pickwick mill

We stopped here with our 4 and 9-year old kids and they really enjoyed it. We had fun checking out the historic mill and appreciating the skill and dedication it takes to renew and maintain this treasure. The stairs are steep and it is not accessible for everyone but most of it can be seen from the main floor. The building is beautiful just to walk around the outside. They have the full mill up and running in Sep for their special mill day/wknd.

the water wheel was mesmerizing great information great guides .everyone should go see this awesome piece of history

You have to keep you eyes peeled not to miss the signs for Pickwick, just a short jaunt off of Highway 61 between Lacrosse and Winona. Its worth the side trip especially on a beautiful Fall day when the leaves are just going mad. The hours are limited so check ahead, there is a quaint little inn you can eat at and watch the waterfall near the Mill too, but hours limited on that as well. Support these super small town treasures when you can!! They do have Pickwick Days once a year too when the locals get out.

Have to get off the interstate to see this one, but it is well worth the back road drive to get to it. A very impressive building in the fact it is 4 stories above ground and totally build of lime stone. Not one board or nail was used to construct the building and It stands totally by the weight of the rock used to build it. The preservation of the mill is done by donation and is a work in progress, but there is still a lot to see and learn about the way wheat and corn was ground into feed, flour and cornmeal. There is a short but very informative video and a pamphlet (which you have to give back when you leave) that explains what you will see and how it all works, which helps to put the pieces together, when you travel up and down the stairs of the 6 floors (2 beneath the ground and 4 above) to see the machinery of the mill on your self-guided tour.. A very inexpensive ($3.00 each for adults) attraction, but what a beautiful piece of history, well worth getting off the freeway for.

I liked this museum. The local community has done an excellent job preserving an important part of history. The video that introduces milling is good, and I like how well the site is preserved. Visitors can gain a fine understanding of the basic system of milling, and the collection of artifacts is interesting. The mill isn't fully operational, but elements of the process come alive. The labels and exhibits are a bit "hit-or-miss" in terms of quality. But, the staff does a great job with what limited funds are available.

We enjoyed the informative videotape about Pickwick Mill and the flour making process. What ingenuity!