Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center — Attraction in Lowell

This is a fantastic urban National Park that helps you understand the history of Massachusetts and America during the Industrial Revolution. Lowell was a key player in Textile and shoe manufacturing, and the exhibits bring to life what was crucial to that place and era for making that happen. This is a park where you walk from building to building (sometimes on cobblestone, so don’t wear heels!) as well as have the opportunity to jump on a quick little train between sites. Also, if the weather is good, don’t miss the opportunity to take one of the guided boat rides along the canal, learning the importance of the river to the running of the factories. Amongst all of this is the current, modern world of downtown Lowell, with great restaurants, bars, coffee shops, galleries and more. Combine your visit with the annual HUGE, FREE Lowell Folk Festival, which runs the last weekend of July every year. This “folk” festival is not “American folk” (e.g., Peter, Paul, and Mary) — but folk music from all over the world! Typical examples are Nigerian, Brazilian, Celtic, Acadian, Indian, Cape Verdean, Ghanaian, etc., as well as American Delta Blues, Cajun, etc. And there are food offerings from local immigrant groups from all over the world also, such as Laotian, Portuguese, Nigerian, Greek, etc. It really is phenomenal and should be on everyone’s bucket list! The festival is also held all over downtown, at various parks, churchyards, and in the streets. LOTS of fun stuff...

Our trip to the Mill Girls Boarding house and the Boott Cotton Mills was highly informative, introducing us to a place and time we knew nothing about and were startled to learn about the working conditions in the mill and the fortitude of the women, and eventually men, who worked there. The docent at the Boarding house was engaging and passionate about the Mill Girls and their plight. She was wonderful, answering all our questions. The exhibits are very good. The cotton mill was amazing, seeing weaving machines in action. Give yourself plenty of time to view the rest of the museum as you learn the process from cotton picking to textile product. Definitely watch the video presentation in the theater as you hear about the working conditions for mill workers in the 20th century. Helpful Facts: Fully air conditioned, elevators, restrooms, water fountains. $6 adults/ $4 seniors at the mill, while the Boarding house did not require a fee. Parking: plenty of on street parking within a block or 2 of the sites. Some spots were metered, many were not. I parked a block over and walking took just a...

My partner and I visited this park Saturday, November 2nd, 2024. We were greeted kindly by the rangers at the visitor center. We were welcomed to join a tour that was organized for a group of composers who are working on period pieces based around labor and work. A few other rangers joined us on the tour through downtown Lowell and to Boott Cotton Mills Museum. Our ranger Emily was so informative and friendly, so were the other rangers. The loom demonstration was especially interesting. Just wow! My favorite part was at the end when we participated in a fun reenactment of working in the mill and trying to produce under poor conditions, faulty equipment, and lots of pressure. It showed us how the workers wanted to go on strike, but when they did, the mill owners began hiring the incoming immigrants who out of desperation would accept the pay and conditions. We laughed a lot and had a great time, while also being given a rich history and much to think about. It is clear how important this place is to Lowell and to our country. Thank you so much to...