The 20 best things to do with kids in Winona

My husband and I totally enjoyed our adventure to Bloedow Bakery in Winona, Minnesota. The shop is darling. They offer a variety of treats but we only purchased donuts. They were fresh, tender, and tasty. Staff were friendly. There was a constant flow of customers during our visit.

So yummy and so cheap. Delicious. Lucky only a small wait. Huge variety. I had the maple bacon. You could feel the heart attack pending. Loved it.

Best donuts I have ever had. Light, fluffy, airy, and just perfect. Get there early in the day if you want a good variety to choose from. The glazed donut was my favorite. Simple and delicious.

Delicious donuts and baked goods. We tried the sprinkle donut, glazed donut, and sugar donut holes this time. Everything was very good and for only $6.50 or so! The service was fast & friendly, the prices were cheap, and the pastries were scrumptious. What more can you ask for? We would visit any time we come back to the area.

Bloedows hit their 100 year anniversary in 2024, and once you go there you'll know why. Nothing fancy or anything like that, just an excellent selection of freshly made baked goods. Get there early in the morning so they don't run out, and be sure to grab a maple frosted long john.

This is a tiny little bakery. They had such an excellent variety of bakery and everything from pastries to donuts to breads and much more. This bakery is very popular as the line was to the door when we got there early in the morning. Service was excellent

Best doughnuts on the planet. They have been around for over a 100 years. Reasonably priced generally around $20- $30 dollars for a dozen of fresh baked delights. Fresh baked bread is also available. Just be sure to get there early because once sold out which is generally quickly they closed down.

Levee Park and the river trail are a great place for community events and spending some nice time next to the river. There are music events here and on Saturday mornings, there is a farmers market.

It is a nice spot to watch #MississippiRiver in #Winona This may not be the best time to enjoy a river unless you want to see it freezing. #Nature #Minnesota #photography

The river boat tour was great. We learned about Winona and the Mississippi River. We were lucky and got to see eagles.

Nice little park but a lot of concrete since it's is a levee. Only restroom was an old portajohn but at least it was clean. Park across the bridge on Island is probably a better choice for a picnic but this worked.

Beautiful little spot to wall your dog, have a picnic, or take the kids rock climbing. Every now ans then you can see the big boat docked alongside the docks. Couole good little restaurants around incase you get hungry or want ice cream on a hot day.

Always worth a walk through, to see the river, or just for a little quiet. As it is on the main channel, it’s a great opportunity to see the variety of river boats that pass through. Whether as a post meal stroll, or a specific destination, it is quite accessible from the downtown.

Levee park is a great spot to hang out. I can’t wait to see what it looks like once all the construction is completed! Winona is stepping up its game.

The staff are very friendly and help me out whenever I needed help great place to swim. Love this place if you have a disability no problems!

Fun pool for kids. Slides, diving board, shallow areabfor littles & lap lanes. Concessions! Great lifeguards! Regular checks & breaks. Female shower & changing area are clean, but could use an update. Only 1 shower was working when we visited.

Reasonably price day of fun. Nice long twisty water slide, couple of diving boards, lap lanes, large shallow area, and large free swim area. Plenty of room to spread out didn't feel like everyone was stacked on top of each other. Be nice if they could update the changing area though

It's a clean water park but with many rules to follow. For example, adults are not allowed to sit with their feet in the water watching their kids dive into the water on a hot day.

We stay for a few hours which is plenty of time for younger kids. They need to fill the foodie area. It seems they are out of a lot of things that we wanted to order. It's either popcorn or nacho cheese and nachos which is always cold. I like the idea of hourly breaks from the swimming.

Public pool in Winona Minnesota for family recreation, great place to chill during summer vacations. They have got a water slide too. Also, ample showers are available.

Great place for kids, families, and everyone in between. It would be nice to have a hottub, but it is definitely not a deal breaker.

“Lower Garvin Heights park” is, as far as I can tell, not a park. If you take what looks like a nice footpath down the hill and your husband drives the car down to meet you, it lets out near two or three houses, practically in someone’s yard. I’m sorry the picture is blurry. There are at least three benches on the path.

