City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 24737 Highway 121 (Arnold Drive)
2. Vintage Aircraft Co.
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (707) 938-2444
Address: 23982 Highway 121 (Arnold Drive)
Description: You step back into the 1940s when you step onto the tarmac and check out Christopher Prevost’s fleet of authentic 1940 Boeing-built Stearman biplanes. One of the planes is a North American–built World War II Navy SNJ-4, designed to train pilot candidates for the air force and navy. Meticulously restored and maintained, the planes tempt thrill seekers to take one of several rides offered by Prevost. For the truly brave, Prevost offers a variety of aerobatic flights—the most intense is appropriately named Kamikaze. Weekday flights are by appointment. You can take off for about $175 for a single passenger for 20 minutes, up to $295 for 40 minutes.
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 270 First Street W.
4. Train Town
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (707) 938-3912
Address: 20264 Broadway
Description: Train Town is the most well-developed scale railroad in America—a joy for anyone of any age. You climb into a miniature train, one-fourth the normal size, and chug your way through 10 acres of planned landscaped park filled with thousands of native trees, animals, bridges over lakes, tunnels, waterfalls, and replicas of historic buildings. Two miniature engines and handcrafted railroad cars take passengers on the 20-minute ride to Lakeville, a pint-sized, western-flavored hamlet populated with geese and ducks. Along the way there’s a stop to pet some llamas and goats. Trains operate daily in summer from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In winter it’s a shorter, weekend schedule. The fare is $3.75 for all ages.
5. Sonoma Segway
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (707) 938-2080
Address: 524 Broadway
Description: You’ve probably seen them, those goofy two-wheeled people movers called Segways. Well, somebody thought the machines would make great touring vehicles, and they were right. With this guided tour, costing $99 per person, you get more than two hours of rolling time. After a quick lesson in the idiosyncrasies of the Segway, you visit a winery and a cheese factory, and end your tour with a free bottle of wine. There’s just one tour a day, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Children age 12 and up are welcome.
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 276 East Napa Street
7. Sonoma Valley Chorale
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (707) 935-1576
Address: 126 First Street W.
Description: This professional-level, 110-member chorus has been singing together since the early 1970s. Its annual concert series brings audiences to their feet with music that might be classical, sacred, or Broadway. The chorale has sung with the Napa Valley and Santa Rosa Symphonies (see listings in this section) and even for the opening ceremony at a Giants baseball game. They’ve made two European tours, singing their way through France, Italy, and Great Britain. Their regular venue is the Veterans Memorial Building auditorium, which has tiered theater seating for 400. Tickets are $18 for adults and $14 for seniors and children.
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 23570 Highway 121 (Arnold Drive)
9. Sonoma Valley Museum Of Art
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (707) 939-7862
Address: 551 Broadway
Description: Located in a former furniture store, this art museum has already staged scores of exhibits in its short life. The first major show was an exhibition of 90 Latin American drawings and paintings by 30 renowned artists. There have also been displays of pottery, textiles, photography, wood, and toys on loan from the Mexican Museum of Art in San Francisco. In summer 2008 the museum featured a large collection of ceramics fired and painted by Pablo Picasso. The museum is open 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is $5 per person or $8 for families; come on Sunday and it’s free for everyone.
10. Spirits In Stone
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (707) 938-2200, (800) 474-6624
Address: 452 First Street E.
Description: “Must touch to appreciate” is the byword when visiting this collection of Zimbabwe Shona sculpture. The form’s sleek surface is beyond description. Newsweek once called Shona sculpture “the most important new art form to emerge from Africa this century.” The London Evening Standard says, “These giant stone sculptures are the most hauntingly evocative images . . . the greatest contemporary collection of African art ever seen in this country.” In addition to sculptures, there are African photographs, paintings, and music at these museum-quality galleries, which are open daily 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
11. Arts Guild Of Sonoma
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (707) 996-3115
Address: 140 East Napa Street
Description: The guild’s exhibits change monthly to showcase many artists in many media. Wacky metal sculpture by Martin Munson or the delightful creations made by Thena Trygstad from gourds are only two examples. This location is the gallery for the nonprofit group, Sonoma’s oldest continuously operating artists’ guild. The gallery is open six days a week (closed Tuesday), from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (until 9:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday).
12. Maxwell Fun Center
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (707) 996-3616
Address: 19171 Highway 12 (Sonoma Highway)
Description: When’s the last time you paid less than 10 bucks for 18 holes of golf? The course is laid out to look like historic Sonoma, with ponds, fountains, and a lifelike city hall. Not just for kids, it’s a great place for teens. The Clubhouse features the latest video games as well as sports video games for air hockey, basketball, and football. To put an extra spin on a great family day, have a hot dog at the pondside picnic area. The course and game room are open noon to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Special packages are available for family groups and birthday parties. The Fun Center is located next door to Lucky’s in the Maxwell Village Shopping Center.
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 20264 Broadway