Women's History Month 2026 in Greater Philadelphia: 17 Things to See & Do

Ongoing

Walk in the footsteps of the badass women who blazed trails to shape Philadelphia herstory in this two-hour walking tour from local tour group Beyond the Bell. This exploration of the incredible women who called the City of Sisterly Affection home covers one-and-a-half miles.

Starting off in the Historic District, you’ll learn about boundary-breaking women like Hannah Callowhill Penn, who prevented a war between Pennsylvania and Maryland; Ona Judge, who escaped slavery from President George Washington; and Barbara Gittings, a prominent gay rights activist.

Offered daily, the tour wraps up at 13th and Locust streets.

Ongoing

Two-time Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter’s work takes center stage at the African American Museum in Philadelphia’s latest exhibition: Afrofuturism in Costume Design.

Carter won Oscars for her costume designs for the Black Panther films and was also just nominated in 2026 for her work on Sinners. She is the first Black woman to win two Academy Awards in any category.

The modular exhibition — with interactive elements — showcases costumes and artifacts from Carter’s esteemed career, including a rare glimpse of the artist’s personal sketches and costumes from Carter’s private collection.

While the National Constitution Center’s 19th Amendment exhibit focuses on revolutionary women year-round, March features an additional slate of programs for those who want to dig deeper into the history of women changemakers.

This March, complementary daily programming further highlights trailblazing women in American history. Learn about the contributions four women — all named Harriet — made to the anti-slavery movement in The Four Harriets of History, test your historical knowledge with Remember the Ladies Trivia, get hands-on with Women’s History Month-inspired crafts and take a self-guided women’s history artifact tour.

In honor of Women’s History Month, the Philadelphia Museum of Art hosts daily guided tours highlighting women artists showcased in the museum’s vast collection.

Included with museum admission, the one-hour tours are first-come, first-served with a 20-person limit each day. Visitors can meet the guide in the Great Stair Hall in the museum’s main building ahead of the tour’s 2 p.m. start.

The museum kicks off the month with a family-friendly festival on Sunday, March 1, 2026 featuring hands-on art-making and art herstory activities. Admission to the Sunday festival is pay what you wish, and includes general museum admission.

The Museum of the American Revolution honors the revolutionary women of the nation’s independence movements every day, with additional programming during Women’s History Month.

Visitors can stop by a Discovery Cart to learn about Ona Judge, a woman George and Martha Washington enslaved until her escape; attend a daily 10-Minute Talk (11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.) about how women responded to the Declaration of Independence; or design a banner inspired by American suffragists.

The museum also hosts a Women’s History Night with a film screening and discussion on Saturday, March 18, 2026.

March 3-26, 2026 (select dates)

The Free Library of Philadelphia offers a slate of programming in March to celebrate Women’s History Month, including an author talk about the historic women buried at Laurel Hill, a marathon read aloud, educational talks, film screenings and more.

Parkway Central Library hosts a screening of the film Finding Justice: The Untold Story of Women’s Fight for the Vote, followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Amanda Owen. The film tells the story of how some trailblazing women used a bell modeled after the Liberty Bell to fight for women’s right to vote.

For 11 days this March, the Academy of Music transforms into Belle Époque Paris as the lavishly outfitted dancers of the Philadelphia Ballet present the classic romantic comedy The Merry Widow.

Choreographed by the esteemed Ronald Hynd and set to Franz Lehár’s score arranged by John Lanchbery, the story centers on the escapades of wealthy widow Hanna as she pirouettes her way through glamorous balls on a mission to find a new husband — all amidst lost love and political shenanigans.

March 7-29, 2026 (select dates)

Celebrate Women’s History Month at the historic Betsy Ross House with free special events all March long.

During Storytelling Saturdays, Philly’s beloved Once Upon A Nation storytellers share lesser-known accounts of women’s contributions to history. Then, on History Maker Sundays, visitors can hear stories and meet (portrayals of) opinionated women throughout history, from businesswomen to abolitionists to healers.

And, of course, visitors can hang out with Ms. Ross herself — an entrepreneur, patriot and single mother — as she works in her upholstery shop and shares the story of the first flag (along with other fascinating tales).

Celebrate International Women’s Day with the Sisterly Love Collective at the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center, featuring the ceiling-shattering women who work in Philadelphia’s restaurants, bars and hospitality industry.

The Sisterly Love Collective started during the pandemic to help restaurant owners find ways to support each other through a challenging time. Five years later, the collective has become a key resource for these women-run businesses.

