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, Matilda, and family — the present-day Bunnell House.
An outstanding example of Rural Gothic Architecture, the home is built of northern white pine and furnished with items appropriate to the mid-to-late 1800s. Knowledgeable guides walk visitors through three floors, encompassing the historical period during which Native American canoes gave way to steamboats and game-trails became roads and highways for Euro-Americans.
The Willard Bunnell House is located three miles down river from Winona, just off Highways 14-61, at Homer, Minnesota. Click here for a Google Map.
Open: Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sundays from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., June – August, Other times by appointment only.
Admission: $5 Adults, $3 Students, WCHS members and Children 7 and younger free.