Women's Rights National Historical Park

08/19/2026

As part of Equality Weekend (August 21-23), celebrate equality, women’s rights, and the transformative power of music in the historic Wesleyan Chapel with a free performance by the Terra String Quartet, made possible through the Skaneateles Festival Outreach Program, at 2pm on Friday, August 21, 2026.

About the Terra String Quartet: Winners of the 2025 Naumburg Chamber Music Competition and recent prizewinners at the 2025 Bordeaux and Wigmore Hall International Quartet Competitions, the Terra String Quartet is a vibrant young international ensemble based in New York City. They are composed of graduates of The Juilliard School, The New England Conservatory, Harvard University, and the Curtis Institute of Music. Known for their sincere storytelling, commitment to artistic excellence, and versatile approach to repertoire, TSQ strives to foster conversation and genuine human connection through their performances and pedagogy. The quartet includes: Harriet Langley, violin I; Amelia Dietrich, violin II; Chih-Ta Chen, viola; Audrey Chen, cello.

For more information about the Terra String Quartet and the Skaneateles Festival Outreach Event hosted at Women's Rights NHP, please visit the webpage: https://skanfest.org/event/outreach-event-terra-string-quartet-at-the-wesleyan-chappel/

[Image: Event graphic provided by Skaneateles Festival, including a picture of the Terra String Quartet members]

08/17/2026

We are excited to be a part of Homeschool Days 2026! Registration is open now through the National Women's Hall of Fame. Please see the link below to register. See you September 9 or 10!

Registration is open for Seneca Falls Homeschool Days!

Students will step beyond the textbook for a day of hands-on learning at four of Seneca Falls’ museums and historic sites, exploring the people, places, and stories that helped shape our nation.

Registration closes September 1, but spots fill quickly. Reserve your student’s place today: bit.ly/3TjLt6Q

08/14/2026

Celebrate Equality Weekend at Women's Rights National Historical Park on August 21-23, 2026!

This special theme weekend explores the concept of equality and its enduring relevance to the historic sites and stories of the 1848 Women's Rights Convention. When the Declaration of Sentiments boldly proclaimed that “all men and women are created equal” and called for equal rights including the vote, this revolutionary moment in Seneca Falls launched a national movement for women’s rights.

Throughout the weekend, visitors can participate in engaging ranger programs, family activities, a special performance by the Terra String Quartet in the Wesleyan Chapel (Friday at 2pm), and open hours at the M’Clintock House in nearby Waterloo. Other featured programs include living history with Elizabeth Cady Stanton (portrayed by Dr. Melinda Grube); a drop-in ranger table talk on “Suffrage Moves West: Amelia Bloomer's Journey from Seneca Falls to Council Bluffs"; and a chance to add your own wishes to the "Equali-tea" Wish Wall. Explore the meaning of equality in the context of the 1848 Women’s Rights Convention, and how its ideas continue to shape conversations about justice, opportunity, and civil rights today. All programs are free and open to the public during regular park hours.

For more information on Equality Weekend activities, please visit the park's website: Calendar - Women's Rights National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)

[Image: Equality Weekend at Women's Rights NHP event poster, NPS photo]

08/13/2026

While you might be more familiar with our park rangers, a lot of staff do critical work behind the scenes. Women’s Rights NHP has a vast museum collection, including objects not often on exhibit. Cultural Resource staff is responsible for the care of these items, including safe housing.

A set of books owned by Elizabeth Cady Stanton needed some updated housing in the museum collection. Cultural resources intern Erin led a four-flap workshop for resources staff as part of rehousing efforts. These skills will allow staff to safely house books in the future, carrying the knowledge with them.

Four-flaps are a useful housing for museums to implement for book storage. They are cost effective, made only of archival cardstock and double sided tape. They take up minimal space in storage, protect books from wear and tear, and are easy to learn.

Image One: A book in the four-flap
Image Two: Staff putting books in the four-flap
Image Three: Staff with completed books
Image Four: Books ready for storage

Image Credits: NPS

08/07/2026

When abolitionist Abby Kelley Foster came to Seneca Falls in August 1843, her most well-known speech took place outside, in an apple orchard around reformer Ansel Bascom's house.

