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In honor of Women's History Month, make it a priority to celebrate the accomplishments of influential females who have made a difference.

Amelia Earhart. Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Annie Oakley. There have been many influential women throughout history and, this being Woman's History Month, it's the ideal time to appreciate what they've done. You may even learn a thing or two.

Start at the beginning in Seneca Falls, NY (52 miles from Rochester), where resident Stanton and four other women held the First Women's Rights Convention in 1848. The multisite Women's Rights National Historic Park (www.nps.gov/wori) features Wesleyan Chapel, where the convention took place; M'Clintock House, a station on the Underground Railroad (all of the convention organizers were abolitionists); Stanton's farm house; and a visitors center. "It is monumental," says visitor Chrissy Belles, of East Rochester, NY. "I felt more personally connected with the site than I expected."

Also in Seneca Falls is the National Women's Hall of Fame (www.greatwomen.org). Since 1969, 226 trailblazing females have been inducted into the hall of fame, honoring American women who have made contributions of global importance and enduring value. "On display right now, we have a scarf that Amelia Earhart took on one of her flights, and that Sally Ride, another one of our inductees, took into space," says Executive Director Christine Moulton.

From Virginia Apgar, the physician who created the Apgar Score, the test by which the health of newborn babies is evaluated, to Stephanie Kwolek, the scientist who helped discover Kevlar (the fiber used to make bullet-resistant clothing), the museum also pays tribute to those whose innovations are household names, but whose identities are relatively unknown.

Other powerful women who don't always get the attention they deserve are First Ladies. While being president is no easy task, many First Ladies were passionate and involved in causes of their own. The National First Ladies' Library (www.firstladies.org), in Canton, OH, looks back on their years of public service, as well as life outside of the public eye.

Founded in 1995, the site includes the stately ancestral home of Ida Saxton McKinley, wife of 25th president William McKinley, as well as an education and resource center. Changing exhibits highlight life in the White House, and permanent displays focus on the important causes taken up by former first ladies, such as Barbara Bush's campaign for literacy. The museum also maintains a library and an extensive audiovisual collection-the only one of its kind in the country.

While these women had significant political passions, there's no denying the importance-at least to the public-of their fashion choices. On view through May 29, "The Heart Truth's First Ladies' Red Dress Collection" (a part of "Caring Hearts: The Health of a Nation" exhibit) blends the two, focusing on the outfits they wore in their efforts to raise awareness about heart disease.

Another group of American women that has carved a place in society with their iconic style choices (read: uniforms), community service and leadership? The Girl Scouts. Whether you're a member (there are 3.7 million today), an Eagle Scout or just someone who likes Thin Mints, a visit to the Girl Scout Museum (www.girlscouts.org) sheds some light on this 96-year-old organization.

Hidden on the 17th floor of the Girl Scout USA headquarters building in New York City, the museum is home to exhibits organized by era according to major changes in Girl Scout programs. Displays include objects and memorabilia as well as the publications and uniforms of each period. According to archivist Yevgeniya Gribov, it's a trip down memory lane for past Girl Scouts who visit with younger generations. "There is a lot of reminiscing," she says.

There's even more to muse over at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (www.nmwa.org) in Washington, D.C. Showcasing the creative achievements of women past and present, the striking museum, housed in a skillfully restored Masonic temple, is an area landmark. "Most people are impressed not only by the physical space of the museum-which is quite lovely-but also by the range of the collection and the creative works that we have represented," says Director of Education Deborah Gaston.

The permanent collection contains more than 3,000 works by artists from the 16th century to the present, including Lavinia Fontana, Mary Cassatt, Frida Kahlo and Georgia O'Keeffe, as well as the personal female-focused collection of museum founder Wilhelmina Cole Holladay.

An art form of a more physical kind was practiced by ladies in the American West who favored lassos and ropes over paintbrushes. Steer yourself over to the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame (www.cowgirl.net) in Ft. Worth, TX, where cowgirl wannabees can try their hand at horsemanship on a Shetland pony or ride a bucking bronco (simulated, of course). The museum is also home to one of the most extensive collections of artifacts relating to women in the American West, including boots, spurs, saddles and photographs. If you really want to get in the saddle, enroll in the museum's Cowgirl University (www.cowgirlu.org), which offers workshops, retreats and the chance to come face to face with real-life cowgirls. This month's weekend-long program (March 13-15) includes visits to two legendary Texas ranches that were instrumental in shaping the West.

Cowgirls were so influential, in fact, that they have earned a place at Dallas' Smithsonian-affiliated Women's Museum: An Institute for the Future (www.thewomensmuseum.org). The upcoming exhibit "Tall in the Saddle: Cowgirls, Ranch Women and Rodeo Gals" (opening April 10) displays the black-and-white photography of Ann P. Meredith.

But there are many women who shaped the way females are viewed in this country who didn't rope cattle-and the museum aims to make sure nobody forgets their political, social and spiritual triumphs.

Permanent exhibits include "Unforgettable Women," which profiles 39 different women on a rotating basis; "ImagiStation," which highlights women-made products from practical (disposable diapers) to entertaining (Monopoly); and "It's Amazing," a glass labyrinth that explores gender-related norms and stereotypes.

But if these museums and sights are any indication, women are more than up to the challenge of raising cattle, fighting for their rights, leading the way, painting masterpieces-in short, changing the course of history.

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MODERN-DAY MIRACLE WORKERS

BERNETT WILLIAMS (Akron, OH)
Williams is president and CEO of the Akron Urban League, which helps improve the lives of local citizens, particularly African-Americans, through advocacy, education and outreach programs.

LAYLI MILLER-MURO (Washington, DC)
Muro's dedication to protecting women from human rights abuses began in law school, when she helped a Togo woman receive refuge in the US. Today, she is the executive director of the Tahirih Justice Center, which helps protect women through legal aid and social services.

RAMONA BASS (Ft. Worth)
As the co-chairman of Fort Worth Zoo's Board of Directors, Bass is credited as one of the key leaders who made the zoo a top-ranked national attraction. She is dedicated to wildlife conservation and is actively involved in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan.

NICOLE GINSBURG SMALL (Dallas)
In 2006, Small orchestrated the merger of three Fair Park institutions to create the Museum of Nature & Science, of which she is now CEO. Her goal? To educate children and make science accessible to all. She's currently campaigning for funds to build a brand-new facility in downtown Dallas in order to keep pace with the advances in science education.

SARA GOULD (New York)
Gould is the president and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women, which helps build women's collective power to ignite change. She headed the Collaborative Fund for Women's Economic Development, which has provided more than $12 million to organizations assisting low-income women's business development.

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