The United States Army Women's Museum is located at Fort Gregg-Adams in Virginia, a few hours south of Washington, D.C., and stands as the only museum in the world dedicated solely to the women of the United States Army. Its exhibits trace women's military contributions from the American Revolution through the present day, with particular focus on the Women's Army Corps (WAC), founded in 1942. Visitors can explore archival photographs, uniforms, documents, and personal stories that illuminate the evolving roles women have played in the U.S. Army across more than two centuries. Gates visited the museum in Season 13 of Expedition Unknown to investigate the stories of 18 WACs killed in a 1945 plane crash — servicewomen whose sacrifice had largely faded from public memory.
Women begin supporting the Continental Army in logistical roles including cooking, laundering, and nursing — the earliest roots of organized women's military service, as curator Tracy Bradford explained to Gates on camera.
The "Hello Girls" — French-speaking American women — serve in forward communications roles during World War I, laying groundwork for formal women's military enlistment.
The Women's Army Corps is founded, five months after Pearl Harbor. An original call for 1,000 WACs draws over 30,000 applicants.
Eighteen WACs are killed in a plane crash, the incident at the center of Gates' S13E06 investigation.
Gates visits the United States Army Women's Museum for Expedition Unknown S13E06, "America's MIA Heroines."
Curator Tracy Bradford, speaking with Gates at the museum, framed the WAC story as part of a much longer arc: "Really, since the birth of the Army in 1775, women have been finding ways to serve." She traced early roles — laundresses, cooks, nurses — through the watershed moment of World War I's "Hello Girls," French-speaking American women deployed in forward communications roles, before arriving at the formal founding of the Women's Army Corps in 1942.
Historically, the WAC represented a significant institutional shift. Founded just five months after Pearl Harbor, the Corps was a direct response to wartime labor demands — and public enthusiasm far outpaced expectations. As Gates noted on camera, the original call went out for 1,000 WACs, and over 30,000 women applied. By the war's end, the Corps had grown exponentially, with WACs serving as drivers, communications specialists, medical personnel, and in a wide range of support roles across multiple theaters.
The museum's holdings — uniforms, photographs, personal documents, and archival records — represent one of the most comprehensive collections dedicated to this chapter of military history. The institution's stated mission is to ensure that women's contributions to the Army are preserved and taught to future generations, a goal that aligns directly with Gates' broader investigation into the 18 WACs whose deaths in a 1945 crash had received comparatively little attention in the decades since.
Gates' episode did not claim to resolve every question about those women or their mission, but the visit to the museum served as the investigative foundation — establishing who the WACs were, what they sacrificed, and why their stories merit serious historical attention. Bradford's expertise grounded the episode's emotional stakes in documented record rather than speculation.
The United States Army Women's Museum is, according to Wikipedia, the only museum in the world dedicated solely to the women of the United States Army.
When the Women's Army Corps put out its original call for 1,000 recruits in 1942, more than 30,000 women applied — a ratio that, as Gates noted, demonstrated extraordinary public enthusiasm.
The "Hello Girls" of World War I — French-speaking American women who served in forward communications roles — are credited by historians as helping lay the groundwork for the formal establishment of the WAC two decades later.
Gates drew a direct family connection to the WAC story on camera: his grandmother served in the British equivalent, the Women's Royal Army Corps, performing blood transfusions for soldiers during the 1940s.
The United States Army Women's Museum is located on Fort Gregg-Adams in Prince George County, Virginia. As it is situated on an active military installation, visitors should check current base access requirements and hours before planning a trip. Admission is generally free, and the museum is considered a welcoming destination for those interested in military history and women's history.
Petersburg, Virginia, is the nearest city, approximately 2–3 miles from Fort Gregg-Adams. Richmond, Virginia, is roughly 25 miles to the north.
The museum is an indoor facility, so it can be visited year-round regardless of weather. Spring and fall typically offer the most comfortable conditions for travel to the Fort Gregg-Adams area.
Normandy Beaches, France
Normandy is the defining theater of the World War II campaign that the WACs supported, and Gates has investigated WWII stories across multiple Expedition Unknown episodes.
Wichita Mountains
The Wichita Mountains appear in Gates' broader American historical investigations, connecting to the domestic military and frontier heritage context explored in Expedition Unknown.
Mercer Museum, Doylestown, Pennsylvania
The Mercer Museum is another archival and artifact-rich American history site Gates visited, reflecting his recurring interest in preserved records and forgotten historical narratives.
Historical data sourced from Wikipedia