Kashubian Cultural Institute & Polish Museum

The Kashubian Cultural Institute & Polish Museum of Winona educates local residents, fellow Minnesotans, and visitors from across the country about the 150-year history of the Polish & Kashubian immigrants – radiating from Winona.

The Museum’s roots stretch back to 1979, when its focus was preserving the artifacts and stories that were quickly being lost.  Over the past 40+ years, the Museum has collected and preserved more than 8,000 items, including a Solidarity banner and shirt that make this site a destination for visitors from far and wide.

The Kashubian Cultural Institute & Polish Museum also maintains Winona’s Kashubian & Polish traditions through events and other initiatives.  Every summer, the Polish Museum send two or three Winona High School students to Winona’s sister city of Bytow, Poland for a month, and arranges for two or three Bytow high school students to spend a month in Winona.  Volunteers from the Polish Museum perform concerts, make public appearances in the Winona community, and maintain internet resources dedicated to furthering an appreciation of the Polish &Kashubian cultures.

The Museum has reached that point in its evolution in which it sees a need to not only display its collections, but also conceive a visitor experience that provides the context needed to understand key museum pieces.  In this process, it seeks to also become self-sustaining, making a jump to professional staff while engaging a new generation of volunteers.