Celebrating Women’s History Month in the USA

The courage of women fighting for their rights is remembered in monuments and museums nationwide. The first Women’s Rights Convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York; learn about the inspirational tales leading up to the momentous occasion at the Women’s Rights National Historical Park. Elsewhere in New York, visit Auburn’s Harriet Tubman National Historical Park to retrace the legendary abolitionist’s footsteps outside her home and barn, then head west to Rochester – home of the Susan B. Anthony Museum & House. More exhibits and insights into Harriet Tubman’s life can be found at the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center in Cambridge, Maryland. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, see the historic, newly renovated brick rowhouse and studio where contralto Marian Anderson lived. In Washington, D.C., the historic home of famed suffragette leader Alice Paul – known today as the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument and former headquarters of the National Woman’s Party – was dedicated as a national monument by President Barack Obama. The Lucy Burns Museum in Lorton, Virginia, is located in the former Occoquan Workhouse prison, famous for detaining notable suffragette leaders like Lucy Burns as well as other well-known inmates. Farther south in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the Bessie Smith Cultural Center honors the famed Jazz Age blues singer with events and exhibits. Want to learn more about Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks and her crucial role in the Montgomery bus boycott? The Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, Alabama, is the authority on the groundbreaking subject. In Holly Springs, Mississippi, the Ida B. Wells-Barnett Museum honors its namesake fighter for women’s suffrage with displays of her personal memorabilia, belongings and awards.

Museums and Hall of Fames dedicated to women’s accomplishments can be found throughout the USA. Along the Freedom Trail in Boston, Massachusetts, the Revolutionary Women tour recounts the stories of the women who were part of the American Revolution as well as the generations of women who followed in the fight for freedom and equality. Seneca Falls, New York, plays host to the National Women’s Hall of Fame and its extraordinary inductees. In Washington, D.C., the National Museum of Women in the Arts offers a wealth of inspiring information and is the first major museum in the world dedicated to advocating for women through the arts. In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the Ninety-Nines Museum of Women Pilots pays tribute to women in aviation. In Cleveland, Ohio, the International Women’s Air & Space Museum celebrates women in both space and aviation. And in Canton, Ohio, trace the role of First Lady and how it has evolved over time at the First Ladies National Historic Site. If you’re a sports fan, visit the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tennessee. The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas, honors the skilled women who helped shape and continue to define the American West.

These institutions honor women who have made us laugh, sing, feel and wonder what glass ceilings will be broken next. Known widely for her role as Lucy in the sitcom “I Love Lucy,” Lucille Ball is honored and memorialized in her hometown of Jamestown, New York, at the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum where guests can view recreations of sets and costumes from the show. In New York City’s Staten Island, the home of prolific, Victorian-era photographer Alice Austen is open for tours at the aptly named Alice Austen House Museum. Honolulu, Hawai'i, is home to ʻIolani Palace – where Queen Lili’uokalani, Hawai'i’s first and only Queen, lived. Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean alone, and you can tour the home where she was born in Atchison, Kansas. In Nashville, Tennessee, the Patsy Cline Museum honors one of the most influential female vocalists in country music history. The theme of outstanding vocalists continues at The Selena Museum in Corpus Christi, Texas. Georgia O’Keeffe produced countless influential works of art, many of which are on display along with her life’s story at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A visit to the Clara Barton Birthplace Museum in North Oxford, Massachusetts, provides a glimpse into the childhood of the founder of the American Red Cross. Finally, at the Sacajawea Historical State Park and Interpretive Center in Pasco, Washington, learn about Sacajawea – the remarkable Shoshone woman who played a pivotal role in shepherding the Lewis and Clark expedition on its harrowing journey west.