From July 19 to 20, 1848, the first Women’s Rights Convention convened in Seneca Falls, New York. As the world still struggles for civil rights, human rights, and equality, the Women’s Rights National Historical Park covers the people who first pushed for women’s right to vote in the U.S.
7 Things to Do at the Women’s Rights National Park
Start at the Visitor Center
Snap a Pic with The First Wave
Walk through Declaration Park
Visit Wesleyan Chapel
Learn about the Founders
Earn a Junior Ranger Badge or Attend a Ranger Program
Visit another Women’s History NPS Site
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Stop at the Women’s Rights National Historical Park Visitor Center
This is a good first stop. During my trip, we toured the interpretive area, where we learned about the history of the American Women’s Rights movement.
On the first floor, a large bronze statue, The First Wave, includes 20 life-sized figures. Those depicted include Women’s Rights Convention founders Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, alongside notable male allies like Frederick Douglass.
The second floor of the visitor center includes many artifacts of the women’s rights movement. There is also a bookstore in the Visitor Center.
Declaration Park
Next to the visitor center, Declaration Park is a green space. It includes the sculpture, Waterfall, the text and signers of the Declaration of Sentiments, the founding document of the women’s rights movement.
The Declaration of Sentiments, presented at the first Women’s Rights Convention, July 19-20, 1848. Modeled after the Declaration of Independence, it was signed by 100 people on July 20, 1848, at the first convention.
Wesleyan Chapel
In 1848, 300 people met at the Wesleyan Chapel to discuss the discrimination against women. At the conclusion of the Women’s Rights Convention, 100 members signed the Declaration of Sentiments inside the Wesleyan Chapel.
It was reconstructed to its original appearance in 2010. It hosts special events, speakers, and various exhibits throughout the year. You can also tour it on your visit.
Visit the Elizabeth Cady Stanton House
Part of the Women’s Rights National Historical Park, the Elizabeth Cady Stanton House was the home of a founding member. She used her house as an informal gathering place. She referred to it as The Center of the Rebellion.
It is open during the summer on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon and 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Free to enter.
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Ranger Programming at the Women’s Rights National Historical Park
Dive deeper into a national park site by attending a ranger program. With programming for all ages, rangers can lead hikes, guided tours and special programming for kids, the Junior Ranger Program.
Ranger Programs
During the summer season, visitors can attend a Ranger Program daily at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Wesleyan Chapel. It is entitled “Revolutionary Roots” and discusses how the Women’s Rights Movement started in the area.
At the Elizabeth Cady Stanton House, at 32 Washington Street, weekend programs include
Junior Ranger Programming
The Junior Ranger Program is the go-to program for families to learn more about Pinnacles National Park. It’s free and takes about two hours to complete.
My kids love the badges park rangers present them after they complete their booklets. The Women’s Rights National Historical Park offers a booklet dedicated to their site, with a downloaded option.
Convention Days
A summer annual event held in the spirit of the 1848 Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls. Open to the public, the site hosts talks and presentations by scholars about women’s rights and topics.
People active in the field of women’s history give presentations. Living history presentations and family programs are also available during Convention Days.
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The People of the Women’s Rights Movement
Centered around Seneca Falls in Upstate New York, several members of the local community banded together in the 1800s to address inequality. They would join together to address women’s rights. One of the first groups, others followed, including the suffragettes, to win women’s right to vote in the US, ratified in 1920.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) pushed for women’s equality from the 1840s to her death in 1902. She is one of the primary members of the Women’s Rights Convention.
Jane Hunt (1812-1889) supported humanitarian causes, including abolition and women’s rights. She held a tea in 1848 to organize the Seneca Falls Convention.
Martha C. Wright (1806-1875) was a co-sponsor of the convention and an Underground Railroad operator.
Lucretia Mott (1793-1880) was a member of the Quaker church. She gave up to 100 speeches a year on women’s rights and the abolition of slavery.
Mary Ann M’Clintock (1800-1884) was an organizer of the First Women’s Rights Convention.
History of the Park
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed legislation to create the park. Five years later, the National Park Service acquired the Wesleyan Chapel.
The Stanton House was made a National Historic Landmark in 1965 and purchased by the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Foundation in 1982, with the help of actor Alan Alda. It was later donated to the National Park Service to be included in the Women’s Rights National Historical Park.
The visitor center was constructed in 1993, next to the Wesleyan Chapel.
Other NPS Sites About Women’s History
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site in Hyde Park, New York, is located near the main FDR site, but is a separate property that Eleanor owned. Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site is the only National Park Service site dedicated to one U.S. First Lady and discusses her extensive influence.
First Ladies National Historic Site in Canton, Ohio, discusses the lives and contributions of the women who have served as First Ladies.
Rosie the Riveter National Historic Park in Richmond, California, is dedicated to the women who put on dungarees as a part of the WWII war effort. Housed in the Oil House at the Ford Assembly Plant, this site was integral to building tanks and Jeeps.
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Where’s the Women’s Rights National Historical Park
The Women’s Rights National Historical Park includes several locations. The Visitor Center and Museum is located at 136 Fall Street, Seneca Falls, NY. Wesleyan Chapel is also at this location, but it is a separate building.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton House is located at 32 Washington Street, Seneca Falls.
The site operates on seasonal hours. From late December to February 28, it is open Fridays and Saturdays only from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For the Spring, from March 1 to late May, it is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. From late May until late October, from Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The grounds are open from sunrise to sunset. This site is free to enter.
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