Winona, Minnesota, pop. 27,000, is nestled between towering bluffs and the Mississippi River in the southeastern corner of the state. Settled by lumber barons 150 years ago and the Dakota Nation before that, it is an epicenter for arts, recreation, education and industry, and we’re not joking. Check out a glimpse below, or go straight to www.visitwinona.com to see it all.
That’s an original Washington Crossing the Delaware - yes, the one you see in history books. It hangs with paintings from Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir and hundreds more in our Minnesota Marine Art Museum.
That’s Yo-Yo Ma. He’s performed in Winona, and so have the Manhattan Chamber Players, Boston Brass, Joshua Bell, Vienna Boys Choir, the Russian National Orchestra, Midori, Shanghai Quartet, Branford Marsalis, Sir James Galway, and, well, you get the idea. Our Minnesota Beethoven Festival is kind of a big deal.
At least 32 companies doing international trade are headquartered in Winona - most of them started here by entrepreneurs. From the global giant Fastenal to acclaimed musical bow maker Coda Bow to the historic Watkins Company and Wenonah Canoe - plus everything you can imagine in between - Winona is a hotbed for innovation and entrepreneurial spirit.
Oh yeah, and all that Super Bowl swag like towels and pennants and such? It’s all made in Winona by a company called Wincraft.
Music festivals, national-caliber Shakespeare and film festivals, theater productions, artisan markets and dancing in the street - Winona is great at entertaining itself.
Winona is an incredible playground. Hundreds of miles of land and water trails surround us, making us one of the upper Midwest’s favorite outdoor recreation destinations. Ice and rock climbing, fat tire biking, paddling a serene maze of backwaters - it’s all here.
