Things to Do in Stillwater

A community-built science-and-art museum, Leonardo’s Discovery Warehouse entertains young minds and inspires creative thought with numerous educational exhibits. As it pays tribute to the famed artist, musician, architect, inventor, engineer, botanist, and Tony-winning choreographer Leonardo da Vinci, the discovery warehouse offers a balance of art, biology, and engineering stations to stimulate both sides of the developing brain. Kids can explore a rainforest environment and meet live animals, strap into a space-shuttle flight simulator, dig for ancient fossils in an excavation pit, and create masterpieces in an arts-and-crafts studio. Directly outside of the museum is Adventure Quest, a three-story wooden castle filled with imagination-fueling bridges, slides, mazes, and swings.

With Western-themed labels and names such as Dustbowl chardonnay and Roadrunner syrah, the wines at Put a Cork in it announce their regional flavors on the bottle and on tasters' tongues. The selection of locally produced wines varies throughout the year, much like the selection of snowflakes on a movie set, although it typically includes about 15 blends and single-varietal bottlings for visitors to sample or purchase. Featuring dry, unctuous reds as well as fruity whites, the winery doesn't overlook any taste buds or sweet teeth.

The staff strives to maintain a relaxed environment by leading informal, yet informative, tastings for small or large groups, as well as hosting occasional live musical performances.

Inside Howe 2 Party's spacious photo booth, a professional-grade camera captures the grins, silly faces, and bunt signs broadcasted by up to 10 people. Unlimited black-and-white or color strips slide from the booth's lab-quality printer, which produces the results of each session within seconds. To ensure images aren't lost forever in wallets or after being used on Wanted ads, Howe 2 Party offers a scrapbooking service to preserve duplicate strips as well as high-resolution CD-ROMs stocked with all the pictures snapped during an event.

After teaching art in public schools for three years, Jen Holloway wanted to put her Master's in Art Education to use in a different way. Channeling a desire to bring people in touch with their creative sides while pursuing her own artistic endeavors, she founded Heart to Art. Her workshops unleash the murmur of creation, letting the flick of brush against canvas sound in the light-flooded, industrial interiors of In The Raw Sushi, one of the several local eateries that have served as hosts. At each event, she progressively guides students through a chosen topic or artistic style, supplying all materials, including paints, aprons, and back braces for refrigerators laden with masterpieces. To help students relax, she encourages them to snack on appetizers and sip drinks during painting time. Jen also leads private events such as bachelorette parties, reunions, and company picnics, which participants can look back to fondly by gazing into the colorful swirls of their completed painting.:m]]