Beautiful vista overlooking the amazing city of Winona.

Beautiful view. Must see, paved short walk from parking lot

Great place to make a quick stop. Not a very large park but u will be treated to some amazing panoramic views of Winona. Worth the 10 minute drive up the hill. Not if you are on a bicycle :-)

For a gorgeous view of the city of Winona, the Mississippi and lakes, do not forget to stop by Garvin Heights!

Been there twice and best view in Winona!

All I have to say is WOW! The view up here is incredible! There was a slope down to get to the overlook but I would rate this place as pretty accessible since there was a ramp on the side! The information boards were really helpful in pointing out all of the important landmarks in Winona (things that I didn't even know about!) - Overall, if you are in Winona and it's a nice day, you HAVE to stop here!

Super crowded place on a Friday evening. There was a one hour wait for food, which the waitstaff politely informed us when we came in. We decided to get a drink at the bar and order some chili for dinner as that was quickly available because the bar servers could fill those orders. Our bartender was great, can't recall his name but he did say it was his last night there so guess that's irrelevant :). Unfortunately, as nice as the atmosphere seemed, the chili that is advertised as 'award winning', was only okay, and the beer was so-so. Sorry, but not a place we'd stop by again.

Stopped on a Saturday early afternoon. There were 2 groups of people in front of us, but tables for us all. There is a happy hour 6 days a week - .50 off all beers. The mushrooms were good, but greasy. We didn't finish all 4 due to that. The food was ok. Since they don't brew here, the food wasn't good enough to come back for. I ordered the tilapia sandwich and it was a bummer. There wasn't much taste to it. I paid 2.00 to upgrade to fries. Service was friendly and prompt.

Nice place with great atmosphere and friendly staff. Food was good and the beer was cold.

We wanted to make this a new stop when driving along the river towns but after an hour wait for three sandwiches on a Saturday at 6, with only about half the tables in use, we’re gonna pass. The food, a patty-melt, a Rueben and a Philly were all good. The pastrami and rye were tasty. The hogue roll was soft and tased great. Everyone was friendly but it seems the kitchen staff might’ve had a bad day or maybe shorthanded 🤷🏼‍♂️ I hope you have a better experience if you give them a shot.

Cool old building with a dive bar vibe. The menu is centered around their burgers which are a frozen mass manufactured lifeless patty. Probably a great place to get black out drunk but skip the food. If you have to eat here get the potato skins.

Went to lunch here today with my girlfriend and we were very pleased with everything! Great service (I usually ask for my server's name, but forgot 😏), delicious food (compliments to the Chefs), and a nice atmosphere!! Thank you and keep up the good work! We'll be back! ☺️

Seemed like a long standing local hangout with plenty of options for food & drink on the menu with pen and paper service and the associated wait times of the old technology. It was neat to see the waitresses huddling and comparing order tickets in the corner every 20 minutes and doing the math for the bill. We will be back next time we're in Winona for the Shakespeare festival.

Still can get root beer better than this. The drive inn concept is great too. Truly loved this place growing up and it hasn't changed in 40 years. However, I don't think that is a good thing. Staff consisted of 6 high schoolers. It is just fryer and grill food mostly. Which is most lower priced restaurants these days. But those other restaurants have better food. Plus there are no table to bus so how can the place feel so grungy? Looks like a fun summer job for the kids working there but might be my last time going.

Honestly, I'd never come back here. If I could give it 0 stars, I would. My partner and I visited Winona a few weeks ago. It was our first time there and we wanted a unique place to eat. Plus, have a special date night. Our server ignored us the entire time aside from taking our order. Yet, helped everyone beside us. It was ridiculous. My partner and I couldn't even eat together because he spent more than half the time running in the place, getting everything. I thought this was a drive in? So much for a nice date night. It ended up being $90 without tip. The baskets and curds were mediocre at best and weren't even a large amount. I've had baskets at drive ins for $10 and they loaed it. I thought this place would be better, considering the reviews. I'd never go back. I don't enjoy going out to eat and the waitress never comes back.

