Marcella Sembrich Opera Museum, also known as The Sembrich, is a music venue and museum that preserve the legacy and love of the music of the internationally renowned Polish opera singer Marcella Sembrich. Sembrich (1858-1935) was born in Poland and started her music career at a young age, playing the piano and violin in local events to support her family. Sembrich furthered her music education at the Lemberg Conservatory, studying piano and violin and developing her vocal capabilities. Then, deciding to focus on voice, she studied with the best teachers in Vienna and Milan. Sembrich made her opera debut at 19 in Athens, which led to a successful career that included performing on the biggest stages in Europe and the United States. She sang in English, Polish, German, French, and Italian, gave recitals, and taught vocal programs. In 1898, Sembrich performed at the Met Opera in New York City, stayed for 11 seasons, and spent most of her time in the US. The outbreak of World War I prevented her from spending the summer in the European Alps, so she set the Adirondack Mountains area in New York as her new summer destination. Sembrich stayed at Lake Placid during the summers of 1915-1921 and then at the home and teaching studio she built at Lake George. During these summers, her students joined her to study and rest. Shortly after she died, her house was opened in 1937 as a history museum (free admission), showcasing personal items, memorabilia, and mementos from her life. In addition to commemorating Sembrich, the building hosts music events and festivals, continuing to spread her love of music. Read more...

Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957) was an American author, best known for her Little House on the Prairie books series. She was born to a family of settlers that often moved across America’s heartland until they settled in De Smet, South Dakota. Only then, 12 years old Ingalls had begun her formal education, and just before her 16th birthday, while still in high school, she began to work as a teacher in one-room schools. At 18, she married Almanzo Wilder, settled in a new home north of De Smet, and worked together on their farm. Over time, she became an expert on rural living and poultry farming and received invitations to lecture on these topics. At 44, after publishing an article in the Missouri Ruralist, she was offered a position as an editor and a columnist; she wrote about current topics and her thoughts about the increasing opportunities women had during that time. Following the economic crisis of 1929, along with the personal loss of her mother and sister, Ingalls started to write her childhood memories. In 1932, at the age of 65, she published the book Little House in the Big Woods, which became the first of the eight Little House on the Prairie series. The second book in the series, Farmer Boy, published in 1933, follows her husband’s childhood in the Wilder Homestead in Malone, NY. On June 5th, 1987, the Almanzo & Laura Ingalls Wilder Association (ALIWA) was incorporated to preserve the original childhood home as a historic site that includes a museum, an educational center, three barns, a working 19th-century farm, and a picnic pavilion on 84 acres of farmland. The museum exhibits a collection of period artifacts and farming tools and provides information about Ingalls, the Wilder family, and 19th-century farming life. The Wilder Homestead hosts various events during the summer, including the Celebration of Youth & Morgan Horse Event, the Scottish Fling festival, and the Harvest Fest & Civil War Living History. Read more...

This museum highlights the part women of color and women of African descent had in the struggle for equal rights. It examines the role and impact in the resistance and highlights their stories in the permanent and rotating exhibitions. The permanent exhibition reviews their part in the resistance since the early days of slavery, through the civil war and the emancipation, the Jim Crow era, great migration, civil rights movement, and during major events in the long struggle for equal rights. Videos and sound stations, photographs, songs, folk tales, and more give the visitor the entire story. The exhibit Gender Trap: Black Women, Rape and Resistance focuses on the response and revolutionary acts by Black women in America. The last exhibit review a historical timeline of institutional rape, violence, and sexual harassment of Black women by police officers and their forerunners. It is the only museum in the world dedicated to this cause. Read more...

The interactive, engaging museum is unusual as the woman who lived here, Matilda Joslyn Gage. Gage was one of the suffragists movement leaders during the 19th century, as well as an activist for minority rights and abolitionist. This museum was her house, in here, particularly in the Women’s Rights Room, she met with Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, discussed movement next steps, co-wrote most of the NWSA documents, and co-edited the first three volumes of the six-volume “History of Woman Suffrage” (1881-1887). In the Family Parlor Oz Room, she encouraged, contributed, and inspired her son-in-law Lyman Frank Baum to publish his Oz books. The house was also part of the Underground Railroad, and hidden locations can be seen there. Each room has a piece of history to share. All the items in the exhibits are touchable. You may bring food and drinks, use the furniture or the piano, play in 19th-century toys, and even write Gage a message on the special wall. Read more...

