Attendees of a Lowell Walk get started on their tour outside of the Visitor Center.
NPS
Join Lowell National Historical Park each year for Lowell Walks, a series of guided, 90 minute tours taking place throughout historic Lowell! Reservations are not required, and all tours are FREE.
These 90-minute programs begin at 10 a.m. at the Visitor Center unless otherwise stated.
Please plan to arrive at the designated meeting place 10 minutes before the tour starts for facilities and logistics. Plan ahead, dress for the weather and remember to bring water! Free Parking is available at 350 Dutton Street in the Hamilton Canal Innovation District garage.
Lowell Walks programs have concluded for 2022. Stay tuned for notifications about our future programming!
2022
Saturday, May 7--Downtown Architecture with Stephen Stowell Meet at Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center (246 Market Street).
Join Lowell Historic Board Administrator Stephen Stowell as you explore the history and architecture of downtown Lowell as part of National Preservation Month.
Saturday, June 4--Lowell's LGBTQ+ History with Resi Polixa Meet at Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center (246 Market Street).
Join us in celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month with a special Lowell Walks on LGBTQ+ history. Explore the diverse layers of Lowell's LGBTQ+ history and how it overlaps with mill workers, immigrant neighborhoods, and more!
Sunday, June 19--Lowell's Black History with the Free Soil Arts Collective Meet at Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center (246 Market Street). This walk will begin at 12 p.m.
Join the Free Soil Arts Collective as they explore locations significant to the experience of Black people throughout Lowell's past and present.
Saturday, July 23--“Mystic Jack” Neighborhood Walk with Steve Edington Meet at Greenhalge Elementary School (149 Ennell Street).
Explore the sites Jack Kerouac writes about in his book "Visions of Gerard". Learn about Kerouac’s family history and Lowell's French-Canadian culture in the 1920s.
Saturday, August 13--Founding of Lowell with Dick Howe Meet at Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center (246 Market Street).
Join Lowell Walks founder Dick Howe in walking and talking about Lowell’s history. Learn about the city’s founding and how circumstances led to the Lowell of today.
Saturday, August 27--Mill Girl History with Tess Shatzer Meet at Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center (246 Market Street).
Join a Lowell NHP Ranger - and special guests - to explore downtown sites and learn about issues that were important in the daily lives of Lowell's 19th century "mill girls."
Canceled - Saturday, September 3--Lowell's Labor History with Bob Forrant Meet at Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center (246 Market Street).
Join UMass Lowell Professor Bob Forrant for a free walking tour to learn about the history of unions and labor struggles in the Lowell mills. Learn about the fight for fair pay, working conditions and hours and how the rise of the textile industry contributed to these issues.
Saturday, September 17--Colombians in Lowell Bilingual Tour with Sebastian Cardona Meet at the corner of Suffolk Street and Father Morrissette Boulevard.
Join Park Ranger Sebastian Cardona on this bilingual program exploring the Colombian experience in Lowell. This tour will be presented in Spanish and English.
Saturday, September 24--Sites of the Underground Railroad and the Abolition Struggle in Lowell with Jacquelynn Coles Meet at Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center (246 Market Street).
Join Jacquelynn Coles to learn about sites of the Underground Railroad and the abolition struggle in Lowell. This tour will connect you to locations rich with the history and stories of formerly enslaved peoples and Lowell’s connection to their flights for freedom.
Saturday, October 1--St. Patrick Cemetery with Dave McKean Meet at St. Patrick Cemetery (1251 Gorham Street).
Join Dave McKean and Walter Hickey as they lead a tour of St. Patrick Cemetery. Learn the history of this cemetery, founded in 1832 to accommodate the growing Irish population of Lowell.
Saturday, October 8--Jack Kerouac Centennial Tour with Steve Edington, Kurt Phaneuf, and Sean Thibodeau Meet at the Jack Kerouac Commemorative (Bridge and French Streets).
Join Sean Thibodeau, Steve Edington, and Kurt Phaneuf for a Jack Kerouac ramble around Lowell. Given in collaboration with Lowell Celebrates Kerouac Festival, this tour will highlight locations with connections to Jack Kerouac, and the city he was inspired by.
Monday, October 10--Indigenous Peoples History with Christoph Strobel Meet at Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center (246 Market Street).
Join Christoph Strobel for an Indigenous Peoples’ Day walking tour. Learn about the history and heritage of Indigenous Peoples upon whose land the city and mills of Lowell were built.
Past Seasons
2021
9/4/21 - Lowell's Labor History with Bob Forrant and Sebastian Cardona.
9/18/21 - Hamilton Canal District with Dick Howe and the City of Lowell Planning Department.
9/25/21 - Sites of the Underground Railroad and the Abolition Struggle in Lowell with Jacquelynn Coles.
10/2/21 - St. Patrick Cemetery with Dave McKean and Walter Hickey.
10/9/21 - Kerouac in Lowell with Sean Thibodeau and Kurt Phaneuf, with the Lowell Celebrates Kerouac Festival!
10/11/21 - Indigenous Peoples' Day tour with Rebecca Potter and Christoph Strobel.
10/16/21 - Boott Mills Archaeology with Kevin Coffee.
10/23/21 - Little Canada with Bob Forrant and Sebastian Cardona.
