To celebrate Women’s History Month in NYC, here are some standout ways to honor the legacy of women who walked before us, so we could run.
At a Glance:
- Women’s History Month in NYC is an opportunity to see the city through a lens that has often been hidden in plain sight: women’s labor, creativity, activism, and leadership.
- From the bronze figures in Central Park to contemporary museum labs that teach kids about engineering, design, and activism, these experiences show how women not only helped build New York but also pushed it to be more equitable and expressive.
- Most of these sights are free or self-guided, making it easier if you’re on a budget. You can also have the option to turn it into a day trip for the family, especially if you head upstate.
Every March, as flowers begin to bloom and spring light stretches a little longer, New York City becomes a living classroom for Women’s History Month. This isn’t just a time to remember names and dates—it’s an invitation to trace the footsteps of the women whose courage, creativity, leadership, and activism have helped define New York’s cultural landscape, its struggles for equality, and its vibrant diversity.
From historic monuments in Central Park to immersive museum exhibits and walking tours across the boroughs, these experiences invite families to connect with history in places where it was made.
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Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument
Central Park Mall (near 72nd St and Fifth Ave)
One of the most visible ways to honor female leadership in New York is the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument in Central Park. This bronze sculpture features Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton; three women whose combined efforts helped ignite the fight for women’s suffrage in the United States and whose legacies are significant today, perhaps more than ever.
This is the first official monument in Central Park to depict real historical women, and being on Literary Walk makes it a meaningful starting point for exploring broader women’s history throughout the park.
Central Park Women’s History Walk
Doris C. Freedman Plaza (Southeast entrance, E 60th St & 5th Ave)
Central Park Conservancy offers a self-guided Women’s History Walk that highlights key locations shaped by women, from cultural advocates and artists to designers and community builders. Downloadable maps and guides make this a perfect family outing, perhaps a girls’ day in the city, or solo exploration.
Monumental Women’s Rights History Trail
Done in each of the five boroughs, check site for detailed info
The Monumental Women Map is a living project that maps out historic sites across NYC tied to women’s rights, activism, and leadership. From Harlem to Lower Manhattan and beyond, this trail encourages exploration of the city through the lens of the women who made history here.
Statues for Equality & Ruth Bader Ginsburg Statue
2601 Ocean Pkwy (inside the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital)
As part of the Statues for Equality initiative, NYC welcomed several representations of influential women in public art, with a bronze statue of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg installed in Downtown Brooklyn in recent years. These works not only honor individual achievement but also make a visual statement about the importance of gender parity in public spaces.
Museum of the City of New York: Women’s History Month Programs
1220 Fifth Ave
Hours: Daily, 10 am-5 pm
Price: $23
Through March, the Museum of the City of New York hosts the NYC Discovery Lab with interactive drop-in activities for kids and grownups that celebrate women’s contributions across sectors, from engineering feats like Emily Warren Roebling’s work on the Brooklyn Bridge to creative design and art.
Hidden Voices: Women’s History Month Workshops
Also at the Museum of the City of New York, Hidden Voices workshops spotlight Lesser-known women from NYC’s history and provide engaging, student-focused conversation and activities. It’s ideal for kiddos in grades 3–5 and parents who want a cross-generational experience honoring women often absent from traditional history narratives.
New York State Museum Exhibits
222 Madison Ave, Albany
Hours: 9:30 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays
Admission: Free; donations accepted
Heading just a bit outside the city, the New York State Museum in Albany offers exhibitions tied to the history of women in New York, including highlights of women’s suffrage in the state and collections like Women Who Lead that showcase real objects from women leaders and changemakers.
Women’s Rights National Historical Park
136 Fall St, Seneca Falls
Hours: Friday to Sunday, 10 am-5 pm; check site for current times and days
If your celebrations extend beyond NYC, the Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls offers immersive history tied to the first women’s rights convention in 1848. Exhibits, walking tours, and interpretive programs trace the pivotal event where women first gathered to demand equality. You can’t get any more inspired by this piece of history: it’s the foundational site of the organized women’s rights movement in the United States, where leaders like Elizabeth Cady Stanton first articulated the demand for suffrage.
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