Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument in District of Columbia, USA - map and visitor information

Research checked: 2026-10-27. Check linked official notices before travel.

Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument is a historic-house museum on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Visit to learn how the National Woman's Party organized for women's political and legal equality. Plan around the museum's Friday–Sunday opening days, and use the public entrance on Second Street NE rather than the doors facing Constitution Avenue.

A house used to organize for equality

• Women's rights exhibits: Explore the history of the National Woman's Party and its campaigns.
• Ranger-led interpretation: Scheduled exhibit tours provide a way to place the rooms and collections in context.
• Capitol Hill setting: The house stands beside the institutions its occupants sought to influence.

Plan a museum visit

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Stairs, lifts and city streets

The entrance has brick stairs and a wheelchair lift. Ask a ranger for lift assistance; do not assume that every room is reached on one level. When approaching on foot, use designated crosswalks and allow for possible street closures near the U.S. Capitol.

Keep to the public areas

The upper floors are closed to visitors. Stay within the public exhibit areas and follow ranger directions. Service animals may accompany visitors where the public is permitted.

Individuals, small groups and larger visits

Individuals and small groups do not need advance reservations during regular hours, including for the scheduled exhibit tours. Groups of 10 or more should email [email protected] to notify the monument or arrange a tour. Special events and demonstrations have separate permit requirements; see the NPS permits guidance before organizing an activity.

Find the courtyard entrance

The physical address is 144 Constitution Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002. The museum and bookshop entrance is through the courtyard on Second Street NE. Constitution Avenue's doors are not public entrances. The official directions identify the approach and nearby transit options.

There is no designated monument parking area. Neighborhood street parking is limited, and Capitol activity can cause street closures. Consider transit instead of depending on finding a space beside the house.

Other Washington park stops

The wider National Mall and Memorial Parks offers other memorial grounds in central Washington; choose the particular site before planning the trip. Anacostia Park is a separate riverfront destination, with its headquarters at 1900 Anacostia Drive SE. City streets connect these destinations, while transit may suit a day involving several stops better than repeated parking searches.

Use a tour to connect place and campaign

A ranger-led exhibit tour can help connect the historic headquarters with the National Woman's Party's wider work. If the timing does not suit your visit, explore the exhibits during regular museum hours. Allow time to distinguish the suffrage campaign from the later efforts for broader equality under law.

Practical access inside the historic house

The bookstore contains the information desk, a water-bottle filler and access to a single-user accessible restroom. That restroom has no changing table or automatic door. A second lift connects the bookstore level with the exhibit space; ranger assistance is required, and each lift has a 750-pound capacity.

Exhibit doorways range from 29 to 41 inches wide, with some floor lips up to 1 inch. Rugs also affect movement through the rooms. Review the detailed accessibility information before visiting with specific mobility needs. ASL interpretation for ranger programs is available by request at least three weeks ahead.

Suffrage and the work that followed

The National Woman's Party headquarters

Alice Paul founded the National Woman's Party in 1916. The Nineteenth Amendment was ratified in 1920, and the organization purchased this house in 1929 with Alva Belmont's financial support. Its work here therefore belongs to the continuing equality campaign, rather than the earlier fight to win that amendment. The property became a national monument on April 12, 2016.

Contact the monument

Call 202-441-7572, which is monitored while the monument is open. Use the official NPS page for current visitor information. The Ohio Drive address used in NPS correspondence is a mailing address, not the museum entrance.