Things to Do in Winona, Minnesota

The Minnesota Marine Art Museum (MMAM) examines the historic and ongoing human relationship with water through consequential and educational visual arts experiences and exhibitions. A nonprofit education center and art museum, MMAM’s initial collection consisted of a massive accumulation of traditional marine paintings and a large number of folk artworks by Leo and Marilyn Smith. The collection has expanded throughout the years to include a variety of artworks from American and European masters such as Turner, Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, O’Keeffe, and Cassatt. Today, there are more than ten historical and contemporary exhibits on display. They define what marine art is and push the boundaries of what marine art can be.

800 Riverview Drive, Winona, MN, Phone: 507-474-6626

Situated high in the sky atop a towering bluff, Garvin Heights is a stunning overlook surrounded by beautiful, verdant, oak savanna and a restored goat prairie boasting scenic views from Mount Trempealeau to Lake Pepin. On the clearest of days visitors can see over 30 miles of the sprawling city of Winona and Mississippi River Valley. To reach the lookout, visitors will have to drive, bike, or hike up the bluff for a mile and a half. The latter is done via a well-maintained, but winding trail that climbs up the bluff side, reaches a flight of stairs, and ends with a dirt path that curves along the edge of the bluff.

Lake Park is a charming city park surrounding the lovely and serene Lake Winona. It’s most prominent feature is a five-mile long blacktop trail that runs along the city’s south side and circles both areas of the lake. The route provides some truly extraordinary views of the Park as well as the surrounding neighborhoods and bluffs. Visitors can walk, bike, or in-line skate on the trail. Lake Park is also home to Veteran’s Memorial Park, a tranquil beach with boat dock, playgrounds, a winter skating rink, sport fields, a Frisbee golf course, picnic areas, a band shell, and a rose garden with adjacent gazebo. Visitors are allowed to kayak, canoe, stand-up paddleboard, and fish on Lake Winona.

W Lake Street, Winona, MN, Phone: 507-457-8258

Nestled in the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood Forest, Great River Bluffs State Park is a quiet, remote park roughly 20 minutes southeast of Winona where U.S. Highway 61 and Interstate 90 connect. Located in Minnesota’s bluff country, it features scenic bluff top views of the majestic Mississippi River valley offering. It is also home to a hardwood forest, side-hill prairies, pine plantations, and old fields. The park is home to an abundance of rare and diverse plant and wildlife. It is popular for hiking, bird watching, and camping during the warmer months. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are popular during the colder months.

121 7th Place E, Suite 360, St. Paul, MN, Phone: 651-556-8465

U.S. Highway 61, commonly referred to as blues highway, is a sprawling scenic highway traveling through the heart of the United States. It spans 1,300 miles from New Orleans in the south to the bustling Twin Cities in the north, and on to the legendary Great Lakes ending at the Canadian border. Historically it served as more than just a road, it was an escape route for black Americans fleeing the rural south to establish new lives in cities like Memphis, St. Louis, and Chicago. It’s equally influential to blues history; several famous blues singers lived along its bordering communities and wrote songs about traveling it. Bob Dylan, Willie Dixon, and Artie White among them.

Founded in 1935, the Winona County Historical Society is dedicated to preserving the rich history of Winona. This is done through three museums. The main museum, the Winona County History Center, is the home of their headquarters, various interactive exhibits, and the Laird Lucas Library and Archives. Visitors can see what it was like during the Victorian era and pioneer days at the Historic Bunnell House. Originally built for fur-trader Willard Bunnell, it’s an exquisite example of Rural Gothic Architecture. Guests explore the home with costumed guides encouraging them to participate in activities notable to the Victorian and Pioneer days. The Rural Heritage Museum is their latest addition it boasts several exhibits on rural life in Winona.

160 Johnson Street, Winona, MN, Phone: 507-454-2723

The Pickwick Mill is a historic gristmill built by Wilson Davis and Thomas Grant from 1856 to 1858. Situated on the banks of Big Trout Creek, it is one of the oldest mills of its kind in southeast Minnesota and was the first commercial mill west of the Mississippi River. Powered by a 20-foot water wheel, the six-story mill boasts a timber frame and was made using locally quarried limestone. Most of the original machinery is still intact and operable. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Pickwick Mill is now a museum showcasing its history through its exhibitions.

24813 County Rd 7, Winona, MN 55987, Phone: 507-457-0499

Arguably the most distinguishing landmark in Winona, Sugar Loaf is a towering bluff uniquely capped by a rock pinnacle situated along the Mississippi River. Created by quarrying in the late 19th century, the bluff rises above the junction of State Highway 43 and U.S. Highway 61. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the bluff, including its pinnacle, stands at nearly 585 feet above Lake Winona. Visitors flock to Sugar Loaf for its incredible hiking trails and magnificent scenic vistas of the lake, river valley, and magnificent city.

Corner of Highway 61 and Highway 43, Winona, MN, Phone: 507-452-0735

Housed in a historic three-story building originally constructed in 1890, the Polish Cultural Institute and Museum is a cultural complex devoted to the preservation of Winona’s Kashubian Polish heritage. The museum is located on the first floor and contains several exhibits showcasing the life of Polish immigrants in Winona and the neighboring cities. There is also a gift shop adjacent to the museum where visitors can purchase clothing, music, books, and other imported artifacts from Poland. The cultural institute includes two nearby buildings, the Schultz House, a heritage house, and the Annex, an event hall featuring a 165-foot tall mural depicting the lives of Polish immigrants and the contributions the made to the city.

102 Liberty Street, Winona, MN, Phone: 507-454-3431