The Root Beer is soo good! And the cheese curds and the food. I love coming here every summer and get to be served while you are in your car, tray is on the window. Extremely nice people. Plus you have the beautiful lake and trees right across the road

I wanted to give more stars because this place seems like an iconic Winona location and service was super friendly. The hot food…well…it’s pretty basic, small portions, and kind of pricy. Root beer is excellent. Soft serve is super smooth. Everyone should come here at least once for the nostalgia, and a root beer float.

We have ate food at Lakeview a couple times and each time it has taken a very long time for the food to come out. The foods not bad but each time has taken about 25 - 30 mins to come out. The ice cream is a different story. Very good and comes out a lot quicker. I probably won't go back for food but I will for ice cream.

Perfect! Well, not perfect. The food was merely good. But the root beer was so fantastic that I have to give it five stars. The location is great, too, with the wide open space across from where you sit. I enjoyed my visit.

Very overpriced for food that is sub-par at best. $5 for a large soda. $4.35 for a side of cole slaw. $7 for side of sweet potato fries (maybe 15 fries?). Frozen burger patties that taste just like that sounds. When I asked for the bill I was just told my total and expected to hand over money. "We don't really do that here." (Give customers a copy of their bill to look over.) I wanted to reslly like this place, but I won't ever eat there again.

This a cute vistor center that if you need information, you should visit! Cute gift shop inside and the place is well maintained! (Also has AC inside which was nice) - shout out to Bob who was an MVP and told us the best sites in the city! If you are looking for more information about Winona and don't know where to start, this is a great place

Super cute, Winona themed, gift shop! Definitely give this place a stop if you are going to the lake or around the area. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable! There is a few different Winona based items to choose from! They support local businesses!

Very nice little shop, it was a nice stop in the middle of a snow storm, Single toilet Bathrooms. But has a nice little seating area and a lot of little souvenirs.

Beautiful location. Bathrooms and lots of information phamplets and even a gift shop.

The gentleman on duty at the Center was very helpful and knowledgeable. So much possible to see and do.

Very helpful and very friendly staff person helped us purchase some neat winona mementoes. The Visitor Center has a multitude of information for not only Winona, but Minnesota in general. Everything from where to go , what to see, to the do's and donts of fishing hunting, boating, etc. I picked up a free brochure on the lock and dams on the Mississippi. Very informative little booklet. Ill pass it on to my father who slways had an interest in the Mississippi river lock and dam system. Pic is a view from Visitors Center parking lot of winona lake.

Just a small stop. This seems to be a nice town. I wanted to see if any museums were open. Sadly they were not but the staff person in the visitors center is nice. This center is situated next to a popular biking and walking path which goes around two lakes.

All I can say is what a dump. I'm convinced that every crime drama had to be filmed in this place. Practically need 4 wheel drive in the parking lot and there is garbage everywhere. Really a shame. On the plus side, access to the river was nice, especially for the dogs and several port a potties (although I didn't go in any).

A great location to bring your dog. on a leash ideally. There are great spots to swim and hike. Be careful when you bring your kids there can be broken glass due to college students

Great place to see the river, take a dip, or go for a walk. There are lots of spots for a safety break, too. Probably at least 420 different species of wildlife to encounter here, birds, turtles, and rodents galore. The two biffies on the front beach feature an artists rendition of cosmic duality on the backside. Not to mention that there are Pokémon stops and a gym at this park, gotta catch em all!

Camped on the mighty Mississippi with gorgeous views of Winona, MN's newly constructed bridge crossing from WI to MN

Latsch is a pretty unique park, but nothing special. The trails back in the woods ( when not flooded) are fun and the old bridge connecting the islands give this park some character.

Have been going to Latsch Island for 30 yrs and it is still my place to clear my head. Taking walks, having a fire to roast marshmallows, swimming on the front beach, and fishing up and down the shore. Locals are friendly, as long as you respect the park and clean up after yourself. Which is something everyone should do in the first place. Hope you enjoy your time down there.

I usually go in the winter to enjoy cold water immersion in the Mississippi River. Beautiful spot with bald eagles often flying by. Wish they could keep the beach area cleaned up a little.

