The Women’s Museum in Dallas
Not all Smithsonian museums are to be found in Washington DC. Affiliates of the famous institute established in 1846 are spread out across the country, from Hutchinson, Kansas, at the space museum of the Cosmosphere , to the Women’s Museum: An Institute for the Future in Dallas, Texas. In Dallas, you may come to the 70,000 square foot building and explore women’s contributions to society throughout history.
Established in September of 200, this ten year old museum offers interactive exhibits to the public which tells the stories of the accomplishments of women and what they offered to the history and life of America. These exhibits include “Dreams of Flight: A Journey through Air and Space” which runs from July 23 to October 31, and “Changing the Face of Power: Women in the U.S. Senate,” running from November 1st to December 31st, 2010.
The former exhibit will take a look at the boundaries women have broken to become pilots, astronauts, astrophysicists, and scientists, featuring the first women in America to fly planes, and the first women to serve as pilots, flying military aircraft for the U.S. Army during World War II. It also explores how women were tested to be astronauts in the late 1950s, creating a group known as the Mercury 13.
The latter exhibit offers photographs of the 13 women in the U.S. Senate in 2001, growing that number of 14 in 2003. The photographer, Melina Mara, convinced most of these senators to let her document their role in the Senate not only in public, but behind the scenes as well. Permanent exhibits in the museum are broken into sections on women in history, breaking boundaries, women’s health, and business and technology.
Whether you’re in town on business or pleasure, staying with friends or at the 5 star hotels Dallas is known for, take some time out and head to 3800 Parry Avenue to appreciate the role of women in American society. The museum is open six days out of the week, from noon to five p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays. It’s closed on Mondays. Admission is relatively inexpensive as well: Five dollars for adults, four dollars for senior citizens and students aged 13-18, three dollars for students aged 5-12, and free for anyone under five.
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