Powerful art exhibits, engaging discussions, author events and more…
ABOVE PHOTO: The 19th Amendment: How Women Won the Vote Exhibit at the National Constitution Center
Photo by J. Fusco for VISIT PHILADELPHIA®
visitphilly.com
Some people hear “history” and immediately think of old men in gray wigs. And we get it (ya know, Founding Fathers and revolutions are kind of our thing), but history isn’t strictly focused on the guys — especially in Philadelphia. Case in point: Cherelle Parker just made history by being elected Philly’s first woman mayor.
This month is for the ladies — the intelligent, bold, brave women who push our world forward yesterday, today and tomorrow.
This March, dig into local stories about women who crushed glass ceilings and smashed every box with Beyond the Bell Tours’ Badass Women’s History Tour, the Sisterhood Sit-In Trolley Tour or the special programming at the Museum of the American Revolution.
Lose yourself in the work of homegrown writer Lorene Carey (Ladysitting) or textile artist Ethel Wallace (Ethel Wallace: Modern Rebel).
Shop till you drop and support small women-owned businesses at Sister Sunday at The Logan Hotel Courtyard and toast to how far we’ve come during Women’s Way Wednesdays at Stratus Rooftop Lounge or the James Beard Foundations’ Taste America Philadelphia — hosted by Chefs Jezabel Careaga and Patricia Estorino.
Why limit yourself to one day? Book the Visit Philly Overnight Package and get free hotel parking and choose-your-own-adventure perks, including two tickets to The Franklin Institute, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, or the National Constitution Center and the Museum of the American Revolution. Or kick back with the new Visit Philly 3-Day Stay hotel package, which includes buy-two-get-one-free hotel nights at participating hotels.
Read on for our guide on how to celebrate Women’s History Month in Philadelphia in 2024.
Note: This article is arranged chronologically.
Badass Women’s History Tour of Philadelphia from Beyond the Bell Tours
Ongoing (Fridays through Mondays)
Move over girl power. We’re filing this tour under woman badassery. This two-hour excursion from local tour group Beyond the Bell focuses on accomplished and trailblazing women in Philadelphia history. Among them: Hannah Callowhill Penn, who prevented a war between Pennsylvania and Maryland; Ona Judge, who escaped slavery from President George Washington; and Barbara Gittings, a gay rights activist.
Where: Various locations including The President’s House, 600 Market Street
The 19th Amendment: How Women Won the Vote Exhibit at the National Constitution Center
Ongoing
Commemorating the centennial anniversary of women winning the right to vote, The 19th Amendment introduces museum-goers to key women, moments and milestones in the fight for women’s suffrage, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul and Ida B. Wells. Nearly 100 artifacts are on display, including a rare printing of the Declaration of Sentiments from the first women’s convention at Seneca Falls, a ballot box used to collect women’s votes in the late 1800s and Pennsylvania’s ratification copy of the 19th Amendment.
Where: National Constitution Center, 525 Arch Street
Little Free(dom) Libraries
Ongoing
Want to borrow a banned book? During Women’s History Month, Visit Philadelphia’s Little Free(dom) Library initiative encourages visitors and locals to explore banned works by women authors. The libraries include books like Feminism is for Everybody by bell hooks, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Front Desk by Kelly Yang and more. Spread the love by leaving a book of your own (optional).
Where: Various locations including Queen & Rook Cafe, 607 S. 2nd Street
(re)FOCUS: Philadelphia Focuses on Women in the Visual Arts
Through Friday, March 29, 2024
This citywide art festival celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Philadelphia Focuses on Women in the Visual Arts initiative. This year, over 40 museums, art schools, galleries and institutions host special exhibitions, workshops, demonstrations and more highlighting Black, Brown, women and non-binary artists. A few of the March exhibitions include:
Public Art in Philadelphia: A Legacy Shaped by Women: The exhibition at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania shines a light on both the historic accomplishments of women working in the public art field, as well as the contemporary artists, benefactors and leaders making beautiful and thought provoking art accessible to our communities (through March 15, 2024).
The Women of PAFA: Past to Present: Opening at Avery Galleries in Bryn Mawr, the collection commemorates The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ (PAFA) history as one of the first art academies in the United States to accept women students and the talented women who have passed through its walls with a selection of work by past and more recent graduates (March 14 through April 14, 2024).
Artists as Cultivators: The multi-media exhibition taking over the entirety of PAFA’s 1876 National Historic Landmark Building examines how artists over the last 300 years have woven nature into their works as a subject, theme and medium to spark social dialogue and change. Art-lovers can expect 90 drawings, paintings, prints, sculptures and digital installations pulled from PAFA’s extensive archive (through July 7, 2024).