Why? A woman speaking publicly was a radical idea, and Kelley’s abolitionist views were controversial. She would draw large crowds of women and men, and many ministers boycotted her meetings. Kelley and her fellow abolitionists were undeterred; they found outdoor locations for her speeches instead.

Abby Kelley’s outdoor gathering of radical abolitionists inspired social change in Seneca Falls and beyond. In October 1843, Presbyterian Church member Rhoda Bement asked her minister, Horace P. Bogue, why he had ignored the antislavery notices she had left in his office, even though he claimed to support abolition. Their discussion became a heated argument. Bogue later persuaded the congregation to put Bement on trial for several acts of misconduct, including attending Abby Kelley’s August antislavery lecture instead of church services.

On January 30, 1844, Bement was found guilty of “disorderly and unchristian conduct.” She and her husband, Jeremy, moved to Buffalo, New York. Other abolitionists also left Bogue’s church and joined the newly formed Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, a congregation that supported abolition and free speech. The chapel welcomed many reform speakers, including Frederick Douglass, and later hosted the First Women’s Rights Convention in 1848.

Image: Library of Congress. Abby Kelley Foster / by Hoffy ; from a daguerreotype by R. Douglass Junr.

07/30/2026

Women’s Rights National Historical Park is thrilled to be a participating site for Erie Canalway and NYS Canal Corporation’s Junior Ranger Day on Saturday, August 1, 2026!

Special family-fun activities at the Visitor Center include:

⛵ Make-and-take craft: Stanton's Cork Boats (all day) - Living down the street from the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s children spent a lot of time by the water and experimented with cork to see if it would float. Make your own small cork boat and take it home with you!

🫏 Ranger table talk: “Mule Madness” – this drop-in program is available anytime between 1pm - 3pm to learn about working animals along the Erie Canal.

🖍️ Erie Canal & 1848 Convention Organizers coloring sheets (all day)

🌟 Complete fun activity books to earn your Erie Canalway Junior Ranger and Women’s Rights NHP Junior Ranger badges!

We also invite Junior Rangers and their families to explore the Visitor Center and Wesleyan Chapel (open 9am – 5pm), and catch the “Revolutionary Roots” Ranger program at 11am and 3pm. The historic Elizabeth Cady Stanton House will be open for a self-guided "open house" from 10am - 12pm and 1:30pm - 3:30pm; with the "Center of the Rebellion" Ranger program at 10am and 2pm.

Learn more about the Erie Canalway Junior Ranger Program and special activities at partnering sites, here: https://eriecanalway.org/learn/junior-ranger

[Image: Official social media graphic for the Junior Ranger Day on Saturday, August 1, 2026, depicting two, smiling Erie Canalway Junior Rangers; image provided by the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor]

07/16/2026

Women’s Rights National Historical Park invites you to the Convention Days 2026: Community Expo!

This year, we’re so excited to host 15 local history and community organizations over the two-day exposition, where visitors will be able to meet-and-greet and learn more about each partnering site. The Community Expo will be hosted on the Second Floor of the Visitor Center, (accessible by both elevator and staircase), from 10am – 4pm on Friday and Saturday of the event weekend.

Featured Community Partners on Friday, July 17, include: the Friends of Women's Rights NHP; Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor; 1816 Farmington Quaker Meeting House Museum; NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center; Seneca Falls Historical Society; Matilda Joslyn Gage Center; LeRoy Historical Society; Rose Hill Mansion; and the Greater Rochester branch of the American Association of University Women.

Featured Community Partners on Saturday, July 18, include: the Friends of Women's Rights NHP; Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor; Seneca Falls Historical Society; Matilda Joslyn Gage Center; LeRoy Historical Society; Seward House Museum; National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum; Howland Stone Store Museum; Seneca Meadows Education Center; and the Finger Lakes Tourism Van, which will be parked in the front of the Visitor Center.

Learn more about the Convention Days 2026 event on our website:https://www.nps.gov/wori/planyourvisit/convention-days-2026.htm

[Image: Past Community Expo with visitors interacting with a tabling partner; for Convention Days 2026, there will be 15 local history & community organizations; NPS Photo]

07/14/2026

Convention Days is happening this weekend: July 17-19, 2026! 🎉 Have you planned your adventure yet?
Here are a few tips to make the most out of your weekend:

1️⃣ Map out your must-see programs ahead of time using the complete Schedule of Events on our Convention Days webpage, here: https://www.nps.gov/wori/planyourvisit/convention-days-2026.htm

There are drop-down menu options for all day activities, the community expo, family programming, and separate tabs for timed programming on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Each activity includes the timing, location, and a full program description.

