A modern museum experience awaits at Winona County Historical Society Museum on June 13th! Help us celebrate new The River Gallery during our open house from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Peruse the updated second floor of the Armory Exhibits Hall with free admission. Grab some light refreshments before you go!
About The River Gallery
The River Gallery is the culmination of community engagement, creative construction, local artists, and WCHS staff and volunteers coming together to share stories about living beside — and sometimes on — the mighty Mississippi River.
Explore new perspectives on intriguing river topics, including Dakota connections to the Mississippi, the Latsch Island Boathouse Community, river conservation, steamboats, the lumber industry, and the people who lived and worked along the water. Exhibits also show how roads and railways expanded travel beyond the River.
Did you know? A River Gallery Sneak-Peek
Did you know companies used to “farm” ice on the river?
The Mississippi River’s abundance of ice gave work to seasonal laborers like Harry Bemis. Harry and his fellow harvesters sawed blocks of ice from their employer’s ice fields. The process involved marking plows, ice saws, pike poles, huge tongs, and horse teams with spiked ice shoes. Some companies even planed the ice blocks, leaving only the cleanest, clearest ice.
Check out their equipment and hear more about Harry’s work in The River Gallery.
Exhibits on Level 1 in the main exhibit hall, such as the Stories In Structure and The Joy of the Arts exhibit, will also reopen for the rest of 2026.
Coming Soon
An updated, interactive Children’s Exhibit and a Native-led exhibit and art show will open this fall! Stay tuned and watch the process throughout the summer on social media at @winonacountyhistory.
