Winona is known for being very beautiful with bluffs that surround our unique island city. When the first snow finally falls at the start of the winter season, it looks even more aesthetic with the fresh coat of snow covering the bluffs.
Although Winona is beautiful during the winter months, it can sometimes be hard to find something to do. This list of winter activities can help you take a break from schoolwork and take in the wonderful winter season of Winona!
1. Go to the Lake Lodge Recreation Center
During the winter, a season pass at the Lake Lodge only costs $15. Different activities that are included in the winter are ice skating, snowshoeing, and different indoor activities! This is a great way to spend a beautiful winter day in the outdoors doing something fun!
2. Rose Colored Glass
Rose Colored Glass offers a variety of different classes of glass blowing that you can sign up for on their website. You can make cute little decorations to put in your home to remember a fun time! This is a locally owned business that is great for college students to try out with friends and family on a chilly winter day!
3. Winona Axe and Arcade
Winona’s Axe throwing and Arcade is a great way to spend a day with friends playing games and trying something new! If you love playing games and are a competitive person, this is a great way to challenge your friends to see who can get the best score. The axe throwing is something you don’t see often, so try something unique on a winter day!
4. Try out the Ice Climbing Park
The Ice Climbing Park is located within Sugar Loaf, it is manmade and one of just a few of its kind in the nation, and we get it right in our town of Winona. It is free to the public making it an affordable and unique activity for college students!
5. Minnesota Marine Art Museum
The Minnesota Marine Art Museum is a nonprofit that creates pieces that explore our own relationship with water, this includes pieces made by Picasso, Van Gogh, and more! It is only $5 for students, making this another great and affordable place for you to visit on a cold winter day!
6. OERC Rock Climbing Wall
The WSU Climbing Center is one of the biggest university climbing walls in the Midwest, it features a lot of different activities including 6,000 square feet of climbing surface, 2 bouldering walls that reach 14 feet high, and so much more. This activity is also open to more than just WSU students, so this is a great activity to do with family visiting in the winter!
7. Frozen River Film Festival
The Frozen River Film Festival comes to town in the earlier months of the year, usually late January or early February. This event provides a special look on different topics like environmental issues, travel, sports, and diverse cultures through documentaries. This is a great way to learn more about different topics with your friends at an event that is very popular within the Winona community!
8. Go to the movie theater on Tuesdays for $5.50 movies.
The Winona 7 Theater has $5.50 movies for all movies, all day on Tuesdays. This is a great way to get out of the house and go see a movie with friends in a fun way, while also saving money by only paying $5.50 to see a new movie! This is a great way to stay warm on a cold winter day while also enjoying one of the many activities to do in Winona.
9. Warrior ESports Lounge and Kryzsko After Dark
The Warrior ESports Lounge and Kryzsko After Dark are both great ways to spend a chilly day in the winter. The Warrior ESports Lounge has dozens of PC and Nintendo Switch games including Super Smash Bros, Call of Duty, Minecraft, and so much more. Attend a Kryzsko After Dark and see a show, win at bingo or trivia, sing karaoke and check out the different types of entertainment. Bonus, it sometimes includes free Panda Express!
10. Garvin Heights Park
Garvin Heights offers a beautiful overlook of the whole city of Winona. In the winter, Winona is more beautiful than ever with the fresh coats of snow, so this lookout is a great way to chill out with friends and take in the beautiful scenery!