Abilene is a city in Taylor County in the central part of the U.S. state of Texas. Abilene was ranked as the 17th city in the nation for their public education system, the highest ranked city in Texas.The cultural aspects of Abilene center around a mix of the local college and university campuses, the agriculture community of the surrounding area, and the numerous evangelical churches present. The Abilene Arts Alliance captured the essence of the city with Frontiering, a brand name for the city introduced in November 2008 to connect its pioneer spirit with its modern efforts to push the boundaries of education, technology, transportation, energy, the arts, and health care. Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, The Abilene Philharmonic, The Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, The National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas, the 87th Armored Division Museum, and Taylor County Coliseum.