Lowell
National Historical Park
Lowell Summer Music Festival | Lowell Folk Festival
Images
of Lowell | Volunteering at
the Park | Press Releases
| Tsongas
Center School Programs
Today's Weather
Forecast (NWS)
The history of America's Industrial Revolution is
commemorated in Lowell,
Massachusetts. The Boott Cotton Mills Museum with its operating weave room of 88 power
looms, "mill girl" boardinghouses, the Suffolk Mill Turbine Exhibit and guided
tours tell the story of the transition from farm to factory, chronicle immigrant and labor
history and trace industrial technology. The park includes textile mills, worker housing,
5.6 miles of canals, and 19th-century commercial buildings.
- VISITATION:
- Approximately 500,000 people visit Lowell National Historical Park
every year. Most of the visitation occurs during the summer months when the canal tours
and several special events are offered.
-
- LOCATION:
- Lowell National Historical Park is 26 miles north of Boston. It is
easily accessible from several major highways such as Route 3 and Interstate 495. It is
within driving distance of Minuteman National Historical Park, Salem Maritime National
Historical Site, and Boston National Historical Park.
-
- ADDRESS:
- Lowell National Historical Park
- 67 Kirk Street
Lowell, MA 01852-1029
- TELEPHONE:
- (978) 970-5000 (Voice)
(978) 970-5002 (TDD)
-
- EMERGENCIES:
- 911 or (978) 937-3200
-
- OPERATING HOURS, SEASONS:
- The Visitor Center is open year round 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
During the summer season the hours of the Visitor Center are extended. The Boott Cotton
Mills Museum and Working People Exhibit hours vary by season. Call ahead
for specific exhibit hours. Park is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day.
-
- CLIMATE, RECOMMENDED CLOTHING:
- The weather varies from season to season. The summers are generally
warm while the winters can be cold with wind, ice, and snow. Please wear comfortable
walking shoes, and dress according to the weather.
-
- TRANSPORTATION:
- To Park: to drive to Lowell National Historical Park take the Lowell
Connector from either Route 495 (Exit 35C), or Route 3 (exit 30A) to Thorndike Street
(Exit 5B). Follow brown and white "Lowell National and State Park" signs. Free
parking is available in the visitor parking lot next to Market Mills. Commuter rail
service is available from Boston's North Station to Lowell's Gallagher Terminal. Lowell
Regional Transit Authority shuttles run between Gallagher Terminal and downtown Lowell
every half hour. Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Saturday 10:00 a.m. to
4:00 p.m.
In Park: from March to November ride the trolley between park sites! The trolley shuttles
visitors between the Visitor Center and the Boott Cotton Mills Museum and Working People
Exhibit. Schedules are available in the Visitor Center, Boott Mills, and are posted at the
trolley stops. -
-
- FEES, COSTS, RATES:
- Canal boat tours run seven days a week from late June to Labor Day (and
on a reduced schedule from Labor Day to Columbus Day). (Tours are not offered during
the Lowell Folk Festival which is held the last full weekend in July). Pawtucket Canal Tours
(1.25 hours in length); Adults $4.00; Youths 6-16 $2.00; Senior Discount; Children 5 and
under free. Admission to the Boott Cotton Mills Museum; Adults $4.00; Youths 6-16 $2.00;
Senior Discounts; Children 5 and under are free. Mill and Canal Tours and Canal and
River Cruises (2 hours in length); Adults $6.00; Youths 6-16 $4.00; Senior
discount; Children 5 and under free. Check out the park package program which reduces the
fee for the Boott Cotton Mills Museum.
-
- FACILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES:
Visitor Center/Exhibits:
- Visitor Center: Begin your visit at Market Mills, the former Lowell
Manufacturing Company mill complex, one of the city's original textile mills. Market Mills
houses the National Park Visitor Center, where you can make reservations for tours,
purchase tour tickets, explore exhibits, and view the award-winning video program, Lowell:
The Industrial Revelation. Boott Cotton Mills Museum: Experience the roar of a 1920s weave
room exhibit with operating power looms! The Boott Cotton Mills Museum includes the weave
room plus interactive exhibits and video programs about the Industrial Revolution, labor
and the rise, fall, and rebirth of Lowell. Also in the Boott Mill, check for daily
happenings at the Tsongas Industrial History Center, Boott Gallery, New England Folklife
Center, and the Lowell Historical Society.
Working People Exhibit: The Working People Exhibit tells the human story of the Industrial
Revolution by concentrating on the working people of Lowell. Housed in a Boott Mill
boardinghouse this exhibit explores the history of "mill girls" and immigrants.
Located in the Patrick J. Mogan Cultural Center, 40 French Street. Hours vary by season.
Free.
-
- BASIC VISIT RECOMMENDATIONS:
- Plan to spend a full day at Lowell National Historical Park. If
planning to take any kind of canal tour, please call ahead for reservations. For
information about area lodging, contact the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and
Visitors Bureau at 1-800-443-3332.
-
- SPECIAL EVENTS, PROGRAMS:
- There are numerous special programs that run throughout the entire
year at Lowell National Historical Park. Attend the Lowell Folk Festival the last full
weekend in July. Tsongas Center Programs and Kid's Week in February and April are popular
with school children from ages 6-16.
-
- ADJACENT VISITOR ATTRACTIONS:
- Brush with History Art Gallery & Studios, (978) 459-7819;
Whistler Museum, (978) 452-7641; New England Folklife Center, (978) 970-5190; New England Quilt Museum, (978)
452-4207; Oblate Historical Museum, (978) 458-6346; American
Textile History Museum, (978) 441-0400.
-
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
- For more information, please feel free to write (or E-mail (include name and address)) for a basic
information packet: Lowell National Historical Park, 67 Kirk Street, Lowell, MA
01852-1029. Information on park schedule and conditions, or park facilities can be
obtained by calling our information line at (978) 970-5000 (Voice); (978) 970-5002 (TDD).
You are visitor #
05/25/1999 03:23 PM
http://www.nps.gov