Winona Walking Tours: Haunted History of Downtown Winona
2025-10-26 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson Street, Winona, MN, 55987
SOLD OUT
Winona Walking Tours: Haunted History of Downtown Winona brings you history thrills and a brisk fall walk! Navigate the storied past of people and places in downtown Winona and learn about ghost stories and legends that helped people understand the unknown of the past.

REGISTER HERE in advance for this upcoming Winona Walking Tour! Submit your name, phone, email, and which tour(s) you plan to go on. Pay at the tickets desk when you check in on tour day. Fees are $10 public or $6 WCHS members, per person, per tour. All tours start and end at the Winona County History Center, are 60 minutes, include a bottle of water, and $1 off museum admission if you also want to explore the museum too.

Trick or Treat at the History Center Offices
2025-10-31 10:00 - 16:00 | Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson Street, Winona, MN, 55987
Trick-or-treat the Winona County History Center! Bring your best costume and your candy buckets, and take advantage of the free museum day to rove in the exhibits hall.

History on the River: Pushing the River
2026-05-28 16:00 - 17:30, 2026-05-28 18:00 - 19:30 | Cal Fremling Cruise Boat, Winona Levee, Winona, MN, 55987
Frank Bures is the author of Pushing the River: An Epic Battle, a Lost History, a Near Death, and Other True Canoeing Stories, published by Minnesota Historical Society. In his program aboard the Cal Fremling, Bures will tell some of the exciting and adventurous tales from his new book. He grew up in Winona and is a former reporter for the Winona Daily News. Copies of Pushing the River will be available to purchase on the cruise.
Cruises must be booked in advance by calling 507-454-2723 ext. 0 or stopping in the History Center. Space is limited.

Winona Walking Tours: Homes of Windom Park
2026-06-13 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-06-14 10:30 - 11:30 | Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson Street, Winona, MN, 55987
Join a local guide on a Winona Walking Tour to learn about the homes of Windom Park Historic District! Explore the lives of those who built the incredible mansions surrounding Windom Park and some of the other sites along the way.
To guarantee your spot, pre-register by calling 507-454-2723 ext. 0. Pay at the tickets desk when you check in on tour day (walk-ins welcome). Fees are $10 public or $6 WCHS members, per person, per tour. All tours start and end at the Winona County History Center and last for 60 minutes. Each tour includes a bottle of water.

History on the River: The Clamming and Pearl Button Industry
2026-06-25 16:00 - 17:30, 2026-06-25 18:00 - 19:30 | Cal Fremling Cruise Boat, Winona Levee, Winona, MN, 55987
In “The Clamming and Pearl Button Industry as Told by a Clammer’s Wife,” storyteller Terry Visger shares a variety of stories for people of all ages. Taking on the persona of a clammer’s wife from 1900, Terry tells the story of the clamming industry in which freshwater mussels were harvested from the Mississippi River, sent to factories, and made into buttons. After the story, Terry shares information about these mussels, which are now one of the most endangered animals in the US.
Cruises must be booked in advance by calling 507-454-2723 ext. 0 or stopping in the History Center. Space is limited.

Bunnell House & Homer Heritage Day
2026-06-27 10:00 - 15:00 | Bunnell House, 36016 Old Homer Road Homer, MN, Homer, Minnesota, 55987
The Bunnell House will be open for self-guided tours during Homer Heritage Day on Saturday, June 27th. The lively Homer, Minnesota community will be celebrating their history and heritage with historic site tours and other activities from 10am – 3pm.
The Bunnell House is a historic house museum. It belonged to Willard and Matilda Bunnell, who built it around 1850. The Bunnells trapped and traded for a living during the turbulent time of westward expansion in America. Willard’s brother, Lafayette Bunnell, lived in the home after the couple’s passing and often gave lectures in the parlor about his adventures.
Watch for more details on Homer Heritage Day activities and more tours and programs at the Bunnell House this summer and fall!

