Winona - a small city with a big heart, nestled between the bluffs and the mighty Mississippi River.
Winona is surrounded by spectacular natural beauty, wrapped in history, and steeped in cultural legacy.
Founded by a steamboat captain in 1851. Winona’s location on an island in the Mississippi made it a transportation hub and one of the nation’s richest cities by 1900. This legacy remains in the form of historic buildings and vintage tones and in an ongoing harmony with the river.
Whether you are an outdoor enthusiast, history buff, architectural admirer, wildlife watcher, antique shopper, arts supporter, and / or life-long learner, you will love all that Winona has to offer. The friendly people of Winona invite you to come visit, explore, and enjoy our scenic beauty, history, cultural arts, attractions, and festivals. You’ll be glad you discovered Winona and will want to return time and time again.
1) Garvin Heights Park
Spectacular overlook of the city and river valley. The view, as a Japanese journalist said, “makes your jaw drop.”
2) Lake Park
Expansive park surrounding beautiful Lake Winona. Band shell, Veterans’ Park, Rose Garden, walking paths and playgrounds.
3) Windom Park
Fountain with bronze statue of Princess We-no-nah for whom the city is named, surrounded on three sides by large, Victorian-era homes.
4) Downtown Winona
100+ National Register historic sites, specialty and antique shops, restaurants, and more.
5) Winona County Historical Society Armory Museum
Historical artifacts, displays, special events.
6) Levee Park
View the Mississippi River up close and tour the Julius C. Wilkie Steamboat museum.
7) Watkins Heritage Museum
Remember “The Watkins Man”? See history and product displays of one of the country’s oldest direct sales companies. Current Watkins products available, too.
8) Polish Cultural Institute
Just a block from Watkins, this museum showcases the influence Polish immigrants had on Winona’s growth and development.