Meet Rosie the Riveter in Richmond
Nestled at the end of a long industrial park in Richmond, California -- just across the San Francisco Bay -- is the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Monument. The museum focuses on an under-appreciated aspect of World War II: the civilians at home, particularly women, who helped win the war overseas.
The museum's varied and interesting exhibits include war propaganda posters, videos devoted to the role women played in the factories, and details on life during the food rationing. There's a full schedule of lectures throughout the year.
The country's oldest National Park Ranger, 93-year-old Betty Soskin, also works at the monument. She has been at the park since its inception in 2000, and still leads a handful of weekly "Ranger Talks" about what life was like during the war.
Perhaps the most important aspect of the monument, however, is the "Rosie Meet and Greet" every Friday. Between 10 a.m. and noon, and 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., visitors can actually meet with a group of female civilian docents (the "Rosies") who freely and openly share stories about life back on the home front, along with photos from their private collections. There's truly no better way to learn history than asking those who lived it.
The monument is open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., and closed only on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
