Special Events

Celebrate Equality Weekend with Women's Rights National Historical Park on August 21-23, 2026!  Enjoy special ranger talks, living history programs, family crafts, and Terra String Quartet performance - all activities are free and open to the public.

NPS

Equality Weekend

Join Women’s Rights NHP for a special theme weekend exploring the concept of equality and its enduring relevance to the historic sites and stories preserved by the park. 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, and open hours at the M’Clintock House in nearby Waterloo. 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.

Women's Rights National Historical Park will be open Friday, August 21 through Sunday, August 23, with special activities taking place in the Visitor Center, historic Wesleyan Chapel, and the M'Clintock house.

 

Schedule of Events

Women's Rights National Historical Park will be open at the following times on Friday, August 21, Saturday, August 22, and Sunday, August 23:

• Visitor Center and historic Wesleyan Chapel - 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• M'Clintock House - 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • Please note - The Elizabeth Cady Stanton wll NOT be open this weekend.

Directions

 

 

The Terra String Quartet will be performing live at the Wesleyan Chapel on Friday, August 21!

Skaneateles Festival

Friday, August 21, 2026

10:00am – 10:20am: Ranger Program - Radical Hospitality

M'Clintock House
Join a ranger to explore the M'Clintock House where these radical reformers wrote the Declaration of Sentiments - proclaiming that women deserve full rights as citizens. Learn about the life and times of Thomas and Mary Ann M'Clintock and their five children as they worked for equal rights for all human beings, and furnished a stop on the Underground Railroad. (20 minutes).

1:00pm – 3:00pm: Drop-in Table Talk - Suffrage Moves West: Amelia Bloomer's Journey from Seneca Falls to Council Bluffs

Visitor Center
Amelia Bloomer, who attended the 1848 convention here in Seneca Falls, chose not to sign the Declaration of Sentiments.  However, as the first woman to operate a newspaper and an avid member of reform groups, her support for the new movement could not be questioned.  Five years after the convention Bloomer and her husband embarked on a westward journey, leaving Seneca Falls for the arising opportunities in Ohio and Iowa.  Stop by to chat with Ranger Anna and learn about the differences between upstate New York and the rural Iowa frontier in the 1850s and Amelia Bloomer's experiences along the way!

11am – 11:45am: Ranger Program - Revolutionary Roots

Wesleyan Chapel
How does a social movement grow? Join a ranger to meet the organizers of the 1848 Seneca Falls Women's Rights Convention and learn more about the Wesleyan Chapel in which it was held. Discover how Faith, Fortune and Fate combined to ignite a movement.

2:00pm – 3:30pm: Musical Performance - Terra String Quartet

Wesleyan Chapel
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.

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.

2:00pm – 2:20am: Ranger Program - Radical Hospitality

M'Clintock House
Join a ranger to explore the M'Clintock House where these radical reformers wrote the Declaration of Sentiments - proclaiming that women deserve full rights as citizens. Learn about the life and times of Thomas and Mary Ann M'Clintock and their five children as they worked for equal rights for all human beings, and furnished a stop on the Underground Railroad. (20 minutes).

4:00pm – 4:45pm: Ranger Program - Revolutionary Roots

Wesleyan Chapel
How does a social movement grow? Join a ranger to meet the organizers of the 1848 Seneca Falls Women's Rights Convention and learn more about the Wesleyan Chapel in which it was held. Discover how Faith, Fortune and Fate combined to ignite a movement.

 

Elizabeth Cady Stanton (portrayed by D. Melinda Grube) was the leader of the first Women's Rights Convention in 1848. Please visit this Equality Weekend to learn more about her life, with presentations at both the Wesleyan Chapel and the M'Clintock House.

NPS

Saturday, August 22, 2026

10:00am - 10:45am: Living History - Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Her Fight for Equality

M'Clintock House
Travel back to the 1800s, and learn about the daily inequities women faced, and the bold steps they took to demand change. Visit the the home where the Declaration of Sentiments was penned/home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and hear from Mrs. Stanton herself (portrayed by Dr. Melinda Grube), as she describes the challenges she faced in her fight for equality.

Following her program, Dr. Grube will be available for an informal meet-&-greet till 12:00pm.

11:00am - 11:45am: Ranger Program - Revolutionary Roots

Wesleyan Chapel
How does a social movement grow? Join a ranger to meet the organizers of the 1848 Seneca Falls Women's Rights Convention and learn more about the Wesleyan Chapel in which it was held. Discover how Faith, Fortune and Fate combined to ignite a movement.

1:00pm - 2:00pm: Living History - Elizabeth Cady Stanton & the 1848 Women's Right's Convention

Wesleyan Chapel
Join Elizabeth Cady Stanton (portrayed by Dr. Melinda Grube) as she recounts her experience pushing for equality at the first Women’s Rights Convention in 1848. Learn about the pivotal role she played in organizing the convention and drafting the Declaration of Sentiments, which boldly asserted that "all men and women are created equal."

