Winona County Historical Society

Bunnell House Self-Guided Tour
2025-08-15 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-08-16 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-09-05 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Bunnell House, 36016 Old Homer Road Homer, MN, Homer, Minnesota, 55987
Self-guided explorations into the world of the Bunnell family are offered monthly June – September at the historic Bunnell House in Homer. Be welcomed with an introduction and then explore the three floors of this unique historic home at your own pace. 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.

Meet the Bunnells: Matilda
2025-08-16 14:00 - 15:00 | Bunnell House, 36016 Old Homer Road Homer, MN, Homer, Minnesota, 55987
In “Meet the Bunnells: Matilda,” a knowledgeable speaker will opens up the world of Matilda Bunnell against the backdrop of her historic home. Matilda was the daughter of a family that farmed and was part of the fur trade industry. She was known to speak several languages. She married Willard and ventured west all while growing a family of her own. She is also described as a gentlewoman that kept a fine house but could also easily use a shotgun.
Program space is limited. Seating preference is given to season pass holders and registered guests. Call 507-454-2723 ext. 0 to sign up!
General Admission: $5 Adults, $3 Students, Members Free
Admission + Meet the Bunnells Season Pass: $15 per person or free for WCHS members. Purchase at the door, at the WCHS Tickets Desk, or by phone. Show receipt of your purchase for entry.

Up next:

September 6 – Meet the Bunnells: The Children

Meet the Bunnells: The Children
2025-09-06 14:00 - 15:00 | Bunnell House, 36016 Old Homer Road Homer, MN, Homer, Minnesota, 55987
During “Meet the Bunnells: The Children,” a knowledgeable speaker will offer you an encounter the young Bunnells against the backdrop of their 19th-century home. Willard and Matilda Bunnell had three sons and five daughters. The children lived out their early years on a frontier homestead along the Mississippi River in Homer, MN — a challenging time and place for families. Lafayette never had children, and Willard’s line ended with these children. Therefore, no one with the name Bunnell is a direct relative of this particular Bunnell family.
Program space is limited. Seating preference is given to season pass holders and registered guests. Call 507-454-2723 ext. 0 to sign up!
General Admission: $5 Adults, $3 Students, Members Free
Admission + Meet the Bunnells Season Pass: $15 per person or free for WCHS members. Purchase at the door, at the WCHS Tickets Desk, or by phone. Show receipt of your purchase for entry.

Dakota-led Community Crafting Circle
2025-09-12 17:00 - 19:00 | Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson Street, Winona, MN, 55987
Members of the Honoring Dakota Project will offer nature-based community crafting circle for children and adults that highlight our connections to land and water in this region.
RSVP here!

Sister Sands of Time Crafting Event
2025-09-13 12:30 - 15:00 | Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson Street, Winona, MN, 55987
Following a catered lunch, Spillway Fellow Nicky Buck will offer a crafting event that merges the limestone sands of sister bluffs He Mni Can (Barn Bluff) and Heyaka Cokaya Owanka (Sugar Loaf).
RSVP here!

Dick Lano Photography Show Opening Reception
2025-09-14 13:00 - 15:00 | Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson Street, Winona, MN, 55987
Join us for the opening reception of the new exhibit Minnesconsin: Dick Lano’s Photography of the Winona Area in the 1970s on September 14 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. at the Winona County History Center.
Minnesconsin is a state of mind that spans a river like a bridge connecting Minnesota and Wisconsin. Richard (Dick) Lano was born and raised in Winona and moved his family across the river to Bluff Siding, WI in the 1970s. They built a home in Chicken Valley and he operated a photography studio there. Enjoy a themed selection of his work in this new exhibit.

Sandbar Storytelling Festival: Project FINE Immigrant Stories
2025-09-16 19:00 - 20:00 | Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson Street, Winona, MN, 55987
Please join Sandbar Storytelling Festival at the History Center again as Fatima Said, Executive Director of Project FINE, introduces us to some of the most fascinating, and many times heart-wrenching, stories of immigrants from around the world who have landed in Winona. You will hear their stories, some through language interpreters, of how they left their home countries and came to the United States for a better and safer life for their families. Project FINE (Focus on Integrating Newcomers through Education) has been serving refugees and immigrants in Winona County and the surrounding area since 1990. Hear the personal and inspirational stories of immigrants who have chosen to call Winona home.
This event is free and open to the public. However, the Wanek Room only holds 80 people. So, arrive early to get a seat! Refreshments will be served.

