Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument is a museum dedicated to women’s suffrage and to the struggle for women’s rights in the US. Click here to read more about the suffragist movement. Located at the home of the National Woman’s Party (NWP) – an American women’s political organization founded in 1916 by Alice Paul. From this house, the organization developed strategies and tactics to promote constitutional amendment, introduced the Equal Rights Amendment and campaigned for full equality for women. The house was donated to the NWP by the suffragist and philanthropist, Alva Belmont, who was also the NWP’s president during 1921-1933. It is recommended to start your tour by watching an informative video about the history of the house and the Women’s Rights movement, and then see footage of the NWP women’s meeting and planning protests from this house. There are various exhibits and displays to explore, such as a room of political cartoons, authentic memorabilia and artifacts from the early 1900’s to this day, and statues of NWP women as well as influential women throughout history. Read more...

Also known as “Clear Comfort,” Alice Austen House is a national historic landmark and a museum dedicated to the life and work of Alice Austen, one of the first female photographers in the US. In her lifetime, Austen captured about 8,000 images, most of them are documentary photos of her friends, immigrants and city life, but she also experimented with artistic photography and images of women dressed in male drag (‘drag kings’). Austen lived in Clear Comfort for most of her life, 28 of them with Gertrude Amelia Tate, her lifelong companion. The museum displays a permanent collection of Alice Austen’s photography as well as short term changing exhibitions of other artists, such as Nicholas Muellner and George Shiras. Visitors can participate in special events like “In Alice’s Garden” and “Alice Austen Holiday Party,” or take a stroll in the garden and enjoy the view of New York Harbor. In addition, the museum offers various education programs, for children and for adults, and even a Photography Summer Camp. Read more...

The Jane Addams Hull-House Museum (JAHHM) is a dynamic memorial site dedicated to Jane Addams, a social reformer and the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, who together with her colleagues changed the lives of their community, promoting education and equality as well as public policy. The museum is located in Hull Home, a national historic landmark, one of the original settlement house buildings that were founded in 1889 by Addams and Ellen Gates Starr. They formed a community that took care of the low-income people and immigrants from Europe and fought for social justice, equal rights, immigrants rights and more. The residents learned different culture classes, like history, literature, art as well as enjoyed free concerts and various activities. The Hull house was a center for important activists, artists, and thinkers. Enjoy the collections and exhibitions by yourself or take a tour, participate in workshops, educational programs and conversations. Check out the store for souvenirs and ecologically and socially sustainable gifts. The museum is part of the College of Architecture and the Arts at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Its mission is to preserve and develop the original site and to continue Hull House’s vision of education, research, and social engagement. Read more...

This historic house museum was the childhood and family home of Louisa May Alcott. In this house, she wrote the classic novel Little Women on a shelf desk her father built for her. Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) was a poet, novelist, abolitionist, and suffragist who promoted social change and encouraged women to register to vote. The museum was founded to cherish Alcott’s legacy in art, literature, philosophy, education, and social justice and opened to the public in 1912. At the well-preserved 19th-century house, visitors walk across the rooms where the Alcott family lived while enjoying a display of the original furnishings owned by the Alcotts, including portraits of the family members, the family china, laundry drying rack, soapstone sink, and quilts made by Alcott’s mother. The museum organizes workshops, educational programs, tours, and special events, such as A Little Women Christmas at Orchard House, A Valentine’s Visit with the Alcotts, and Little Women in the 21st Century, Celebrating 150 Years of Inspiration. While in Concord, make sure to include a visit to one of the oldest cemeteries in the United States, the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. It is the final resting place of many notable people, including Louisa May Alcott, Harriett Lothrop, known by her pseudonym Margaret Sidney, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and many more. Read more...

Within a two hour drive from WDC into the beautiful landscape of the eastern shore of Maryland located a national historical park named after Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a network of secret runaway routes and safe houses supported escaping slaves to states which abolished slavery as well as to Canada. A 480-acre park commemorates the story and lifework of Harriet Tubman, a former slave, an abolitionist, and a conductor of the Underground Railroad before the American Civil War. After escaping slavery herself, Tubman risked her life to help enslaved people to escape to the north and their freedom. The National Historical Park preserves the landscapes and waterways that Tubman used to free herself and others. The park is one of the stops in a 125 miles byway, a remarkable route encapsulating many milestones of Tubman and the slaves life in the area, such as the places where she grew up, slave auction block, abolitionists gathering spots, and other significant sites related to the slaves’ life and the Underground Railroad. One of the most interesting stops is the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center, where one can watch the introductory film, see videos and dioramas, and explore the exhibits. You can also stroll the legacy garden and enjoy the picnic facilities. More in the area: Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center and the Mural of Tubman in Cambridge, MD. If you would like to explore the area on a guided tour, Harriet Tubman Tours in Cambridge, MD, operates three or six hours tour, exploring the area. Read the details here. Harriet Tubman Byway Route of 125 miles covering 30 points of interest related to Tubman and the Underground Railroad. Tubman statue in Salisbury. Read more...

