Celebrating Women in Washington, DC

The history of Washington, DC, is filled with the names of male patriots, and their stories are easy to find. However, women have always been busy as well, making their own history alongside men. There might not be a towering obelisk to mark their contribution, but upon closer look, you can find monuments to female educators, artists, activists, warriors, and more.

Here are the memorials and museums in Washington, DC, that celebrate some of the city’s – and the world’s – most significant women.

Follow the Inspiring Story of Mary McLeod Bethune at the Council House NHS

A modest row house on Logan Circle comes to life with the stories of its formidable one-time resident, Mary McLeod Bethune. Born in 1875 as the 15th child of former slaves, Bethune believed in the power of education. After obtaining her own formal education, and with an initial investment of $1.50, she founded a private school for African-American girls. She went on to fundraise and advocate for girls, education, and civil rights; advise four presidents; and establish the National Council of Negro Women, an umbrella organization of black women activist groups that was headquartered in the Logan Circle house. Today, the rooms are still furnished as they were when Bethune and other council members collaborated with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, activist Mary Church Terrell, and other prominent leaders. The council is still going strong, with an outreach to over four million women – though its offices have since moved to Pennsylvania Avenue.

Champion the Culture at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

The world’s only major museum devoted to women’s artistic achievements occupies a classic revival Masonic Temple downtown – itself a sight to behold, most notably for the chandeliered marble ballroom. Delve further inside and you’ll discover a wealth of art by famous and lesser-known female artists over the centuries and from around the world. Look for works by Frida Kahlo, Mary Cassatt, and Georgia O’Keeffe, as well as masterpieces from Lavinia Fontana (Portrait of a Noblewoman) and Rosa Bonheur (Highland Raid). The museum offers a robust slate of special exhibitions, celebrating women’s contributions to art.

Discover the Beginnings of the American Red Cross at the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum

Before Clara Barton became a battlefield nurse and founded the American Red Cross, she devoted herself to finding soldiers lost in the Civil War. She set up her offices in her boarding house in today’s Penn Quarter neighborhood – all of which was lost until a few years back when her belongings were discovered in the attic by chance. The rooms where she lived and worked have been restored as the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum, providing fascinating insight into the ‘Angel of the Battlefield.’

Get a Close Look at Artifacts that Shaped the Movement at the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument

The black-and-white photograph in one of the rooms shows a beautiful woman astride a white horse, leading a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue in the fight for women’s rights. The date was March 3, 1913, and the woman was labor lawyer Inez Milholland Boissevain. This photo is just one of many artifacts in this stately brick house, which became a national monument celebrating women’s rights in 2016. Here, you’ll find Susan B. Anthony’s desk, Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s chair, and numerous other fascinating artifacts. Socialite-activist Alva Belmont purchased the house in 1929, and it served as the headquarters of the National Women’s Party for more than 60 years.

Learn More About the Struggle of the Suffragists at the Lucy Burns Museum

The 20th-century suffragettes picketed and marched demanding their right to vote; in 1917, many were jailed at the Occoquan Workhouse, a minimum-security prison located about 20 miles southwest of Washington. On November 14, 1917, many of the imprisoned suffragettes endured torture by prison guards during what came to be known as the ‘Night of Terror.’ Among them was Lucy Burns, a National Women’s Party leader, after whom this new museum in one of the former cell blocks is named; the museum honors those who sacrificed for the vote. The Workhouse ceased operation as a prison in 2001 and has been transformed into a vibrant arts center.

Memorialize Servicewomen at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial

The neoclassical ceremonial wall at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery isn’t just a wall; it’s a memorial honoring servicewomen from all wars and occupations. This site features a modern education center, theater, and computerized register of military women. Its exhibits cover the roles of military women from the Revolutionary War – where some women acted as spies and others fought disguised as men – to the present day. A notable feature is the views from the roof: behind you are the Arlington Cemetery’s gravestones; in front, the Memorial Bridge and the Washington Monument. Inspiring quotes are etched on an arc of glass tablets. While visiting Arlington National Cemetery, pay tribute to the nurses and women of the US who served in the Vietnam War at the Vietnam Women’s Memorial.

Follow the History of the American Homemaker at the Daughters of the American Revolution Museum

The organization may seem traditional, but the Daughters of the American Revolution is one of the world’s largest women’s groups, founded in 1890 in Washington, DC. All members trace their lineage back to the Revolutionary War and continue their mission of historic preservation and patriotism. That’s why this museum, housed in the DAR’s enormous neoclassical building across from the White House, is so intriguing: its 31 meticulously decorated period bedrooms, living rooms, and parlors tell the story of the American home from the 1600s to the early 1900s. Learn how a Jacquard loom is considered an early type of computer programming, how antiquing was invented in the early 1900s, and how the excavation of Pompeii influenced interior design.

Therefore, next time you’re in the nation’s capital, remember – for every Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and King, there’s a Barton, a Bethune, an Anthony, and a Kahlo. Take time to find the places that showcase their stories and honor their contributions.