Winona Walking Tours: Haunted History at Woodlawn Cemetery
2025-10-23 13:00 - 14:00 | Woodlawn Cemetery, 506 W Lake Blvd, Winona, Minnesota, 55987
We’re bringing back the Haunted Walking Tour at Woodlawn Cemetery on Thursday, October 23, 1 – 2pm! We will walk outdoors together through one of Winona’s most haunted locations. Meet at the main entrance to the cemetery, rendezvous with your guide, and get ready for stories of ghosts, vampires, and more.
Space is limited, so reserve your spot by calling 507-454-2723 ext. 0. Your host will collect exact cash or check payment at the Woodlawn Cemetery entrance gate upon your arrival on the tour date. Tickets: Adult $10, Member $6.

Winona Walking Tours: Haunted History of Downtown Winona
2025-10-24 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-10-25 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-10-26 13:00 - 14:00 | 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.

Heritage Dinner
2025-11-06 17:00 - 19:30 | Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson Street, Winona, MN, 55987
Help Winona County Historical Society honor Chuck and Judy Shepard at this year’s Heritage Dinner on November 6! Every few years, the Society holds a special meal in honor of long-time and above-and-beyond volunteers. We are pleased to celebrate Judy and Chuck Shepard with an evening of food, fun, and good company.
About the Shepards
Chuck and Judy Shepard are long-time supporters of the Winona County Historical Society. Both have helped make big and small projects possible over the decades. Judy has been an avid volunteer for the WCHS. She has served on the Board of Directors and was President during her term. Judy’s love has been the Voices From the Past Cemetery Walk. She has been involved with the Walk as a planning committee member, guide trainer, school group organizer, naturalist site presenter, group guide, and more. Judy was characterized as “skippy” by fellow volunteer, Al Smith, as she often traded a skirt for knee pants so she could travel Woodlawn Cemetery on her bicycle. She is currently a member of the Education & Outreach Committee and volunteers at events.
RSVP
Invitations have been mailed to WCHS members, but all are welcome. Space is limited, so secure your seats soon. Dinner is $40 per person. Register by mailing back your RSVP card, stopping in, or calling the History Center with your payment. Donations are also being accepted in honor of the Shepards.
The History Center doors will open at 5:00 p.m. Stop at the cash bar by Muddled Thyme with wine, beer, cocktails, and mocktails. Attendees will find plated salads at tables. A buffet dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. featuring chicken with a cranberry glaze, wild rice, green beans, bread, and blueberry crumble. Vegetarian/vegan option available. Water and coffee are also included.
An award program will follow dinner to honor the Shepards’ volunteerism for local history. We hope you will join in the celebration.

This is event is proudly sponsored by Winona Health.

The War at Home
2025-11-07 18:00 - 19:00 | Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson Street, Winona, MN, 55987
Americans went to war in 1917 literally against Germany but also against each other. In The War at Home, historian Greg Gaut focuses on the lives of individual Minnesotans to tell the dramatic story of this period, when the North Star State experienced bitter polarization, nativism, flagrant disregard for democratic norms, and intense, sometimes violent, confrontations.
Greg will explore his research and stories from this new book, which is for sale in the Museum Shop. His article on a World War I espionage case, “Hardware Store Sedition: The Case of Charles W. Andring,” won the Solon J. Buck Award for the best article in Minnesota History for 2020. He holds a doctorate in modern European and Russian history from the University of Minnesota.
This event is free, but space is limited. Seating is first come, first serve!

December Members' Sale
2025-12-01 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-02 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-03 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-04 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-05 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-06 10:00 - 16:00 | Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson Street, Winona, MN, 55987
Winona County Historical Society members get 25% off qualifying purchases in The Museum Shop during the December Members’ Sale! Not a member? It’s a great time to join! Membership also makes a great gift, just saying….
PLEASE NOTE: (The Museum Shop will be closed December 24th, 25th, 27th, and 28th.)

Make a Local Gift Basket
2025-12-01 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-02 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-03 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-04 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-05 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-06 10:00 - 16:00 | Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson Street, Winona, MN, 55987
Combine your Museum Shop purchases into a fun local gift. Basket, wrap, and ribbon included with $25 purchase or more (starting Dec. 1, while supplies last).

Gift Shop Hop
2025-12-06 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-07 10:00 - 16:00 | Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson Street, Winona, MN, 55987
Get a chance to win a $50 gift card when you make at $50+ purchase at the History Center during Gift Shop Hop weekend! We’ll draw the winner on Dec. 8 at 10 a.m.
The fun goes all weekend during this event hosted by Visit Winona. It highlights several of Winona’s unique gift shops! Stop into any of the esteemed establishments below for your chance to win prizes, enjoy great discounts, seasonal snacks & sips & more!
Gift Shop Hop Hours | December 6 & 7, 2025:
Kashubian Cultural Institute & Museum:
Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Minnesota Marine Art Museum:
Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Watkins Museum & Store:
Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Winona County History Center:
Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Winona Visitor Center:
Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
