Winona County Historical Society

The American Revolution Experience Traveling Exhibit
2026-05-08 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-09 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-10 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-11 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-12 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-13 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-14 10:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson Street, Winona, MN, 55987
How were the lives of ordinary people affected by the events of the American Revolutionary War?
From an award-winning website to an in-demand pop-up exhibition, the American Revolution Experience Traveling Exhibit, a collaborative project of the American Battlefield Trust and the Daughters of the American Revolution (opens in a new window) is beginning a new phase in its quest to connect modern audiences with the fascinating story of our nation’s origin. The American Revolution Experience will travel to scores of libraries, historical societies and museums through 2027, introducing visitors to a cast of historical characters with diverse experiences throughout the conflict and the places they visited on their journey.
This innovative pop-up exhibition includes display panels and interactive digital kiosks that use storytelling, illustration, technology and unique artifacts and primary accounts to connect modern audiences with the people and places that shaped the birth of our nation.
The Experience will be available to view at the Winona County History Center from 10am – 4pm daily from May 3rd, 2026 through May 14th, 2026.

History Buff Book Chat: This Tender Land
2026-05-27 12:00 - 13:00 | Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson Street, Winona, MN, 55987
For our May History Buff Book Chat, we will discuss This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger.
In the summer of 1932, on the banks of Minnesota’s Gilead River, Odie O’Banion is an orphan confined to the Lincoln Indian Training School, a pitiless place where his lively nature earns him the superintendent’s wrath. Forced to flee after committing a terrible crime, he and his brother, Albert, their best friend, Mose, and a brokenhearted little girl named Emmy steal away in a canoe, heading for the mighty Mississippi and a place to call their own.
Join in a conversation about a different book each month from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. The Book Chat group is open to everyone. Meet in Wanek Hall on the second floor of the Winona County History Center. Feel free to bring your lunch!
Upcoming books:
The Kitchen Front | June 24

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.

History Buff Book Chat: The Kitchen Front
2026-06-24 12:00 - 13:00 | Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson Street, Winona, MN, 55987
For our June History Buff Book Chat, we will discuss The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan.
Two years into World War II, Britain is feeling her losses: The Nazis have won battles, the Blitz has destroyed cities, and U-boats have cut off the supply of food. In an effort to help housewives with food rationing, a BBC radio program called The Kitchen Front is holding a cooking contest—and the grand prize is a job as the program’s first-ever female co-host. For four very different women, winning the competition would present a crucial chance to change their lives.
Join in a conversation about a different book each month from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. The Book Chat group is open to everyone. Meet in Wanek Hall on the second floor of the Winona County History Center. Feel free to bring your lunch!
Upcoming books:

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.

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.

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.
