The Maryland Women's Heritage Center (MWHC), a 501(c) (3) non-profit, non-partisan organization, was established to preserve the past, understand the present, and shape the future by recognizing, respecting, and transmitting the experiences and contributions of Maryland women of diverse backgrounds and from all regions of the state. The first comprehensive state center of its kind in the nation, the MWHC is envisioned as a museum, learning and resource center, archives, showcase for Maryland women in the arts, and a place for gathering to discuss and act on issues impacting on women.

The Center is an outgrowth of the Maryland Women’s History Project that began in 1980 as a collaborative venture between the Maryland Commission for Women and the Maryland State Department of Education.

The leadership of the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center is drawn from throughout the state and region: Women’s organizations, the State and Local Commissions for Women, Women Legislators of Maryland, Women’s Studies Programs, the Maryland State Teacher's Association, organizations for women and girls, and local historical sites and networks are providing ongoing guidance and support.

The Maryland Women’s Heritage Center will feature:

• Permanent and changing exhibits about individuals, events, and special topics
• Information and activities about renowned Maryland women such as those in the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame
• Special recognition of the innumerable “unsung heroines” in our families and communities
• An interactive, state-of-the-art student learning center
• A resource and reference library
• A women’s history archive
• Displays of arts and crafts
• Dramatic, musical, and dance performances by Maryland women and girls
• Dialogues and seminars on women’s issues
• Space for special events and receptions
• A gift shop with art, literature and unique gifts by Maryland women.