Located on the fourth floor of the New-York Historical Society, the center is dedicated to telling the stories of women who had shaped the US throughout history and to women’s actions, lives, and legacies. The Center presents pioneer women from different classes, races, and sexuality from the Suffrage Movement to modern days activism. The gallery, designed by the architect Eva Jiricna, features temporary and permanent exhibits, such as a collection of 132 Tiffany lamps, an interactive display of women who contributed to society like Madonna, Patti Smith, Molly Brant, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, as well as the Billie Jean King archives, which includes some of the champion’s personal items. The Center for Women’s History organizes public events, intimate conversations with experts, and the annual Diane and Adam E. Max Conference on Women’s History. Read more...

The Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center was the home and workplace of Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner – painters known for their abstract expressionist works. In this house, the couple made some of their most famous paintings, such as Pollock’s ‘Autumn Rhythm’ and ‘Blue Poles’, and Krasner’s ‘Gaea’ and ‘Siren’. After Krasner died, the house became a public museum, a library and a center for modern American art. Hear the stories of Pollock and Krasner and how they influenced each other and the abstract expressionist movement. See the barn made into a studio as well as furnishings and artifacts belong to the two artists, such as brushes, paint cans, personal library, jazz record collection, and hi-fi phonograph. Walk the floor where Pollock made his paintings and explore original paintings and prints made by both of the artists. You can also enjoy changing exhibitions of various artists related to the Study Center’s agenda, such as Joseph Glasco’s ‘Return to New York’ and Walter Plate’s ‘East End Abstractions.’ Read more...

A National Historic Landmark and an educating center dedicated to the lifework and vision of Susan B. Anthony – a social reformer, an abolitionist, and women’s rights activist who was one of the suffragists leaders. Anthony lived in this house for 40 years, and in this site she got arrested for voting in 1872. The house was also the headquarters of the National American Woman Suffrage Association when Anthony was its president. The 18th-century house preserves the history and lifestyle of that time. You can see restored furnishing and original artifacts from the period, such as a horsehair couch, Anthony’s iconic alligator-skin purse, and a limited display of photographs. You can participate in educational programs for children and adults and enjoy special events, including the annual celebration of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Susan B. Anthony Birthday. Read more...

The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art is the first and currently the only museum in the world dedicated to artwork associated with the various elements of the LGBTQ experience. Founded in 1969 by The Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation as a commercial art gallery. During the AIDS pandemic of the 1980s, the collection grew as the founders, Charles Leslie and Fritz Lohman Leslie, salvaged works made by dying artists that were meant to be destroyed by their families. In 1987 the foundation application to be recognized as a nonprofit organization was declined because the word “Gay” was in the title. It took a few years before it was granted the nonprofit status. This visual art museum collects and displays artworks related to LGBTQ people and issues, or created by LGBTQ artists, such as David Hockney, Catherine Opie, and Jean Cocteau. The museum houses a collection of more than 30,000 art objects, including drawings, paintings, sculptures, prints, and photography. In addition to the permanent and rotating exhibits, the museum hosts special events like lectures, performances, and pool parties. Read more...

Val-Kill is a National Historic Site dedicated to the life and achievements of Eleanor Roosevelt. It is the first and only National Historic Site commemorating a First Lady of the US. The Roosevelts’ made this place a home away from home, and it became a relaxing and entertainment site for friends as well as world leaders. In 1926, alongside three of her friends, Eleanor established the “Val-Kill Industries” – a skills training program and a handcraft workshop that provided employment for local families. Later on, Val-Kill Industries was the model for the New Deal recovery programs. After President FDR passed away in 1945, Val-Kill became Eleanor’s permanent place of residence. Visiting the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site will give you an insight into Eleanor Roosevelt’s both private and public life. Watch a short introductory film, then join a free guided tour through the main house, to view authentic photographs, artifacts, and furniture. Afterward, stroll in the gardens, visit the Val-Kill Industries workshop, and enjoy special events, such as Music in The Parks, Vanderbilt Garden Tours, and Christmas Open House. Read more...

This museum is commemorating and celebrating the lives, careers, and legacies of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz – two of the most iconic figures in American comedy, mostly known for their starring roles in the classic TV sitcom ‘I Love Lucy.’ At the ‘Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz Museum,’ you can explore the life stories of Ball and Arnaz, hear personal tales from their childhood friends, and discover the different stops in their careers. Get a close look at awards, costumes, photographs, and various memorabilia, listen to Ball’s radio series and Arnaz’s singing his favorite Latin songs. The ‘Desilu Studios Museum’ allows you to step into the sets of ‘I Love Lucy’ and see original props and costumes, visit Lucy and Ricardo’s NYC apartment, and watch an epic episode at the screening area. On the way to the gift shop, you can take a glimpse of the Tropicana Room – a recreation of the famous night club from the show. You can also enjoy special events, such as the Annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, comedy late nights, and I Love Lucy costume contests. Reserve tickets here Read more...