Women Who Made U.S. History

March 17, 2025

“I Love Lucy” mural outside the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum in Jamestown, NY. Photo by BrandUSA.

The US would not be the country it is today without the achievements and strength of women of all backgrounds throughout its history, including those who keep working toward equality.

Women’s History Month takes place every March, with institutions nationwide honoring the crucial roles and vital contributions made by women. These attractions and landmarks are just some of the ways to learn more about women’s history in the US any time of year.

Honoring Suffragette & Civil Rights Figures

The courage of women fighting for their rights is remembered in monuments and museums nationwide.

Women’s Rights National Historical Park.

The first Women’s Rights Convention was held in Seneca Falls, NY; 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.
The historic home of famed suffragette leader Alice Paul—known today as the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument—is the former headquarters of the National Woman’s Party in Washington, DC.
The Lucy Burns Museum in Lorton, VA, is located in the former Occoquan Workhouse prison, famous for detaining notable suffragette leaders like Lucy Burns as well as other well-known inmates.
Ida B. Wells
The Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, AL, is the authority on the groundbreaking subject of Parks’ refusal to vacate her bus seat, sparking the momentous bus boycott.
In Holly Springs, MS, the Ida B. Wells-Barnett Museum honors its namesake fighter for women’s suffrage with displays of her personal memorabilia, belongings and awards.

Institutions Celebrating American Women

Museums and Hall of Fames dedicated to women’s accomplishments can be found throughout the US.

Along the Freedom Trail in Boston, MA, the Revolutionary Women Trail 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, NY, is home to 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, OK, the 99s Museum of Women Pilots pays tribute to women in aviation.
In Cleveland, OH, the International Women’s Air & Space Museum celebrates women in both space and aviation.
Presentation of Rings, Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
Sports fans will want to visit the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, TN.
The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, TX, honors the skilled women who helped shape and continue to define the American West.

Historical and Pop Culture Icons

These institutions honor women who have made us laugh, sing, feel and marvel at their talent and daring.

Queen Liliʻuokalani painting by William Cogswell.

Known widely for her role as Lucy in the sitcom “I Love Lucy,” Lucille Ball is honored and memorialized in her hometown of Jamestown, NY, at the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum where guests can view recreations of sets and costumes from the show.
On New York City’s Staten Island, the home of prolific, Victorian-era photographer Alice Austen is open for tours at the Alice Austen House Museum.
Honolulu, HI, is home to Iolani Palace, where Queen Lili’uokalani, Hawaii’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, now the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum, in Atchison, KS.
In Nashville, TN, 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, TX.
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, NM.
A visit to the Clara Barton Birthplace Museum in North Oxford, MA, 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, WA, learn about Sacajawea—the remarkable Shoshone woman who played a pivotal role in shepherding the Lewis and Clark expedition on its harrowing journey west.