Advancements in science and medicine have been pivotal to the betterment of the modern world, and many of these historical contributions were made by women. These pioneers in natural history, medical practice, and engineering blazed the trail for generations of women to come and accomplished great things amid difficult—sometimes impossible—circumstances. 

In Dorset, England, a small museum with a giant history sits along what is known as the Jurassic Coast. The Lyme Regis Museum highlights the work and discoveries of Mary Anning, a 19th-century fossil hunter credited with the first discovery of a plesiosaur.

The Nazca Lines of Peru are ancient drawings so large that many can only be seen from the air. Not far from the lines, the Maria Reiche Museum is dedicated to the German-Peruvian mathematician, scientist, and archeologist who dedicated her life to understanding and preserving these wonders. From a statue of a legendary environmentalist to a plaque dedicated to one of the first women physicians in the Netherlands, here are 12 places that celebrate extraordinary women in science.