Where: Various locations including Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust Street
Jessica Campbell: Heterodoxy at the Fabric Workshop and Museum
Through Sunday, June 2, 2024
This exhibition at The Fabric Workshop & Museum in Market East sheds light on an organization critical to the women’s rights movement yet unknown to most. Jessica Campbell: Heterodoxy is an exhibition, lecture and discussion series exploring the complex personal, political and professional relationships facilitated by 20th-century secret feminist debate society Heterodoxy. The exhibit is housed in a recreation of Polly’s Restaurant in Greenwich Village — the space where the group debated still-relevant issues, including voting rights, sex education and universal child care — outfitted in an immersive tufted rug environment.
Where: The Fabric Workshop and Museum, 1214 Arch Street
Women’s History Month at the Museum of the American Revolution
March 1-31, 2024
The Museum of the American Revolution celebrates the often-unsung women of American history with a slate of special programming, including pop-up art-making activities and screenings of theatrical performances telling the life stories of women like Elizabeth Freeman, an enslaved woman who sued for her freedom (and won) and Rebecca VanDike, one of the earliest women to ever vote in America. Don’t miss the museum’s newest exhibit Witness to Revolution: The Unlikely Travels of Washington’s Tent, which highlights the stories of several women who helped to shepherd the revolutionary relic through history, including George Washington’s wife Martha and her great-granddaughter and Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s wife, Mary Curtis Lee.
Where: Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. 3rd Street
Sisterhood Sit-In Trolley Tours: Sitting Pretty
March 16 – April 27, 2024
All aboard! Grab your mother, sister, daughter or friend and take a ride down memory lane and through the City of Sisterly Affection. The third iteration of the trolley tour — dubbed Sitting Pretty — takes place Saturdays in March and April and is presented in partnership with the Independence Visitor Center. The tour whisks riders through different Philly neighborhoods and locations, including Center City, South Street, and Northern Liberties, to explore and support a variety of Black woman-owned businesses. In between stops, the tour’s charismatic hosts, StarFire and Jenesis El, share stories and lead conversations celebrating Black women’s history and culture.
Where: Harriett’s Bookshop, 258 E. Girard Avenue
Women’s History Month at the Betsy Ross House
March 2-31, 2024
What would Women’s History Month be without one of Philly’s most notable women? Learn more about Betsy Ross and other trailblazing Philadelphia women at the place where it all started. In addition to the Betsy Ross House’s free Saturday and Sunday programs, be sure to check out the following:
Where: Betsy Ross House, 239 Arch Street
Women’s History Month Pop Ups at Kimpton Hotel Palomar
March 26, 2024
Retail therapy with a purpose? We’ll be there – cash and card in hand. Every Tuesday in March, a different Philly woman-owned business sets up shop in the lobby living room of Rittenhouse Square’s Kimpton Palomar during the hotel’s 5 p.m. social hour. Snag handmade flower art by Pressed with Pride (March 5) or browse Lily Lough’s selection of stunning gold jewelry (March 12). Re-up your self-care supplies with Gold + Water Co’s collection of soaps, candles and other wellness products (March 19) or grab a surprise for Fido from ANIMA Natural Pet Products (March 26).
Where: Kimpton Hotel Palomar Philadelphia, 117 S. 17th Street
Women’s Way Wednesdays Presented By Stratus Rooftop Lounge And Sisterly Love
March 27, 2024
This weekly pop up by Stratus and the Sisterly Love Collective celebrates Women’s History Month with music by women musicians, as well as food and drink from woman-owned or -operated restaurants, breweries, distilleries and wine companies — with new chefs featured each week. Get your tickets in advance, and note that 100% of ticket sales — and a portion of the drink proceeds — go toward supporting Women’s Way, a nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of women and girls and to gender and racial equity, and the Sisterly Love Collective.
Where: Stratus Lounge at Kimpton Hotel Monaco, 433 Chestnut Street
Women’s History Trail of Greater Philadelphia
Women have played a pivotal role in Philadelphia since the city’s — and the nation’s — founding. Throughout the Philadelphia region, museums, statues, preserved buildings and cemeteries pay homage to some of the most notable and game-changing women in the city’s history. Check out our guide to the sites honoring these game-changing women.
Where: Various locations including Bristol Lions Park, 100 Basin Park, Bristol
Women-Led Kitchens & Restaurants in Philadelphia
Philadelphia’s thriving food scene is due in large part to the incredible talent, skills and dedication of the women who work daily to deliver fresh, flavorful and innovative dishes to local diners. Feast on our guide to the women-led kitchens of Philadelphia and support their efforts toward sustainability, community impact and top-quality dining experiences.
Where: Various locations including Jezabel’s, 206-208 S. 45th Street
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