Amazing! For $10 you can get a day pass and do anything that they offer. They offer ping pong, bike riding, canoes, kayaking, paddle boards, ice skating, bags, frisbee golf, hula hoops. More things then I can even can mention.!!!!

Free ice skating, canoes, all sorts of fun can be done here!

I've loved it since I lived in Winona in the 70's. My wife and I go there twice a year, spring and fall. We pick up baked goods at Bloedow's, then go to the park and eat some while watching the ducks etc.. in the fall it is fall colors. Just a pleasant place to spend part of an afternoon!

We had a very good time and the staff members were very helpful.

The lake lodge is great. A one time fee for year round services is a great deal for locals and college students. Unfortunately, there are no day passes so the current $15 fee can be steep for a visitor. The fee has also gone up 5 dollars each year for about three years since it used to be free.

Lake Park is a beautiful park, wonderfully maintained by the City of Winona Parks Department. They offer super cheap rentals of canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, and ice skates and snow shoes in the winter. The 5+ mile paved bike path around both lakes is a great ride. Boats and fishing are allowed and in the winter there is ice fishing and special activities like motorcycle races. Be sure to check out one of the Floating Concerts on the lake!

The lake biking/walking trail is a pleasure. I stopped at the handy bike tune-up rack very helpful although I could not get the air stem to lock down on my valve stem properly and lost my air. Could have been operator's error. Great day at the lake.

Look no further for a high quality and professional boat tour of the great Mississippi. We saw 6+ eagles in the wild - the boat captain brought us up close for us to see and photograph. The captain was very lively, and knowledgeable about the MR, providing us facts throughout the tour. Highly recommend.

The Mississippi River is beautiful especially on the way back with the sunset. The water is so calm and the scenery when dark is majestic. Captain Aaron tells some great stories and always with a sense of humor.

I loved the boat tour and Captain Aaron was very informative and entertaining. The scenery was beautiful, especially the eagles. I would have appreciated seating that was not so low. Not good for those of us with knee and hip problems. It would have been nice to sit higher and have something to hang on to to be able to get out of the seat easier. I would not recommend for those with mobility issues. We went on the tour boat over to Trempealeau, WI, to eat at Sullivan's. The docking area and pier we had to walk on to get to our bus to Sullivan's was very rickety and dangerous. This sways when you walk on it and there are no rails to hang on to. I would not recommend this to anyone elderly, those with mobility issues or children. It is not a question of if an accident will happen, it is when.

Winona Boat Tour is an amazing and very fun Boat cruise. The Captain is a great, very entertaining and interacts with the guest while sharing fun history about the area, allows guest to get up close and personal with nature and sites along the way. This is an amazing and enjoyable tour, plenty of nature to see. There are drinks and snacks available, comfy seating inside, enjoy the ride and scenery out on front deck, don't be shocked if the boat Captain occasionally steps out to chat or help take photos of you or your group.

We greatly enjoyed the Riverboat tour. Captain and River were engaging, friendly, knowledgeable, and absolutely adorable. The river views were beautiful the houseboats and boat houses were so interesting. We got to see wildlife and a little of the life on the river. Absolutely recommend it!!

It was a fun and very informative tour. We had a beautiful day to do the tour and I would recommend to everyone interested. Saw bald eagles and nests, turtles, and other other wildlife, all with great information from the Captain. Whole family all ages loved it!

We absolutely loved the Winona boat tour! It was the perfect summer/ fall activity the views were great with all the colorful leaves along the river. The captain and crew were fantastic, knowledgeable, funny, and made the whole experience so enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a relaxing and scenic way to enjoy Winona!

All of the staff are super nice from the front desk to the coaches and even the custodians, but the gyms are always occupied for workout classes or kids stuff so it is very inconvenient to play basketball after work. Also half the rims have been noticeably crooked for the past few months.

Not a fan of all the rules for the squat rack/deadlift platform. No chalk allowed, no lifting without shoes. No dropping weights. 30 minute time limit. There was a decent amount of people in there for it being 2 pm on Thursday. It's fine if you’re just a casual gym goer but if you’re a little serious about lifting then iron bluff is better.

