Smithsonian Women’s Museum Launches 5-Story AR Trail as Congress Blocks National Mall Site
Updated
Updated · Art Newspaper · Jun 23
Smithsonian Women’s Museum Launches 5-Story AR Trail as Congress Blocks National Mall Site
3 articles · Updated · Art Newspaper · Jun 23
Summary
Unhidden Heroines opened on the National Mall a month after the House rejected legislation that would have designated a site for the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
Five women anchor the free AR project—running through Dec. 31—as the museum’s first such initiative and a way to maintain a presence on the Mall while a physical building remains years away.
Each story is tied to a monument, including Dorothy Height at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and Julia Ward Howe at the Lincoln Memorial; completing all five stops covers about 2 miles.
The setback followed Republican changes to the once-bipartisan bill that would have excluded transgender women from exhibitions and effectively given President Donald Trump veto power over the museum’s location.
Authorized by Congress in 2020 but still without a site, the museum says the AR program can also be accessed remotely and will help test audience demand as it waits for a permanent home.
How were just five women chosen from all of US history to launch the 'Unhidden Heroines' experience?
After these virtual statues vanish, what is the plan for building permanent monuments to women on the National Mall?
How will the Smithsonian prove its AR history lesson is more effective than a traditional museum visit?
"Unhidden Heroines": Using Augmented Reality to Address the 5% Monument Gap for Women on the National Mall
Overview
The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum’s 'Unhidden Heroines' is an immersive augmented reality experience on the National Mall, running through December 31, 2026. It addresses the historical underrepresentation of women by highlighting the transformative contributions of five remarkable women—Polly Cooper, Julia Ward Howe, Dorothy Height, Elizebeth Smith Friedman, and Mary Katharine Goddard. Each heroine is paired with a major monument, allowing visitors to use their mobile devices to discover these stories in a meaningful historical context. This innovative project brings women’s stories to life in a nationally significant space, making history engaging and accessible.