Winona History Center
- The Winona History Center is located in Westminster Hall on the Grace College campus at 105 9th Street, Winona Lake, IN.
- The Billy Sunday Home is located at 1111 Sunday Lane, Winona Lake, IN.
History at Your Fingertips.
Winona Lake has a colorful past that represents the growth and history of midwest America.
From its Chautauqua and Bible conference heritage to the home of evangelist Billy Sunday to its renaissance in recent decades, the history of Winona has much to offer.
The Winona History Center is located in the original Westminster Hotel, one of several hotels built to lodge the many guests that flocked to Winona Lake through the years. The west wing of the first floor, which houses the museum, was the location of the offices of gospel music pioneer Homer Rodeheaver. In addition to highlighting Rodeheaver’s legacy, the museum includes exhibits on the Chautauqua movement in Winona, its legendary Bible conferences, and evangelist Billy Sunday. It also features hundreds of artifacts and photographs telling of Winona’s ties to America’s cultural, educational, and religious heritage. In addition to the museum, the center offers tours of the Billy Sunday evangelist’s family home, and for researchers, the archives house thousands of documents, recordings, and letters from Winona’s rich past.
Our mission is to foster educational and scholarly interest in Winona’s heritage through the preservation and exhibition of historical collections and by inspiring a new generation to discover the treasures of American history. Visit us today!
Billy Sunday Home
Current Exhibit: THE GRACE EXPERIENCE
The Winona History Center’s latest exhibit, completed for the 75th anniversary of Grace College, covers the history and current components of the college. Created with funds given in memory of former Grace professor R. Wayne Snider, the new exhibit is located in the hallway outside the Winona History Center. Viewers can interact with the touch screen to view the pictures and hear the audio of Grace College history in the categories of Timeline, Athletics, Academics, College Life, and Impact on the World. Stop by the Winona History Center to check it out!
Field Trips
The Winona History Center and Billy Sunday Home offer field trips to public, private, and home-school groups. Download and fill out the form below to schedule your field trip and to receive classroom lesson plans correlated to Indiana social studies standards.
Pricing
- Suggested donation for museum and archival visits: $2 for adults
- Tours of the Sunday Home cost an additional $2 for adults.
- (High school students and Grace College students are welcome to visit the museum and house free of charge with their student ID.)
Location & Contact
Contact Information
Phone: (574) 372-5193
Email: winonamuseum@grace.edu
Address: Winona History Center, Grace College, 1 Lancer Way, Winona Lake, IN 46590
Personnel
Dr. Mark Norris, Ph.D. – Museum Director
Karen Birt, M.A. – Museum Coordinator
Dr. Terry White, Ed.D. – Chief Docent
A History Degree from Grace
Christ’s life is an example to strive after, but we can be so eager to get busy that it’s easy to overlook the value of understanding others. Within this conviction lies the goal of Grace’s Department of History and Political Science – when students study the people and cultures in history, they develop keen understanding of the past. When they observe current events and analyze modern political and social climates, they gain competence in addressing culture and society in the present. As they prepare to enter the working world through engaging internships, they develop a service-minded attitude toward the future.