Ely-Winton Historical Society

The Ely-Winton Historical Society is located within the Vermilion Community College in Ely, Minnesota. It has been in operation since 1962 and moved to a museum especially designed for them in 1982. The purpose of the Society is to collect and preserve items from the history of the region and then to enlighten visitors through displays and programs. 

The museum walks the visitor through the history of the area beginning with the prehistoric peoples who populated places along lakes and rivers. Their Native American display exhibits beautiful examples of beadwork and basketry. As logging and iron ore mining were two major industries during the first half of the 20th Century, extensive displays of both are on view. Other areas of interest are Immigration, Medicine, and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Some areas of the museum are set aside for special exhibits which may only be in place for a year. They state that a static museum is a dead museum and aim for regular changes to their displays. The museum and office are open year round with summer hours of noon to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Winter hours are noon to 4:00pm, Tuesday through Friday. The admission price is moderate especially in comparison with other museums in the area. The Ely-Winton Historical Society has a Facebook page which lists upcoming events regularly.