Society News
2024 Capital Campaign Launch ($2,250,000)
Winona County History Center launched it's public capital campaign on April 2th, 2024! The campaign aims to raise funds for internal and external repairs and updates to the National Guard Armory museum building and the overhaul of the current exhibits on display. The project will focus on three main aspects of the museum:
YOU are a part of history happening NOW! To learn more about the project and discover how you can be a part of it, click learn more!
Winona County History Center launched it's public capital campaign on April 2th, 2024! The campaign aims to raise funds for internal and external repairs and updates to the National Guard Armory museum building and the overhaul of the current exhibits on display. The project will focus on three main aspects of the museum:
- $1,000,000 in HVAC improvements contributes to the care of 100,000 historic images, 20,000 3-D artifacts, 1,000 linear feet of archival materials, 6,500 books and publications, and 30,000 annual visitors.
- $750,000 in exhibit costs generates 10 new exhibit themes that rotate regularly and nearly 6,000 square feet of completed exhibit gallery space.
- $500,000 in Historic Armory building repairs ensures that 110-year-old bricks are stable and that 20,000 square feet of interior space is watertight and visitor-friendly.
YOU are a part of history happening NOW! To learn more about the project and discover how you can be a part of it, click learn more!
New Lighting at the History Center
The main exhibit hall at the History Center had all new lighting installed during March. The design is by museum lighting designer, Richard Rummel, and it was installed by Bauer Electrotech. The pendent lights illuminate the vast space and exhibit details are highlighted with adjustable track lighting. We hope you are able to visit soon and see the huge improvement yourselves.
This project has been financed in part with funds provided by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society, totaling $107,789 in grant funds.
The main exhibit hall at the History Center had all new lighting installed during March. The design is by museum lighting designer, Richard Rummel, and it was installed by Bauer Electrotech. The pendent lights illuminate the vast space and exhibit details are highlighted with adjustable track lighting. We hope you are able to visit soon and see the huge improvement yourselves.
This project has been financed in part with funds provided by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society, totaling $107,789 in grant funds.
Grants Awarded
We were recently awarded two small grants from the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants Program. We received $9,861 to digitize, transcribe, and rehouse ninety-eight reel-to-reel audio tapes from our collection, which include oral histories and lectures covering subjects and events of local historic significance. We also received $3,095 to add thirty-eight rolls of microfilm to our county newspaper collection.
Collections Online
We recently joined MN Collections, where organizations from around the state can share their collections online. Visit the WCHS page on mncollections.org to see what we’ve added so far. It will be an ongoing project to add more and more from the vast WCHS collection.
New Exhibit Open
To help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Winona bandshell at Lake Park, the History Center features a new exhibit highlighting the history of the bandshell and the Winona Municipal Band. Explore the history and predecessors of the Winona Municipal Band and learn more about how the bandshell was made. This new exhibit is made possible thanks to a grant from the Winona Community Foundation. Check it out! The History Center is open daily 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
We were recently awarded two small grants from the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants Program. We received $9,861 to digitize, transcribe, and rehouse ninety-eight reel-to-reel audio tapes from our collection, which include oral histories and lectures covering subjects and events of local historic significance. We also received $3,095 to add thirty-eight rolls of microfilm to our county newspaper collection.
Collections Online
We recently joined MN Collections, where organizations from around the state can share their collections online. Visit the WCHS page on mncollections.org to see what we’ve added so far. It will be an ongoing project to add more and more from the vast WCHS collection.
New Exhibit Open
To help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Winona bandshell at Lake Park, the History Center features a new exhibit highlighting the history of the bandshell and the Winona Municipal Band. Explore the history and predecessors of the Winona Municipal Band and learn more about how the bandshell was made. This new exhibit is made possible thanks to a grant from the Winona Community Foundation. Check it out! The History Center is open daily 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.