Winona Walking Tours: Historic Churches
2026-07-11 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-07-12 10:30 - 11:30 | Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson Street, Winona, MN, 55987
Explore the little known remnants of bygone days during Winona Walking Tours: Historic Churches. Join a WCHS local guide on either Saturday or Sunday for a walk to some of the historic churches of Winona. Learn about the architects and people that created these beautiful pieces of architecture and their stories — from spires to fires.
To guarantee your spot on a Winona Walking Tour, call 507-454-2723 ext. 0. Pay at the tickets desk when you check in on tour day. Fees are $10 public or $6 WCHS members, per person, per tour. All tours start and end at the Winona County History Center, are 60 minutes, include a bottle of water.
COMING UP!
August 8 & 9 • Third Street Part I
September 12 & 13 • Third Street Part II

History on the River: The Legacy of Cal Fremling
2026-07-30 16:00 - 17:30, 2026-07-30 18:00 - 19:30 | Cal Fremling Cruise Boat, Winona Levee, Winona, MN, 55987
With speaker Michael Kennedy, discover the legacy of Cal Fremling. Dr. Cal Fremling was one of the foremost authorities on the endangered environment of the Upper Mississippi River and spend most of his professional career studying the human effect on the River. Fremling was a researcher and a professor for thirty-two years at Winona Sate University and the author of Immortal River: The Upper Mississippi in Ancient and Modern Times.
Cruises must be booked in advance by calling 507-454-2723 ext. 0 or stopping in the History Center. Space is limited.

Winona Walking Tours: Third Street, Part I
2026-08-08 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-08-09 10:30 - 11:30 | Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson Street, Winona, MN, 55987
Join a WCHS local guide on either Saturday or Sunday for a historic walk down Winona’s Third Street. There’s so much to see that we had to make a sequel to this tour! Look for the companion walk coming up on September 12 -13, 2026.
To guarantee your spot on a Winona Walking Tour, call 507-454-2723 ext. 0. Pay at the tickets desk when you check in on tour day. Fees are $10 public or $6 WCHS members, per person, per tour. All tours start and end at the Winona County History Center, are 60 minutes, include a bottle of water.
COMING UP!
September 12 & 13 • Third Street Part II

Bunnell House Self-Guided Tour
2026-08-08 12:00 - 15:00 | Bunnell House, 36016 Old Homer Road Homer, MN, Homer, Minnesota, 55987
Embark on a self-guided tours into the world of the Bunnell family at the historic Bunnell House in Homer, Minnesota. Explore the three floors of this unique historic home at your own pace. $5 admission paid at the door, free for WCHS members.
Built about 1850, the home is made of pine with a limestone foundation. The style is often described as Rural or Steamboat Gothic. It was a private residence until acquired by the Winona County Historical Society in 1954. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Save enough time on this tour date (Saturday, August 8th) to hear the Women in the Fur Trade program with speaker Terri Karsten, beginning at 1PM!

History on the River: Navigating the Lock and Dam System
2026-08-27 16:00 - 17:30, 2026-08-27 18:00 - 19:30 | Cal Fremling Cruise Boat, Winona Levee, Winona, MN, 55987
Learn about the history, creation, and modern work of the Mississippi River Lock and Dam System with local lock master, Judy Denzer.
Cruises must be booked in advance by calling 507-454-2723 ext. 0 or stopping in the History Center. Space is limited.

Winona Walking Tours: Third Street, Part II
2026-09-12 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-09-13 10:30 - 11:30 | Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson Street, Winona, MN, 55987
The second in a two-part tour series featuring Winona’s Third Street. Even if you didn’t make the first tour, you’ll have a blast with our WCHS local guide for a walk down this historic Winona street.
To guarantee your spot on a Winona Walking Tour, call 507-454-2723 ext. 0. Pay at the tickets desk when you check in on tour day. Fees are $10 public or $6 WCHS members, per person, per tour. All tours start and end at the Winona County History Center, are 60 minutes, include a bottle of water.

Voices from the Past Cemetery Walk
2026-10-03 12:00 - 16:00, 2026-10-04 12:00 - 16:00 | Woodlawn Cemetery, 506 W Lake Blvd, Winona, Minnesota, 55987
For 2026, we are excited to present, “Winonans Just Wanna Have Fun!” on October 3rd and 4th from Noon – 4PM.
If you cannot make the walk, then join us at the History Center for an accessible performance of the sites on October 1st at 5:00 and 6:30pm.

This event is proudly sponsored by Merchants Bank.

Holiday House Tour
2026-12-06 15:00 - 19:00 | MN
Explore some of Winona’s beautiful homes, their architecture, and the lives of past homeowners as you add some festive cheer to the holiday season. Also enjoy the stained glass, architecture, and history of a featured local church each tour year. The tour locations will be announced this fall! Stay tuned!
