Historic Winona Lake Park Bandshell
Renovation Project for 2024 Centennial

Winona will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Bandshell in June of 2024. In recognition of the centennial, the City of Winona Parks and Recreation Department has proposed the renovation of the Bandshell and the surrounding area. The City Parks and Recreation Department was approached in 2021 by the Winona Foundation and descendants of Fredrick Bell, the lead financial donor of the Bandshell in the early 1920’s, to discuss the centennial. The Winona Foundation recognized the centennial was approaching and was excited to offer a gift toward the renovation project in hopes that the City and community would match their offer. The City began budget planning, structural analysis of the facility, and the Park improvement design. (Click here to learn more about the history of the Winona Lake Park Bandshell.)

The renovation project is twofold in that the structure itself is in need of repair as well as surrounding park improvements.

Structural Improvements

Estimated cost of $830,000, part of the City of Winona’s budget

  • Foundation repairs
  • Replacement of Roof and Flashing
  • Repair all plaster areas, including columns, capitals, and trim
  • Re-paint
  • ADA accessible ramp
  • Electrical upgrades

The City and Community at large have completed several Maintenance repairs to the structure over the years. Yet, the overall park space is also in need of many improvements.

Park Improvements

Estimated cost of $1,000,000, provided by community fundraising

The primary goals of the redesign project are:

  • New, more comfortable benches and expanded seating area
  • Create more green space to make space multi-purpose – Spectator Lawn
  • Landscaping – native plantings, planting of more trees
  • Improved walkways and access to the area
  • Improved parking
  • Adapting the area to be more attractive for a variety of community events in addition to Winona Municipal Band summer concerts

More details and final plans will be added to this website as they become available. Click on the images below to see full screen versions of the preliminary plans.

Preliminary Site Plan
View 1: Looking Southeast over Site
View 2: View of Bandshell from Spectator Lawn

Summary

The goal of the project is to make this community space more functional for a wider variety of community events. That concept was primarily brought forward with the renovation of Levee Park. The City created a multipurpose event space in Levee Park. It was coined the ‘front porch’ to the Mississippi River. It would become a place where the Community and Visitors could gather to view the Mississippi River. The Bandshell concept is the ‘back porch’ of Winona, with views of the bluffs, the lakes and Sugarloaf. The City intends to create an additional multipurpose event space different than Levee Park. This space will offer the ability for the community to host both large and small events. The concept allows the space to be flexible in offering an outdoor concert for hundreds of people or a small, intimate, wedding. The space will continue to host community events such as the Municipal Band and Steamboats Days kiddie parade to name a few. Yet, the intent is to grow the number of community events for this space. The newly Every Child’s Dream Playground brings 1,000s of users annually to this area of Lake Park and the intent with this project is to hold events that compliment those users.

Finally, the City recently completed the Winona Arts and Cultural Strategic Plan. This project represents many components of that plan. One, we continue to support our culture by being good stewards of our historical properties. Two, developing spaces for community organizations to create and provide the Arts for the community. Three, supporting local organizations by having up to date, flexible, and accessible spaces. The Bandshell project has the ability to be a transformational project that the Community can truly appreciate for the next 100 years and beyond.

With the City of Winona's commitment to repairing the Bandshell structure and financial commitments from the Winona Rotary Club and the Winona Foundation, we are asking local businesses and individuals to help us meet our financial goal of raising $1,000,000 before the 2024 celebration of the Bandshell's Centennial.

With the City of Winona's commitment to repairing the Bandshell structure and financial commitments from the Winona Rotary Club and the Winona Foundation, we are asking local businesses and individuals to help us meet our financial goal of raising $1,000,000 before the 2024 celebration of the Bandshell's Centennial.

Donations can be made to the Winona Park Development - Bandshell fund through the Winona Community Foundation. Click here to make your donation online. Thank you for your support!

Or mail to:
Winona Community Foundation
111 Riverfront Suite 2E
Winona, MN 55987