Stillwater: Museums, Art and Trails

Culture and outdoor activities are equally good themes for a trip to Stillwater. Museums explore history, art and wrestling; trails, disc golf and activities on the water offer other possibilities. The trails vary in length and use, while each museum focuses on its own subjects. You can tailor your stay to your interests in exhibitions, sports or spending time outdoors.

Trails and outdoor activities

Boomer Lake Park has a paved, two-lane, 3.2-mile loop trail for walking, jogging and cycling. The loop offers several ways to get active, and its length gives you a specific measure to help plan your visit.

At Sanborn Lake, a trail just under a mile long goes all the way around the lake. Compared with the 3.2-mile loop at Boomer Lake Park, it is the shorter route. Walking, jogging and cycling are also designated uses of the Boomer Lake trail. Comparing their lengths can help you choose between the two loops based on how far you plan to go.

Boomer Lake Park also has an 18-basket disc golf course. It runs across grassy fairways and varied terrain. The course offers a different kind of sporting activity from the loop trail, with its own distinctive terrain.

Another named trail is the Enchanted Storybook Trail, which is part of the Oklahoma State University Botanic Garden.

Lake McMurtry is about 10 miles outside the city and offers kayak rentals. There is also a covered crappie fishing pier in the area on the lake’s west shore. Its location outside the city is worth considering when planning your visit; kayak rentals and the fishing pier cater to different interests on the water.

Museums, art and history

The Stillwater History Museum is located at 702 S. Duncan, in the basement of the Sheerar Cultural Center. Its permanent and changing exhibitions cover Stillwater and Payne County from Indian Territory to the present day. The exhibitions vary in format but share a broad time span: their subjects trace the history of the city and county through to the present.

The Sheerar Cultural Center is housed in a historic building constructed in 1928 for the First Church of Christ, Scientist. This brings together two historical perspectives: the history of Stillwater and Payne County explored in the exhibitions, and the history of the building itself.

The OSU Museum of Art is the official art exhibition hall of Oklahoma State University, and admission is free. For art lovers, it offers a distinct focus alongside the regional history exhibits.

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Museum features interactive exhibitions and electronic kiosks. It houses wrestling artifacts and memorabilia, including medals from the Olympic Games and World Championships. Visitors can watch NCAA championship matches from the 1930s to the present day. Here, historic collection pieces and interactive exhibitions are complemented by matches to watch.

Discover more destinations: Cushing

For the broader travel overview: Payne.