In Honor of the Ladies at These Women’s History Museums

Women account for nearly 50 percent of the world’s population, yet we’re given just one measly month to celebrate our contributions to society. This celebratory month was hard-won, too: What began as Women’s History Week in 1978 didn’t graduate to a full 31 days until 1987. Here are some museums to check out in honor of some of the greatest women!

Rochester, New York Visiting Susan B. Anthony’s former home, pause for a moment in the front parlor: It was here that the activist was arrested for voting in 1872 before being tried and fined $100. Nearby you’ll find a cafe that marks the year—the 1872 Cafe—as well as the 1872 Monument, a bronze locked ballot box by sculptor Pepsy Kettavong, commemorating Anthony and the 14 other women. Their vote brought national attention to the suffrage movement. Anthony’s grave in Rochester’s Mount Hope Cemetery was, until recently, a place for engaged citizens to put their “I voted” stickers after elections. (The practice was banned after the 2016 election because the paste was damaging the stone.)

Fort Worth, Texas The West was not won only by men. Since 1975 the over 200 inductees into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame have included everyone from Sacagawea—who guided the Lewis and Clark expedition—to painter Georgia O’Keeffe to US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. More recent inductees include Lavonna “Shorty” Koger, one of the leading cowboy hatters, and country singer Miranda Lambert. Check out exhibitions like Hitting the Mark: Cowgirls and Wild West, which features a hologram Annie Oakley telling her story in her own words and some of her personal effects, like a wedding ring. There’s also a Bucking Bronc Room to test your bronc riding skills. You’ll be superimposed into rodeo footage, so it’s a good time to break out the cowboy hat.

Cambridge, Maryland You can’t—and shouldn’t—miss it: the towering, stunning mural of the conductor of the Underground Railroad, arm outstretched to help you on your journey. Harriet Tubman routinely risked her life leading enslaved Americans to freedom but was a spy during the Civil War, providing information to the Union Army. This Maryland museum is the oldest organization dedicated to preserving Tubman’s memory, managing tours of nearby sites that were meaningful to her life in addition to museum exhibits, educational programming, and community outreach.

Washington, DC Founded three decades ago, the National Museum for Women in the Arts houses a small but vivid collection from female artists including Louise Bourgeois, Mary Cassatt, Judy Chicago, Shirin Neshat, and Amy Sherald. You can check out their online exhibitions like Mamacita Linda: Letters between Frida Kahlo and her Mother between the years 1930 to 32, which explores the bond between Frida and her seldom-mentioned mother. Plus, browse their online collection, read artist bios, and look through high-resolution works on Google Arts and Culture.