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Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka
The cornerstone of the present red brick and stone structure was laid on October 28th, 1894. Just over a year later – Thanksgiving Day of 1895 – the beautiful and imposing church was dedicated. The church was designed in Romanesque-style in the form of a Greek cross.
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Bunnell House
Open seasonally: The Bunnell House will be open on Fridays and Saturdays 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on the following weekends in…
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Castlerock Museum
Come and see authentic arms and armor from Romans, Dark Age Warriors, Vikings, Crusader Knights, and Renaissance “Knights in Shining…
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Cathedral Crafts
Cathedral Crafts, Inc. has created and restored masterworks of glass since 1970. Its artists and craftsmen use the finest European…
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Chapel of St. Mary of the Angels
The Chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels was built by the Sisters of Saint Francis as the crown jewel of the Saint Teresa Campus. It is operated by Saint Mary’s University under the auspices of the Diocese of Winona. The chapel is a popular setting for weddings.
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Downtown National Register Historic Districts
The Winona Downtown Commercial Historic District contains over one hundred sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This…
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First Baptist Church
A vision of vertical lines built from locally quarried limestone trimmed with red Fond du Lac sandstone, the church was built in 1893. Designed by Bullard and Bullard of Springfield, Ill., with stained glass windows from the Wells Glass Co. of Chicago.
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First Congregational Church
First Congregational Church, UCC, was the first church in Winona and the oldest congregation in southeast Minnesota. Parishioners and visitors alike enjoy the historic “Rose Window,” a gift by the Sunday School children of the late 19th Century.
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Goodview Memorial Park
Memorial Park formerly known as Diocese Park was started in 1972 with an open air pavilion and playground set. The…
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International Owl Center
Experience the whoosh of an owl’s wings as it flies and meet several live owls at the only all-owl education…
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Kashubian Cultural Institute & Polish Museum
Come Learn About Polish & Kashubian History The Kashubian Cultural Institute & Polish Museum of Winona educates visitors from across…
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Levee Park Art Wall
Part of the 2018 Levee Park Renovation Project, the Art Wall was designed to pay tribute to the historical and…
Winona’s Natural Abundance
In the time of the Dakota people here, the valleys and bluff-top plains surrounding Winona were rich with herds of bison, deer, rabbits, and other wildlife that provided both food and hides to sustain them, and the Mississippi River and maze of trout streams offered an ample supply of fish, reeds for weaving, and fresh water. Moreover, the high bluff vantage points and easy river navigation made this area perfect for keeping a watchful eye for enemies and traveling to trade and meet with related tribes.
Millennia of History
For thousands of years, Native Americans prized the fertile Mississippi River Valley for its abundant fishing and wildlife, protective hardwood forests, and temperate climate. Winona’s storied past as a Native American home centers on the tribe of Dakota Indians led by a succession of Chiefs Wapasha — a bloodline that still exists today. In fact, Winona takes its name from this band of Indians, as the Dakota word we-no-nah means first-born daughter, and the city has long embraced the legend of “Princess” Wenonah, daughter of Chief Wapasha, as part of the history that Winona cherishes.
Displacement & Reconciliation
This land was in all ways perfect for the many generations of Dakota Indians who called it home, and today it is considered sacred by the many tribal members who trace their heritage to ancestors living in this place. When white settlement came to the shores of Winona 150 years ago, most of its Dakota inhabitants were moved to reservations far away. But modern-day Winonans have extended the hand of reunification to the tribe, building a place called Unity Park filled with sacred bluff stonework and native prairie plantings, and hosting the annual Great Dakota Gathering which invites tribal members to celebrate their heritage here with its current residents.
Learn about the Winona-Dakota Unity Alliance and the Great Dakota Gathering.
Gateway to the West:
Winona's History
When the first riverboat captains traveled up the Mississippi River searching for new frontiers, they found Winona as an expansive sandbar prairie in the midst of the river, labeled only as Island 72. In 1851, Captain Orrin Smith created the first white settlement here, referring to this place as Wapasha’s Prairie after the Dakota chief leading its resident tribe, and droves of pioneers stepped off of boats to stake land claims.