Women of the Hall is an institution and a museum that showcases and highlights notable American women and their achievements. It’s the oldest membership organization in the US, recognizing and celebrating women’s impact in all aspects of life, like – arts, education, humanities, science, business, athletics, government, and more. The National Women’s Hall of Fame is located in the Historic District of Seneca Falls, New York, where, in 1848, 300 men and women held the first Women’s Rights Convention, and the US suffrage movement started in its journey to fight for the legal voting rights for women. The National Women’s Hall of Fame was founded in 1969 by the residents of Seneca Falls, who believed that their hometown, the birthplace of women’s rights, is the appropriate place to establish an institute that commemorates the contributions of American women. At the site, one can discover the stories of more than 300 women who changed US history through their actions. Learn about their life, their goals, triumphs, and failures. By reading the plaques covering the hall’s walls, you can find out how women like Susan B. Anthony, Maya Angelou, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg changed society. Check the calendar for special events, exhibits, educational programs, and induction weekends. Explore the gift shop for books, artworks, and souvenirs such as shirts, pins, and bookmarks. Read more...

A museum and national historic landmark dedicated to the life and work of Frances Willard, a 19th-century social reformer and the president of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) – a women’s organization promoting national prohibition, Christian values, and woman suffrage. Willard House wasn’t only the home of her and her family, but also the headquarters of the WCTU, and a residence for its workers. Willard called the house ‘rest cottage’ for it has been a resting place between her WCTU activities. After her death, she left it to the organization. In 1900, the WCTU headquarters moved to the Annex, and the ‘Rest Cottage’ was opened as a museum and a memorial site for Frances Willard’s life and activities, as well as for the organization’s work and achievements throughout the years. The museum is located in the original family house, built in 1865. It has a collection of various original objects, including artworks, books, textiles, furniture, and family photographs. Visitors can learn about the lives in the 19th century, and how a family home became the headquarters of an activist movement, both a boarding house and a public space. There are also organized tours, talks, and special events, such as New Works in Women’s History Talk with the historian Sara Egge, and an open studio session with the artist Vanessa Filley. The Frances Willard House Museum is part of the ‘Tour Evanston Women’s History Map’, a self-guided tour of fifteen women’s historical sites throughout Evanston. Read more...

The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) is the only museum in the world dedicated to collect, showcase, and promote female artists. Even in the 21st century, women artists are underrepresented and undervalued in museums, galleries, auction houses, and art fairs. The museum was co-founded in 1987 by Wilhelmina Holladay to change that and to give a place for female artists to present their work. The NMWA is a platform for all kinds of arts and creations of women, empowering the artists, their works, and achievements. The mission is to bring better representation and recognition for women artists, from different ages, nationalities, and fields of creation. The museum offers various collections, exhibitions, programs, talks, concerts of women musicians (such as Angela Hewitt, and Anne Akiko Meyers), screening and conversation, special events, and a community acting for social change and gender equality. Visitors can book special tours, be impressed by changing sculptures in front of the museum’s entrance, and participate in special events, often ones that address major political events, such as the “Nasty Women” tour they’ve created. Read more...

A permanent exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum dedicated to feminist art in the past, present, and future. Named after its founder, the center’s mission is to create an education environment, raising awareness of feminism’s cultural contributions, and learning about the meaning of feminist art and its importance. The Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art is the permanent home of ‘The Dinner Party’ by Judy Chicago, and to the biographical gallery highlighting the women represented in the artwork. Visitors can participate in educational programs and explore the current exhibitions, such as Cecilia Vicuña’s ‘Disappeared Quipu’, and ‘Half the Picture: A Feminist Look at the Collection’. The center established the Feminist Art Base – the first digital archive of past and present feminist artists from around the world. The center was founded in 2007 by Elizabeth A. Sackler, a public historian, arts activist, and an American-Indian advocate. Sackler wanted to create a home for feminist art, a place of dialog and discussion about equality and justice for feminism as reflected in art. Reserve tickets here Read more...

A historic landmark and a museum preserving the life and artwork of Elisabet Ney, a German sculptress who moved to the USA in the 19th century. The museum is located in Ney’s studio, or ‘Formosa’ as she called it, which was a gathering place to artists and philosophers. The museum houses more than 50 of Ney’s sculptures, including works that were made before she came to the USA, such as portraits of Otto von Bismarck, Arthur Schopenhauer, and King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Also presented there her American period portraits of public figures such as Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston, and a statue of Lady Macbeth. While visiting the museum one can view her original working tools, furniture, and other personal memorabilia. There are also special exhibits and events, including Saturday Morning Drawing Salon, Polka festivals, and “Speed Philosophy.” Read more...