Newly renovated Stillwater Museum attracts families for Heritage Day

Apr. 22—Laura Arata is teaching 6-year-old Audrey Wozniak how to view photos through an antique picture viewer in a back gallery at the Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar. At the next station, 8-year-old Kathryn Spencer is making a yarn doll.

It's Saturday, and Arata, an Oklahoma State University history professor and public historian, is helping the museum host Heritage Day over the weekend. The Stillwater History Museum had been closed for months because of a renovation project, but it opened its doors again to the public, kicking off its 50th anniversary.

Arata, who also helped guests with a magic lantern show, said displaying the magic lantern in the museum was one thing, but being able to put it to use was "rare and really meaningful."

"It was special to get so many of our items out of storage and be able to use them for the day," Arata said.

While the Stillwater Public Library held its annual spring sale, the Prairie Arts Festival hosted dozens of art booths, live music and food trucks, and the Red Dirt Film Festival brought many to town, the museum — with fresh paint, new displays and reconfigured spaces — saw a steady flow of guests.

Kathryn was at the museum with her father, siblings, grandmother, aunt and cousins. The family's museum visit was another stop in their day, filled with learning and exploration.

The 4,400-square-foot museum holds Stillwater's history, curating its glass cases full of artifacts and offering interactive exhibits to pull back layers of the past.

A wagon wheel and tombstone hung from one wall, where Native American history such as the Trail of Tears and events such as the Territorial Land Runs were given prominence.

Next to another wall titled "Becoming Stillwater," three women demonstrated weaving and spinning.

Docents from Stillwater's Pleasant Valley School displayed with vintage toys (knot tying and Cat's Cradle), schoolbooks, a handbell and a small replica of the school.

In the kitchen, kids learned how to churn butter with a 20th century hand-held churner. In the center gallery, they learned how to wash clothes with a scrub board, and in the back area, they could make harmonicas, watch a magic lantern show or listen to a Regina music box.

Members from the Family History Center helped guests learn their genealogy and members of the Payne County Historical Society were available to answer questions for guests.

Outside under a tent, guests watched a blacksmith work.

Museum Director Amelia Chamberlain said in the past months, museum staff packed up everything in the museum, painted walls and ceilings white to make the space more open, reconfigured walls and freshened up the old glass cases.

They painted the cases and installed new trim. In addition, they added "gator board," or foam board, to the bottom of the cases. Gator board has a wood surface which can be painted on either side for versatility.

The hung larger items from the ceiling to draw attention there and create more space.

"Another thing we did with the remodel was to create new storage areas, because we are just about full," Chamberlain said. "We're doing a progressive exhibit development."

The next displays will be finished quarterly throughout the year, she said.

By November, the staff plans to have all exhibits finished for the 50th anniversary.

Chamberlain said the Board wanted to have something to celebrate the museum's 50th anniversary in November and to draw more people to the museum. She said they typically have a family-friendly event quarterly.

She said the staff has hosted separate events for kids and adults, but they've found that the family events are more of a hit and are more well attended.

Since 2020, Chamberlain has focused on raising funds to renovate the 96-year-old building. To date, the museum has received about $140,000 in grants to fulfill its mission, with nearly 60% of those from the Oklahoma Historical Society.