Winona County Historical Society

December Members' Sale
2025-12-18 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-19 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-20 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-21 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-22 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-23 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-26 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-29 10:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) and 2 more dates | 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
2025-12-18 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-19 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-20 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-21 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-22 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-23 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-24 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-25 10:00 - 16:00 and 6 more dates
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).

Postponed: Murder in the Vault
2026-01-23 18:30 - 21:30
This event has been postponed due to extreme cold. View rescheduled event listing here.

It’s Murder Mystery Night at the Museum! During “Murder in the Vault,” learn how the archivist “became history.” Was it the museum director, janitor, collection manager, intern, board member, or a volunteer? Will you be able to solve the mystery?
Event Schedule:
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for arrival with light refreshments and a cash bar. From 7:00 to 9:30 p.m., we collaborate with performers in a fun, theatrical game of “who-done-it.” Interview the suspects throughout the History Center and win prizes for being the best detectives.
How to Join the Mystery:
Pre-Sale Tickets: $30 | Week Of: $40
Tickets Available: Online or in person at the Winona County Historical Society. Space is limited, so get your tickets early.
Your Hosts:
This event is a co-fundraiser for the Winona County History Center and Theatre du Mississippi. Founded in 1997 and incorporated in 1998, Theatre du Mississippi is committed to the development and production of high-quality programs in the performing arts, particularly shows that simultaneously entertain and enlighten audiences. They aim to integrate artistic excellence and originality with a sense of community in the Winona area and beyond.

History Buff Book Chat: Red Heart
2026-01-28 12:00 - 13:00
For our January History Buff Book Chat, we will discuss Red Heart by James Thom. The novel follows the Slocum family, white settlers in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and “it is from this good-hearted family that Frances is abducted during the Revolutionary war.”
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:
Bregdan Chronicles: Storm Clouds Rolling In | February 25
All the Light We Cannot See | March 25
The Briar Club | April 22

Vintage Valentines
2026-02-11 15:00 - 18:00
For this Museum Makers Class, stop in the History Center between 3 – 6 p.m. to create up to three vintage valentines! All supplies are included and class leaders will provide ideas, inspiration, and some history of valentines.
Valentine cards evolved from handwritten notes in the 15th century to ornate, mass-produced creations in the Victorian era, fueled by postal reforms and printing advances. Esther A. Howland become the “Mother of the American Valentine” for her 1840s commercial success in the U.S. with elaborate, laced designs.
This drop-in style class is $5 for members and $8 for the public. You can pay upon arrival. Groups are welcome, please give us a heads-up by calling 507-454- 2723 ext. 0 or 3. Open for all ages, but best for those 6 and older. Adults must accompany children.

History Buff Book Chat: Storm Clouds Rolling In
2026-02-25 12:00 - 13:00
For our February History Buff Book Chat, we will discuss Bregdan Chronicles: Storm Clouds Rolling In by Ginny Dye.
This book launches The Bregdan Chronicles, a sweeping saga of courage, sacrifice, and resilience told through both Black and White, Free and Enslaved, Northern and Southern characters during the Civil War. Carrie Cromwell, fiery and strong-willed, finds herself torn between the South’s traditions and the dangerous truths she discovers through the Underground Railroad. As war erupts, every choice she makes risks her family, her freedom, and the lives of those she loves most.
Meet in Wanek Hall on the second floor of the Winona County History Center. Feel free to bring your lunch!

Upcoming Books:
All the Light We Cannot See | March 25
The Briar Club | April 22
This Tender Land | May 27
The Kitchen Front | June 24

Murder in the Vault
2026-02-27 18:30 - 21:30
GET TICKETS HERE
It’s Murder Mystery Night at the Museum! During “Murder in the Vault,” learn how the archivist “became history.” Was it the museum director, janitor, collection manager, intern, board member, or a volunteer? Will you be able to solve the mystery?
Event Schedule:
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for arrival with light refreshments and a cash bar. From 7:00 to 9:30 p.m., we collaborate with performers in a fun, theatrical game of “who-done-it.” Interview the suspects throughout the History Center and win prizes for being the best detectives.
How to Join the Mystery:
Pre-Sale Tickets: $30 | Week Of: $40
Tickets Available: Online or in person at the Winona County Historical Society. Space is limited, so get your tickets early.
Your Hosts:
This event is a co-fundraiser for the Winona County History Center and Theatre du Mississippi. Founded in 1997 and incorporated in 1998, Theatre du Mississippi is committed to the development and production of high-quality programs in the performing arts, particularly shows that simultaneously entertain and enlighten audiences. They aim to integrate artistic excellence and originality with a sense of community in the Winona area and beyond.

History Buff Book Chat: All the Light We Cannot See
2026-03-25 12:00 - 13:00
For our March History Buff Book Chat, we will discuss All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.
Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris, and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.
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 Briar Club | April 22
This Tender Land | May 27
The Kitchen Front | June 24