Guests at the five-year anniversary supper can sip on cocktails and feast on hors d’oeuvres, a two-course dinner and divine desserts while supporting the collective’s silent auction. Reservations are required.

Rock out to Tina’s greatest hits with this rollicking jukebox musical from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall.

Using the music of Tina Turner — iconic songs like Proud Mary, River Deep, Mountain High and Private Dancer — this critically acclaimed show follows the Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll’s rise to solo stardom from her beginnings as Anna Mae Bullock in Tennessee, to her tumultuous relationship with Ike Turner, to her triumphant comeback in the ʼ80s.

Pay tribute to the powerhouse’s resilience, perseverance and legacy when this high-energy show hits the Miller stage.

March 11 & 18, 2026

The Library Company of Philadelphia hosts two Wednesday evening lectures to mark Women’s History Month.

The live discussion, “Not a Poor, but a Very Importunate Widow: Sarah Kennedy and the American Revolution in Pennsylvania,” focuses on a widow’s battle to reclaim her property after her husband’s death (March 11, 2026).

The virtual program, “The Gendered Republic: Reimagining Identity in the New Nation,” hosts two editors and two contributors to the book of the same name as they discuss American history with a focus on gender (March 18, 2026).

Registration for the free events is required.

Paging pioneers! Celebrate the women who broke barriers at the first degree-granting medical school for women during a celebratory Saturday Firstival.

52 Weeks of Firsts honors 250 years of Philly’s historic achievements — every week, all throughout 2026. The series’ free Saturday Firstivals take place at the original location of each first (or in spaces that represent where these significant milestones occurred) and include guest speakers, a sculpture, special events and historic deep dives by Once Upon a Nation.

Drexel University hosts this Women’s History Month event featuring exhibits, a presentation and a community health fair with free health screenings.

March 14-28, 2026 (Saturdays only)

Old City’s Science History Institute offers a month of free family-friendly programming devoted to women in science.

Each Saturday features a different scientist or theme with activities that spotlight influential female scientists — like environmental scientist and writer Rachel Carson, or chemist Stephanie Kwolek, who invented textiles like Lycra and Kevlar.

Visitors can visit touch tables that explain the science behind the making of some everyday objects or take a tour highlighting women in chemistry. Women’s history programming happens at the attraction each Saturday in March with no reservations required.

As she lay dying, First Lady Martha Washington can’t escape the wild visions holding her to account, as the enslaved people who would be freed upon her death put her on trial.

From The Wilma’s HotHouse Acting Company and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright James Ijames comes The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington, a biting satire that explores history, race and power dynamics, all based on a true story.

Note: Recommended for theater-goers ages 13 and over, the show contains strong language and scenes of violence.

March 21 & 28, 2026

Uncover the stories of the West Chester women who made important contributions to the law, abolition, suffrage, education, politics and science — with the help of a costumed guide — during this walking tour through downtown West Chester.

Starting at the Chester County History Center, the one-and-a-half-hour tour visits the businesses and homes of the women who helped shape West Chester from early America to today.

Tickets are required for the rain-or-shine tour.

March 21 – April 25, 2026 (Saturdays only)

Harriet’s Bookshop owner Jeannine Cook launched this trolley tour in 2021 as a way to uplift her community. Still going strong five years later, the 2026 trolley tour offers two time slots per day across six Saturdays.

Starting at Harriet’s Fishtown bookstore, participants hop on a trolley while host Starfire spins stories and whisks the group to visit four more Black-owned businesses, with different stops on the morning and afternoon tours.

Tour guests can hop off at all the spots to explore each business’s wares, including plants, teas, gifts, art and desserts. Tickets are required and include a complimentary journal.

March 22 & 29, 2026

Laurel Hill — the historic garden cemetery spread across two separate sites — hosts two-hour walking tours this Women’s History month to honor the amazing women buried at both Laurel Hill East and Laurel Hill West.

On Sunday, March 22, 2026 walk the winding paths at Bala Cynwyd’s Laurel Hill West with a guide to learn about the wondrous women interred there.

The following Sunday, the Laurel Hill East’s tour takes participants through the historic garden cemetery overlooking the Schuylkill River to learn the stories of the daring dames laid to rest there.

Tickets are required for both tours.

Ongoing

Philadelphia celebrates women this March — and all year round — at sites and attractions throughout the city.

Check out Philly’s many women-owned businesses (including restaurants, bars, shops and boutiques), or see the city’s award-winning public art scene (including several murals and sculptures) honoring the women of Philadelphia.