2️⃣ Check-out the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section for more event information like GPS locations and public parking; park amenities like restrooms, the refillable water bottle station, and picnic areas; as well as accessibility accommodations.

Women's Rights NHP is committed to providing equitable and enjoyable experiences for all visitors. Each location has accessible parking areas and restrooms, and most sites remain accessible for mobility devices and strollers. Select programs include American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, thanks to a grant from the National Park Foundation. Please see the Schedule link above for more details.

3️⃣ Stop by the Welcome Table at the Visitor Center where friendly park rangers and event volunteers can help you plan your day and answer any additional questions! Large-print event schedules will be available at each location, including the Welcome Table, the Welcome Tent at the Elizabeth Cady Stanton House, and outside the Wesleyan Chapel and M’Clintock House. We recommend snapping a picture, so you can carry the event schedule with you 📸

We can't wait to see you at Convention Days!

Photo 1: A park staff member and volunteer at the Welcome Table in the Visitor Center, NPS.
Photo 2: A screenshot of the Schedule of Events from the Convention Days Webpage, artfully made to look like it’s on a computer screen, NPS.
Photo 3: A screenshot of the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section, also made to look like it’s on a computer screen with a pointer on the Accessibility tab, NPS.

07/09/2026

Make it a whole day of family fun at Convention Days 2026! From hands-on crafts & coloring in the Visitor Center, to exciting outdoor games in Declaration Park, and more engaging activities for kids of all ages, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. 🖍️✂️

At the Junior Ranger Ceremony & Family Program on Saturday, July 18, join two historical friends: Elizabeth Cady Stanton (portrayed by Melinda Grube, PhD) and Fredrick Douglass (portrayed by Nathan Richardson) to learn about the Women's Rights Convention they are planning.

At select times throughout the weekend, play old-fashioned lawn games and guess what’s in “Grandma’s Trunk” with the Seneca Falls Historical Society. Then, stop by the Visitor Center to learn about the five women organizers of the 1848 Convention by coloring special Convention Days coloring sheets; and make-and-take your own “seeds of change” and “carry it forward” banners with park rangers and volunteers.

For more family-friendly activities and to help you plan your Convention Days adventure, explore the “Family Programming” tab in the official Schedule of Events, on our webpage: https://www.nps.gov/wori/planyourvisit/convention-days-2026.htm

[Image: Family activities including arts & crafts, outdoor Victorian games, and a partnership program called: “Grandma’s Trunk,” NPS photo]

07/07/2026

Step back in time at Convention Days: July 17-19, 2026! ✨ Women’s Rights NHP is thrilled to welcome back Melinda Grube, PhD, as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Nathan Richardson as Frederick Douglass!

Through engaging, first-person living history programs in historic spaces like the Elizabeth Cady Stanton House, M’Clintock House, and Wesleyan Chapel, explore the ideas, challenges, and courage it took to lead in the abolition and women’s rights movements. Both Mrs. Stanton and Mr. Douglass will be available at select times over the three-day weekend event for both formal presentations and meet-and-greet opportunities, discussing their lives and work in the ongoing fight for equality.

Dr. Melinda Grube is a descendant of a Seneca Falls abolitionist family and an independent scholar of the dynamic intersections of 19th-century religion, social history, and radical reform. Elizabeth Cady Stanton has been at the center of her historical presentations and research for twenty years.

Nathan M. Richardson is a published author, performance poet, and Frederick Douglass Historian. He is the author of four collections of poetry and teaches a variety of workshops for emerging writers and spoken word artists. Nathan is now in the 14th year of The Frederick Douglass Speaking Tour, with more than 500 living history performances across the country.

For the complete listing of living history program times and locations, please see the official Schedule of Events, on our website: https://www.nps.gov/wori/planyourvisit/convention-days-2026.htm

[Image: Dr. Melinda Grube as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Nathan Richardson as Frederick Douglass, NPS photo]