NPS Website; Local Website
WHAT IS IT?Four buildings in various stages of refurbishment and a Visitor Center that commemorate the events of Seneca Falls, N.Y. 1848: America’s First Women’s Rights Convention. The Site museum tells the story of women and their role throughout United States history.
BEAUTY (5/10)
Like Franklin Court in Philadelphia, visitors construct the Wesleyan Chapel, site of the 1848 Women’s Rights Convention in their minds, using two outer walls, a roof and a Ranger’s narrative as a guide.
Unlike Franklin Court, the skeletal outline of Wesleyan Chapel contains sizable chunks of the original structure. The phantom building is located in a small park which blends well with the rest of the storefronts of Seneca Falls. Water cascades over the Declaration of Sentiments etched in the border wall nearest the Visitors Center. The entire space is open to the public. A nice use of common space.
The Elizabeth Cady Stanton home now sits in a residential area about a mile and a half from the Visitors Center. Elizabeth wasn’t so lucky – her view of the river was obstructed by mills, factories and tanneries. The white farmhouse is unassuming. It is also half the size of the original residence thanks to renovations and redesigns of subsequent owners. The interior is barely furnished with some of Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s chairs and personal items donated by family members and found at auctions.
The McCormick and Hunt homes in Waterloo were closed for renovations.
HISTORICAL INTEREST (9/10)
The United States was not the first nation to allow women to vote. It was not even the first to afford women equal rights. But many believe the fuel for the long (and unfinished?) battle for gender equality began with Elizabeth Cady Stanton pouring out her heart to Lucretia Mott and others, and then deciding to do something about her malcontent. The first Women’s Rights Convention was held less than ten days later. Abolitionist Frederick Douglas attended the Convention, lent it credibility and spread word of the event by publishing and distribution the Declaration of Sentiments. The rest is living history.
CROWDS (5/10)We thought that a tour of the Elizabeth Cady Stanton House alongside a troop of 6th grade girl scouts would add perspective. It didn’t. None paid any attention to the speaker or the momentous and courageous events that took place in Seneca Falls. Their faces had a ‘so what’ look, which was disappointing. We enjoyed the Ranger’s talk a great deal, but perhaps he needed to be more dramatic to reach the age of kids who need to know. The docility and disinterest from the pre-teens dampened our experience.
EASE OF USE/ACCESS (2/5)
Seneca Falls is not a large town. Brown signs direct you down the main street to the Visitors Center and Wesleyan Chapel. We found free parking on the street directly in front of the Center.
Wesleyan Chapel is open and spacious, accessible by ramp. An elevator or stairs can get you to the second floor museum of the Visitors Center. You need to drive to the Elizabeth Cady Stanton house. Make a left, turn right, over the bridge. Go left. Not too difficult but wrong turns are always possible. The Elizabeth Cady Stanton house is not accessible to everyone. An older woman with a cane had some difficulty climbing the stairs.
Only two of the four buildings were open for tours during our visit.
CONCESSIONS/BOOKSTORE (3/5)
The Visitor Center has a good if not overwhelming selection of books. Their selection might provide a good entry into Women’s History but it will not add to anyone’s collection. For example, the National Parks Brochure mentions Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique by name but does not offer the book for sale at the gift shop. We wrongly expected the NPS shrine to Women’s History to have a better women-related book selection than the local Barnes and Noble.
COSTS (4/5)
Entrance into the museum is $2, free if you have the National Park Pass. Your two bucks will also get you a 20-minute film and a 20-minute lecture about the Wesleyan Chapel. The tour of the nearby Elizabeth Cady Stanton House is $1, not covered by the Pass.
RANGER/GUIDE TO TOURIST RATIO (4/5)
There were two Rangers present in the Visitors Center – more than enough to handle us, an older couple and two sets of girl scouts. The Ranger who took us to the Chapel and Elizabeth Cady Stanton was soft spoken but articulate.
He gets bonus points for waiting for us to watch the 20-minute movie before beginning the Chapel tour, for standing around after the Cady Stanton tour was over to answer a handful of questions from us and the other couple and for his candor regarding the critical under funding of the Parks system.
TOURS/CLASSES (8/10)Even with two of the houses off limits, we spent hours at the historic park. The acting in the 20-minute film was better than most. We received a personal tour of Wesleyan Chapel, but much of the information was repeated at the Elizabeth Cady Stanton house. The museum chronicles women throughout history dotted with mixed media displays and audio/visual presentations. Nicely done, but a little overwhelming. There was a lot of text.
Best parts of the Museum: 1) the cozy children’s reading corner supplied with a cool collection of non-traditional stories and books; 2) the salary comparison exhibit which allows the visitor to choose a profession, gender and ethnicity and see how real those glass ceilings are; and 3) the interactive display which asks visitors, “What would the world be like if men and women were truly equal?” The most popular response?:
There would be peace.
FUN (7/10)
The Elizabeth Cady Stanton home was a little dry, but we were happy with our decision to return to the museum. It is deceptively small. It is easy to become engaged working the interactive displays and watching the numerous point/counterpoint videos. The historic park is inspiring and thought provoking. We enjoyed our time in Seneca Falls.
WOULD WE RECOMMEND? (7/10)
Yes. Take your mothers.
TOTAL 54/80
www.usa-c2c.com
© 2004-06