Bunnell House

In 1849, the well-known Chief Wapasha granted permission to his friend, fur-trader Willard Bunnell, to build a cabin on Dakota land at what is now Homer, Minnesota. Within a decade, Bunnell had built another, much finer, home nearby to house his wife and family -- the present-day Bunnell House.

An outstanding example of Rural (or Steamboat) Gothic Architecture, the home is built of northern white pine and furnished with items appropriate to the mid-to-late 1800's. Knowledgeable guides walk visitors through three floors of pioneers life, encompassing the historical period during which Native American canoes gave way to steamboats and game-trails became roads and highways for Euro-Americans.

Listed on the National Register, the home was acquired by the Historical Society in 1954.

Bunnell House is located five miles downriver from Winona, just off Highways 14-61, at Homer, Minnesota. The tour season runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day: Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sundays from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. From June 1st through September 1st; other times by appointment. Call (507) 452-7575 or (507) 454-2723.