the highest quality beef, the kitchen delivers hulking slabs of elite Prime label steaks. This is a dining opportunity that every Abilene local should have the chance to experience at least once.
Best Attractions in Abilene
Home to over 1,000 animals representing species from around the world, this nationally recognized zoo offers an incredible wildlife experience for all ages. Visitors can explore diverse habitats that including the African savannah, South America, the wetlands of the Americas, and to the local bio region of West Texas. Zebras, giraffes, spider monkeys, capybaras, and alligators are just some of the animals on display at Abilene Zoo. Visitors will also come away with a strong sense of the zoo’s commitment to conservation efforts.
Located about twenty minutes north of The Residence at Heritage Park in Hawley, TX, Twisted Oaks Golf Course is a well-maintained 9-hole golf course consisting of rolling terrain dotted with mature oak trees and natural water features. Designed for players of all skill levels, the course delivers beautiful fairways, strategic bunkering, and undulating greens that reward thoughtful shots. The full-service pro shop and practice facilities provide golfers with all the necessary tools to perform to their highest level. This is West Texas golfing at its finest.
Three museums under one roof make The Grace Museum a bonafide cultural institution in Abilene. House inside of a beautifully restored 1909 hotel, The Grace features rotating art exhibitions, regional history galleries, and a children’s museum with interactive exhibits. The art collection spans contemporary works to historical pieces, while the history galleries celebrate the Big Country’s heritage. On top of this, architectural enthusiasts will appreciate the building itself, which sits at the center of Abilene’s downtown revitalization project.
A classic arcade, bar games, and pinball, oh my! Free Play Arcade is an entertainment hotspot that combines arcade nostalgia with modern gaming inside of a lively atmosphere with a full-service bar. Best of all, the arcade functions with an “unlimited play” model where visitors pay upfront and then get to play to their heart’s desire! On top of arcade and pinball machines, Free Play has console gaming stations that have both retro systems and current consoles from PlayStation, Xbox, and more. The venue also hosts tournaments and special events, which cultivates a healthy community around gaming culture.
The history of Texas is intimately intertwined with the history of American westward expansion. At the Historic Fort Phantom Hill, visitors have an opportunity to glimpse an important piece of frontier military history in the form of stunning limestone ruins that huddle closely beneath the Big Country skies. Built in 1851, the fort served as a solitary outpost on the western edge of America. Although Texas achieved statehood in 1845, this was still a time when the state was still a contested area, experiencing threats from powerful Indigenous tribes like the Comanche, Kiowa, and Apache. Fort Phantom Hill allows visitors to dive into this fascinating Lone Star history.