Terrible management, they make you jump through hoops to cancel your membership and are very rigid in their application of their policies. They are also very busy and hard to reach. Some common sense training would help their business!

I absolutely love coming here. The pool, hot tub, and classes with great instructors are my favorite parts. The showers are always clean with plenty of hot water. I plan to keep coming here as long as I can!

This is probably the best outfitted, most beautiful gym I've ever been to. It is open and light and bright, as well as very clean. They have everything you can think of including an indoor pool, as well as an indoor basketball court that converts to Pickleball and indoor racquetball courts. The staff is very friendly and helpful.

The YMCA is a hub of Winona. It's a great facility, very nice pool area that includes a big hot tub and sauna. Nice workout facility up on the second floor, basketball, pickleball, handball and racquetball, and it's all very clean and well staffed. It's a mistake not to be a member here.

Great classes, friendly instructors, good equipment. Modern, well designed facility. Fantastic pool area. So many great classes for kids. Maybe the best community resource in Winona.

Love their thin crust pizza. Very reasonable prices. Had the pepperoni once and the taco pizza on my second visit. Nice folks running it, too. I will continue to go to Rocco's!

Not my favorite type of pizza, but if you like thin crust usual MN pizza, then it's really good. My whole extended family likes their pizza. The service was GREAT with special attention for our 5 year old which was appreciated. The atmosphere, in an old building that was a little Caesars and a video store many years ago when I lived in the neighborhood, is oddly nice and cosy. Overall it's possibly the best option in town for dine-in pizza.

The staff was friendly and courteous. The pizza is pretty expensive, but it is tasty. I also tried the garlic (cheese) bread but, even though it tasted good, I probably wouldn't get it again because the portion was so meager. During busy times of day, expect at least an hour wait for take-out.

Excellent pizza!! I try to make it in anytime I’m close to Winona, I lived in Winona for a year and a half and still have not as good as Rocco’s again excellent pizza!

I moved away from Minnesota in 2011, but one thing we ALWAYS do when we're back to visit is order takeout from Rocco's. Super easy to gorge yourself on their delicious pizzas, as I've been doing for decades. East or west, Rocco's IS the best 🩷

We like to check out the pizza when visiting different towns on business. Rocco’s comes in at the top of the list. We ordered a Special for delivery and were told 45 minutes which was fine. The pie came on time if not a bit early. And it was too hot to eat!!! NEVER have I EVER had a delivery pizza that hot and fresh. The crust was crisp and yes, the sausage was trippingly tasty. The fifth star goes to the stellar sausage and the haul a$$ delivery.

If you use a card you have to specify to add a tip, they don’t up charge to compensate for a tip. Delivery person was absolutely rude and aggressive on dropping off order. Will not be ordering from there again. (Local resident)

Small ice arena. Concessions are usually open during games.

never open for open skate, impossible to find out when open skate is, incorrect info on website

So great that there is open skating, wish it was more often.

My experience with bud king ice arena was terrible. Searched the internet for hours to find out their open skating hours. I dont see them posted anywhere! I tried calling a dozen times, never got an answer. I stopped by to see if the hours were on their door or if I could ask someone when their hours were. No hours on the doors and they were locked. Even the smallest of businesses post their hours on the web, on their answering machine, or on their front door. How can this place not? I ended up going to Rochester and skating there. Their arena had hours posted online, clear as can be.

Decent ice rink. Great Hockey and Figure skating venue. Winona Area Youth Hockey Association is based there and this is currently the venue for Winona high school and Cotter high school teams play.

Amazing I have always had fun playing for the winhawks and I love watching St. Mary's dominate there competitors. All in all great place.

Excellent facilities! Hockey tourney was on time and we'll run! Nice ice sheet and heaters in the stands!

We recently hosted a birthday party at the Biergarten and it was the perfect space. Carlos was so easy to work with and answered my MANY questions quickly and kindly. Many of our friends commented on how great the location was and how lucky we are to have something like this in Downtown Winona. Would highly recommend if you need an event space!

Unique business. There is no building, just tables, a beer truck and port-a-poty. There was a vendor selling a seafood boil which looked yummy. The street was closed and a band playing which added to the very relaxed ambiance. A little pricey.

