Originating from the non-profit association Frauenwerkstatt Wiesbaden e.V., the frauen museum wiesbaden was founded by committed women from a wide range of disciplines who jointly pursued the goal of making the achievements of women in history, society, science and culture visible.

On November 7, 1984, the frauen museum wiesbaden opened the first exhibition of its kind in Wiesbaden at Nerostrasse 16 with "Life on the Move - Women in Wiesbaden from 1850 to the Present", thus laying the foundation for the frauen museum wiesbaden's research work on the importance of women in shaping society.

The spectrum of topics presented in the frauen museum wiesbaden ranged from the history of the city to witch hunts and portraits of women artists to prehistory. It soon became apparent that the existing exhibition space was too small. With the support of the Cultural Office of the City of Wiesbaden, the move to Wörthstraße 5 took place in spring 1991. On four exhibition levels and a total of 600 square meters, the frauen museum wiesbaden offers sensual exhibition experiences and exciting explorations of current and historical, international and regional, economic and socio-cultural positions. The frauen museum wiesbaden also works with changing cooperation partners to suit the respective focal themes. Many of the exhibitions are loaned out worldwide.

In addition to the exhibitions, the wide range of themes is also reflected in a broad spectrum of activities. The varied program ranges from conferences, seminars, panel discussions, readings and lectures to film projects, theater performances and dance performances. The frauen museum wiesbaden regularly organizes cultural-historical city tours and natural history walks with a special focus on the history of women in the city. A further elementary component of the objectives of the frauen museum wiesbaden are the various educational programs offered by the museum. The frauen museum wiesbaden offers a rich, lively museum education program and opens up the cultural space of the frauen museum wiesbaden to girls and boys in school and project collaborations.

In addition to research into the history of women's cities, one focus is on the scientific study of the representation of women throughout history. A particular highlight in this context was the exhibition "Language of the Goddess" in 1993. Based on the scientific work of the archaeologist Prof. Dr. Marija Gimbutas (1921 - 1994), the frauen museum wiesbaden created the first exhibition worldwide on the work of Gimbutas and the significance of finds from the various regions of ancient Europe. The exhibits from the exhibition were incorporated into the museum's collection. This unique collection includes depictions of women and goddesses from the Palaeolithic Age to the present day, with exhibits from Germany and abroad. The collection also includes contemporary art by national and international women artists as well as exhibits on everyday history and documents on the history of the city. The frauen museum wiesbaden also has a library. Publications on exhibitions at the frauen museum wiesbaden are published in a separate edition.

Since 1984, the frauen museum wiesbaden has been a lively forum for encounters, discussion, diversity and openness. With courage, commitment and creativity, the staff of the frauen museum wiesbaden carry out important social work, stimulate debates and broaden the view of society through scientific research, exhibitions and events.

Controversial in the first years of its existence, the frauen museum wiesbaden has become an integral part of Wiesbaden's museum and cultural landscape. In 1997, the successful work of the frauen museum wiesbaden was awarded the cultural prize of the state capital of Wiesbaden.