Plan Your Visit

The Boott Cotton Mills Museum

NPS/Andrew Donovan

 

Welcome to Lowell National Historical Park

The story of Lowell is a powerful experience within a landscape that has much to offer visitors. Here we tell the stories of innovation in technology and engineering and of people who came from faraway lands looking to make a better life for themselves and their families. Lowell offers unique experiences for all types of visitors throughout the year. What kind of visitor are you?

 

A group of visitors looking at a Power Loom

NPS/Jen Myers

Time Traveler:

Fascinated by connections between our past and present? You’ve hit the jackpot. Dig into the living legacies of the Industrial Revolution with interactive programs and explorations.

• Get an insider’s look at life in the mills at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum and catch a live demonstration in the 1920s era weave room.
• Discover what life outside of the factory life was like for the 19th-century Mill Girls and visit the Into an 1840s Boarding House exhibit at the Patrick J. Mogan Cultural Center.
• Explore two centuries of hard work and innovative engineering on a ranger led Canal Tour or Trolley Tour.
• Grab a map of the Canalways and walk through the history of Lowell’s waterpower, preservation, and urban design.

You can find a full list of our current operating hours here.

 

Visitors enjoying the night life in Lowell

NPS/Andy Pearson

Urban Explorer:

Ready to immerse yourself in the city? Grab a map and dive in. Fill up an afternoon or weekend with arts, culture, and global food, or a stroll off the beaten path.

• Explore how culture shapes and connects people and communities using stories of Lowell from across time in the One City, Many Cultures exhibit at the Patrick J. Mogan Cultural Center.
• Pack your day with Lowell’s museums and galleries, from the Boott Mills to the Whistler House, the Brush Gallery to Western Avenue Studios (and tons more!)
• This city loves a party. Year round festivals celebrate Lowell’s global cultures and rich history.
• Stroll the Merrimack River Walk, where Lowell’s industrial past meets a powerful natural landscape.

 

Youth enjoying the Boott Cotton Mills weave room

NPS/Andy Pearson

Kid at Heart:

Planning a fun day with the kids? Lowell’s your playground! From hands-on activities to trolley rides, we’ve got lots for kids and grownups to explore together.

• Make LNHP your headquarters for creative learning with our series of free Your City drop-in programs, plus lots of kid-friendly special events.
• All aboard! Ride the rails on our four historic trolleys, operating March through November.
• Ask a park ranger for a free Junior Ranger activity book, the explore your national park to earn a badge.

 

Lowell residents posing for a picture

NPS/Andy Pearson

Local Expert:

Is Lowell your neighborhood? Come hang out! Whether you want to get involved or cross that tour off your bucket list, the park’s your hub for local happenings.

• Experience your city on a whole different level (or show off to out-of-towners) with a Canal Tour, May–October.
• Get behind the scenes: volunteers and interns help with programs, research, the Folk Festival, and more!
• Check our calendar for special events. From evening films to dance performances to citywide festivals, there’s a lot going on at your park.