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What is the mission of the National Women's History Museum?

The National Women's History Museum affirms the importance of an accurate and complete understanding of the past. The Museum will fill in the missing part of history -- women's history.

To do this, the Museum will research, collect and exhibit the contributions of women to the social, cultural, economic and political life of our nation in a context of world history. The museum will use innovative and engaging means including permanent and traveling exhibits, its CyberMuseum, educational programs, and outreach efforts to communicate the breath of women's experiences and accomplishments to the widest possible audience. The sharing of this knowledge will illuminate and encourage women and men, people of all classes, races and cultures to move into the future with respect, equal confidence, greater partnership, and opportunity.

Why "women's history" - isn't it all just "history?"

Women's contributions and accomplishments for the most part have been overlooked and consequently omitted from mainstream culture. The National Women's History Museum will help fill that void. Rather than rewriting current exhibitions at other history museums or having to decide what to omit elsewhere to "fit in" women's history, the NWHM will serve to place women's history along side current historical exhibitions.

Women's history isn't meant to rewrite history. The objective is to promote scholarship and expand our knowledge of American history.

There's a great women's museum in Dallas, Texas. Do we need another? Why not just partner with the Susan B. Anthony House or another women's history site?

There's a great art museum in Philadelphia, but we still have the National Gallery of Art in DC!

Women's history is a lot more diverse than most people realize. Our museum will explore aspects of women's history that some of the other sites don't because it doesn't fit with their mission. Conversely, other sites will cover issues that we don't for other reasons such as space considerations.

Think of it this way: if you went to an American history museum, you wouldn't just learn about the Revolutionary War, you'd learn all sorts of things from before and after the Declaration of Independence. It's the same thing with women's history - there's more than suffrage and the 19th Amendment.

When was the NWHM founded?

The National Women's History Museum was founded in 1996 by Karen Staser. Click here for a letter from our founder.

Where are you located?

This is actually a more complicated question than you probably realized!

The National Women's History Museum is working towards the goal of a permanent site. Currently, we have an office in Alexandria, Virginia and our staff will continue working from this location until we open our permanent site in downtown Washington, DC.

How can I contact you?

You can call the Museum at 703-461-1920 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m - 5 p.m. If you call outside those hours (or all our lines are busy) leave a voicemail message, and someone will return your call as soon as possible.

If you prefer, you can email us at info@nwhm.org.

Or write to us - our mailing address is:
National Women's History Museum
Administrative Offices
205 S. Whiting Street Suite 254
Alexandria, VA 22304

 

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National Women's History Museum
Administrative Offices
205 S. Whiting Street Suite 254
Alexandria, VA 22304
703-461-1920
info@nwhm.org

Copyright © 2007 National Women's History Museum.