What a nice addition to downtown Winona! We stopped down for their soft grand opening. Enjoyed a nice cold can of craft Castle Danger. There are lovely picnic tables and patio seating in repurposed turf. Absolutely charming.

Cool little beer garden tucked into an alleyway in downtown Winona. Live music and cozy ambient aesthetics make for a great evening here!

They support live music. Yeah! 👍

Amazing spot for drinks! Tons of fun games like Jenga and mini golf, live music and you can order food from either restaraunt on the side. Perfect for sunny weather. Great vibes!

Great place to enjoy some time outside among friends or lovers and watch the sunlight transition to moonlight. The beer selection is diverse and pertinent as is the staff. The only pretense here is the grass. Bring your kids and your smile.

Only went here because Winona Ryder was born here and I am a huge fan. Pleasantly surprised at how beautiful it is here. Lovely trail around the lake. Large, pretty park. The town is cooler than I anticipated.

Nice Ice Fishing and Canoeing

(Translated by Google) A beautiful place and I recommend it (Original) مكان جميل و انصح فيه

This park is a must-stop when traveling thru “Bluff Country ” of SE MN. Located on top of river bluffs, it offers multiple breathtaking views of the surrounding area on both the bluff and river sides. For the grand tour, start at the southern end in the campground and head to Orchard Overlook, then proceed north to the East Overlook and continue on to the South and North Overlook and finally, work your way up to King’s Bluff, past rare bluff-top prairie (please stay on trail to protect this fragile area) to take in spectacular views of Queens Bluff and the Mississippi River beyond. The campground is decently sized offering well-spaced campsites with decent privacy. There are new tent pads on several sites, but note that most sites have some slope to them being on the bluffs and most larger trailers will not fit ( check each site during reservation for Max length). Also there are no elec sites here so plan accordingly and bring your solar power generators. Cell service is ok in campground, better near park office. Facilities are older but in good shape and there are several vault toilets all throughout the park (picnic area, park office, cart in, etc). In summer after heavy or prolonged rain, mosquitoes can be terrible, the heavy tree cover can hinder helping breezes to keep them at bay so bring shelters and sprays. The picnic area is quite nice and large. The are several nice spots tucked into the forest so explore to find just the right one for lunch!

Expect a dirt/gravel road. The Ranger Station can be easy to miss. It is not the Welcome Center. This time of year (mid Sept) it is hot and muggy. You will be in need of Deet. I am enjoying my stay. I have a nice campsite and the park is pleasantly quiet. I enjoyed the short hike to 2 overlooks and plan to do Kings Bluff Trail tomorrow.

This is a great park! What it lacks for in trails it makes up in overlooks. Make sure check out the other overlooks and not just King's Bluff. They all have something special to offer. We stayed at the cart in sites. They were all nice but unfortunately very close to the trail. The trail was not used much though other then those who were camping here. Note: carts aren't provided. They provided wheel barrows.

Great River Bluffs is a good overall Minnesota state park. Definitely not one of the best state parks I've been to in the state, but far from the worst state parks. The hiking trails along the bluffs are a great hike and have some good views of the Mississippi River Valley below. None of the trails I hiked were difficult at all. The couple outlooks from the main parking lot offer good views and are easily accessible. They have good camping sites and well maintained facilities. The park isn't huge, and besides the outlooks overlooking the river, not much else is too noteworthy.

Loved this park and great views of the Mississippi River and Wisconsin. Would like to visit again someday to camp!

Big State Park. Beautiful lookout King trail, 2.5 mile round trip, Easy walk.

An extremely beautiful park! It's all located basically on one bluff which is pretty unique from what I've seen. There's not a lot of trails but that doesn't mean it's not worth the time to explore every square inch of this park. Every trail pretty much brings you to an overlook of the area and it's worth seeing every one. The campsite we were at was a little small but we managed. They have restrooms at the center of the campground area and they were clean and very nice on the inside. There were no rangers when we first pulled in so we had to fill out a card to register. That being said I had a ton of fun and would love to come back again someday!