Aerial survey · USDA NAIP · public domainAn 1850s building that doubled as law office and brothel — where a woman was shot dead on the stairs and reportedly never left
72 E 2nd St, Winona, MN 55987
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free to browse; antique store open to public
Access
Limited Access
Historic downtown building; older structure with potential access limitations
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1855 · Winona Red Light District · Dual-use commercial building (law office and brothel) · 1850s downtown commercial architecture
The building at 72 E 2nd St in Winona dates to the 1850s and occupied an unusual dual role in the city's commercial life: part legitimate law office, part establishment in Winona's documented red light district. That district remained active through the 1940s, making Winona one of the later Midwestern cities to formalize a vice economy in its downtown core.
According to local lore documented by the Winona Post, a woman was shot and killed on the building's interior staircase, likely during the brothel era. The staircase itself no longer exists in the structure, though accounts of the apparition consistently place her at the location where those stairs once stood.
The building later transitioned through various commercial uses before becoming an antique store. Current occupants and past residents report ongoing unexplained activity, including furniture moving on its own, a jukebox activating without input, and light bulbs changing color without apparent cause. Two detailed resident accounts describe hearing footsteps and music from downstairs when the space was unoccupied.
Sources
The central legend of 72 E 2nd St involves a woman killed by gunshot on the building's interior staircase during the red light district era. Accounts from the Winona Post describe her as appearing in the upper-floor windows and at the spot where the staircase once stood. The staircase has since been removed, but witnesses continue to report seeing her at that location.
Bartenders and staff have described a figure in period dress, with multiple accounts noting unexplained touches experienced by male visitors in the building. Physical phenomena include furniture moving, a jukebox activating without human contact, and objects found in different locations than where they were placed. Former residents submitted written accounts describing music and footsteps heard from unoccupied areas of the building.
The site is part of the Winona County Historical Society's annual Haunted History Walking Tour, which includes stops at multiple downtown locations tied to the city's red light district history.
Browse the antique shop housed in an 1850s building with documented paranormal lore. The former brothel-and-law-office building is part of Winona's Haunted History Walking Tour circuit. Staff have reported objects moving, furniture displaced, and unexplained jukebox activation.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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