The suffrage HQ where Alice Paul fought for women's equality.
Photo: Eric T Gunther · CC BY 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Steps from the U.S. Capitol and across the street from the Supreme Court stands one of the oldest houses on Capitol Hill — and for more than 90 years the headquarters of the National Woman's Party. Belmont–Paul Women's Equality National Monument preserves the Sewall-Belmont House, the home and workplace of suffragist leader Alice Paul, where the militant wing of the women's movement strategized and where Paul drafted the Equal Rights Amendment in 1923. Today it's a museum of the century-long fight for women's suffrage and equal rights.
It's free and indoor — a comfortable all-weather stop. Galleries tell the story of the suffrage movement, the 19th Amendment, and the long battle for the ERA, while Alice Paul's preserved office evokes the campaigns of White House pickets and the 'Silent Sentinels.' The entry hall's stained-glass fan window lights busts and portraits of suffrage leaders, and the collection holds protest banners and 'jail door' pins awarded to women arrested while picketing.
As a small house museum, its days and hours are limited (typically Wednesday–Sunday) — check ahead. It's a quick, powerful hour on Capitol Hill, easily paired with the Capitol, Supreme Court, and Library of Congress. Reach it by Metro; there's no parking. Treat it as the place of struggle and remembrance it is.
One of the oldest houses on Capitol Hill (early-1800s roots, damaged in the War of 1812), the National Woman's Party headquarters for over 90 years — steps from the Capitol and Supreme Court.
Insider tipLook at its neighbor — the house sits directly beside the Hart Senate Office Building, a striking juxtaposition of the suffrage struggle next to the seat of federal power.
Plan a trip to this spot →Tells the story of the suffrage movement, the 19th Amendment (1920), and the long fight for the Equal Rights Amendment, which Alice Paul drafted here in 1923.
Insider tipThe exhibit traces the ERA's full arc — from 1923 through its failed ratification window — connecting past and present debates.
Plan a trip to this spot →The preserved workspace where the more militant wing of the movement strategized the White House pickets and the 'Silent Sentinels' campaign.
Insider tipAsk a ranger about the 1913 Woman Suffrage Procession on Pennsylvania Avenue — a defining action planned from this milieu.
Plan a trip to this spot →The restored stained-glass fan window illuminates busts and portraits of suffrage leaders; the entry hall is kept as it appeared when Alice Paul lived and worked here.
Insider tipThe most photogenic interior — visit on a sunny afternoon when light pours through the fan window.
Plan a trip to this spot →An unparalleled collection of suffrage artifacts — protest banners, a skeleton key smuggled out of the district jail, and 'jail door' pins awarded to women arrested while picketing.
Insider tipSlow down and read the labels — the objects carry remarkable individual stories.
Plan a trip to this spot →The National Woman's Party was the more militant, confrontational counterpart to the mainstream movement; Alice Paul brought nonviolent direct action, pickets, and hunger strikes.
Insider tipPair this stop with a Smithsonian women's-history exhibit to see both the mainstream and militant wings of the movement.
Plan a trip to this spot →Humid subtropical Washington, D.C.: hot, humid summers (July–August highs in the high 80s with afternoon thunderstorms) and mild-to-cold winters (January lows around freezing, occasional snow), with rain spread year-round and a late-spring peak. Because it's an indoor house museum, it's a comfortable rain-or-shine stop — and the cherry blossoms peak late March–early April.
On Capitol Hill at 144 Constitution Ave NE — free, Metro-accessible.
On Capitol Hill next to the Hart Senate Building, steps from Union Station and the Capitol. Free; Metro-accessible (Union Station or Capitol South) — an urban site with no parking. ~1 hour. As a small house museum, confirm current days, hours, and tour times before you go.
No lodging — it's an urban monument. Stay anywhere in D.C.
Stay anywhere transit-connected — Capitol Hill, Downtown, or Penn Quarter put you within walking or Metro distance.
Booking tipChoose lodging near a Metro station; there's no parking at the monument.
Is it free?
Yes — admission is free.
What is it?
The longtime headquarters of the National Woman's Party and the home and workplace of suffragist Alice Paul — now a museum of the women's-suffrage and Equal Rights Amendment story, in the historic Sewall-Belmont House, one of the oldest homes on Capitol Hill.
Who were Alice Paul and the NWP?
Alice Paul was a leading suffragist who founded and led the National Woman's Party, the militant wing of the movement known for White House pickets ('Silent Sentinels'), the 1913 suffrage parade, and direct-action tactics. She drafted the Equal Rights Amendment here in 1923.
How do I visit?
It's typically open Wednesday–Sunday — hours can be limited for a small house museum, so check ahead. Reach it easily by Metro (Union Station or Capitol South); there's no parking on site.
How long does a visit take?
About an hour, or longer if you join a ranger-led tour.
Can I combine it with other sights?
Yes — it sits in the heart of Capitol Hill, easily paired with the U.S. Capitol, Supreme Court, Library of Congress, and the National Mall.
Pick your vehicle, line up the stops on the way in and out, and carry the whole route in your pocket.
