Winona County Historical Society

Make a Local Gift Basket
2025-12-10 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-09 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-08 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-07 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-06 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-05 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-04 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-03 10:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) and 2 more dates | 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).

December Members' Sale
2025-12-10 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-09 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-08 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-07 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-06 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-05 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-04 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-03 10:00 - 16:00 and 2 more dates
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.)

Museum Makers Class: Holiday Cards and Ornaments
2025-12-07 13:00 - 15:30
Craft holiday cards and ornaments during this Museum Makers Class at the Winona County History Center! Learn simple sewing skills to make a fabric tree ornament and/or get creative using vintage designs to create a custom holiday card. Bring a copy of photos to incorporate if you wish. Make your craft as a special gift or keep it for your décor.
Space is limited. Register by calling 507-454-2723 ext. 0 or stopping by the History Center. Cost is $15 for members and $20 for the public. Best for ages 10 and up. All supplies are included and you take your creations home. Hot cocoa will be served.

Gift Shop Hop
2025-12-07 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-06 10:00 - 16:00
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.

Handmade Neighborhood Market
2025-11-22 10:00 - 16:00
Handmade Neighborhood Market is an annual artisan sale held the Saturday before Thanksgiving. The market features a carefully curated selection of quality local items made by area artists and artisans. The market will be open to shop in the History Center Slaggie Family Lobby and in Wanek Hall. Find handcrafted bath products, yummy edibles, glassworks, jewelry, pottery, apparel, fine art, woodwork, and much more.
Handmade Neighborhood was established in 2009 by a group of Winona-area artisans with a mission to support local artists, and to provide our community with an opportunity to purchase quality, original, locally produced, handmade goods at reasonable prices. The Winona County Historical Society became the steward of the event in 2020 to foster the time-honored traditions of handmade work, cultural crafts, and art.

The War at Home
2025-11-07 18:00 - 19:00
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!

Heritage Dinner
2025-11-06 17:00 - 19:30
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.

Trick or Treat at the History Center Offices
2025-10-31 10:00 - 16:00
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.

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