1:00pm – 3:00pm: Drop-in Table Talk - Suffrage Moves West: Amelia Bloomer's Journey from Seneca Falls to Council Bluffs

Visitor Center
Amelia Bloomer, who attended the 1848 convention here in Seneca Falls, chose not to sign the Declaration of Sentiments.  However, as the first woman to operate a newspaper and an avid member of reform groups, her support for the new movement could not be questioned.  Five years after the convention Bloomer and her husband embarked on a westward journey, leaving Seneca Falls for the arising opportunities in Ohio and Iowa.  Stop by to chat with Ranger Anna and learn about the differences between upstate New York and the rural Iowa frontier in the 1850s and Amelia Bloomer's experiences along the way!

2:00pm – 2:20pm: Ranger Program - Radical Hospitality

M'Clintock House
Join a ranger to explore the M'Clintock House where these radical reformers wrote the Declaration of Sentiments - proclaiming that women deserve full rights as citizens. Learn about the life and times of Thomas and Mary Ann M'Clintock and their five children as they worked for equal rights for all human beings, and furnished a stop on the Underground Railroad.

3:00pm – 3:30pm: Ranger Program - Revolutionary Roots

Wesleyan Chapel
How does a social movement grow? Join a ranger to meet the organizers of the 1848 Seneca Falls Women's Rights Convention and learn more about the Wesleyan Chapel in which it was held. Discover how Faith, Fortune and Fate combined to ignite a movement.

 

Sunday, August 23, 2026

10:00am - 10:45am: Living History - Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Her Fight for Equality

M'Clintock House
Travel back to the 1800s, and learn about the daily inequities women faced, and the bold steps they took to demand change. Visit the the home where the Declaration of Sentiments was penned/home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and hear from Mrs. Stanton herself (portrayed by Dr. Melinda Grube), as she describes the challenges she faced in her fight for equality.

Following her program, Dr. Grube will be available for an informal meet-&-greet till 12:00pm.

11:00am - 11:45am: Ranger Program - Revolutionary Roots

Wesleyan Chapel
How does a social movement grow? Join a ranger to meet the organizers of the 1848 Seneca Falls Women's Rights Convention and learn more about the Wesleyan Chapel in which it was held. Discover how Faith, Fortune and Fate combined to ignite a movement.

1:00pm - 2:00pm: Living History - Elizabeth Cady Stanton & the 1848 Women's Right's Convention

Wesleyan Chapel
Join Elizabeth Cady Stanton (portrayed by Dr. Melinda Grube) as she recounts her experience pushing for equality at the first Women’s Rights Convention in 1848. Learn about the pivotal role she played in organizing the convention and drafting the Declaration of Sentiments, which boldly asserted that "all men and women are created equal."

2:00pm – 2:20pm: Ranger Program - Radical Hospitality

M'Clintock House
Join a ranger to explore the M'Clintock House where these radical reformers wrote the Declaration of Sentiments - proclaiming that women deserve full rights as citizens. Learn about the life and times of Thomas and Mary Ann M'Clintock and their five children as they worked for equal rights for all human beings, and furnished a stop on the Underground Railroad.

3:00pm – 3:30pm: Ranger Program - Revolutionary Roots

Wesleyan Chapel
How does a social movement grow? Join a ranger to meet the organizers of the 1848 Seneca Falls Women's Rights Convention and learn more about the Wesleyan Chapel in which it was held. Discover how Faith, Fortune and Fate combined to ignite a movement.

 

All Weekend Activities

"Equali-tea" Wish Wall

Wesleyan Chapel

What dreams are brewing for America at 250? As the U.S. approaches its 250th anniversary, museums & community spaces across the country are capturing Americans’ hopes and dreams for the future on “Wish Walls,” coordinated nationally by Made By Us. Visitors are invited to write their own wishes, inspired by the legacy of the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, for America at 250 and beyond.

America's National Park Store

Visitor Center Bookstore

Visit America’s National Park Bookstore, within the park’s Visitor Center, to catch the special "Equality" table display and exclusive merchandise.

Make-and-Take Crafts

Visitor Center - Community Engagement Space

• "Seeds of Change" - Elizabeth Cady Stanton used the pen name, Sunflower, when she wrote articles in her friend, Amelia Bloomer’s newspaper The Lily. She would write about issues women faced knowing that it would take a lot of effort and time to change laws and ideas. Make-and-take your own sunflower planter! Watch your own seed grow and remember how small actions can make a big difference.
  
• "Carry it Forward" Banners - Carry It Forward by designing your own banner based on a resolution that you feel is important for the future! After you have completed your banner, there is an option to fold an accompanying zine to describe the goals and resolutions you hope to see just as the organizers did in 1848!
  
• 1848 Convention Organizers Coloring Sheets - Learn about the organizers of the 1848 Convention as you color fun coloring sheets.

Earn your Junior Ranger Badge

Visitor Center Desk

Complete the Womenʼs Rights NHP Junior Ranger activity book and sunflower scavenger hunt!

Park Film: “Dreams of Equality”

Guntzel Theater - First Floor of Visitor Center

Women’s Rights NHP’s official 22-minute park film: “Dreams of Equality” (1993) will play on demand. Please ask a ranger at the information desk to start the film. "Dreams of Equality" is also available on our YouTube channel.