Lowell National Historical Park News Release
Release date: Immediate
Contact(s): Phil Lupsiewicz
Phone number: 978 275-1705
Date: June 21, 2017
Release code: 17-19
Photo: NPS
2017 Summer Offerings at
Lowell National Historical Park
Lowell, MA — Summer programming is in full swing at Lowell National Historical Park. Visit Lowell and cruise the historical canals by boat and ride a trolley though downtown. Canal boat tours, trolley tours, Your City Summer, our new junior kit and program and more make your visit to Lowell the best summer ever.
Lowell National Historical Park, one of 417 units of the National Park Service, inspires and engages people in the discovery, preservation and stewardship of the human stories, tangible reminders and legacies of America’s Industrialization. The park features a historic cotton mill complex, the Boott Cotton Mills Museum with a working weave room, 5.6 miles of canals and canal walkways, operating gatehouses, and historic replica Trolleys running throughout the day.
Summer: June 17 – September 4
Exhibits: Daily
§ Visitor Center 9:00 am – 5:30 pm
§ Boott Cotton Mills Museum 9:30 am – 5:00 pm
§ Mill Girls & Immigrants Exhibit 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Boat Tours & Programs:
One boat and two trolleys operating on a daily basis, plus Riverboat for Meet us on the Merrimack on selected evenings
Working the Water Tour 11:00 Daily (1 hour 30 minutes)
Who dug the canals? Who worked the locks and gates? Discover the human force behind the power of the canal system on this 90-minute tour on the Pawtucket Canal.
*Engineering Innovation Tour 12:00 Daily (2 hours)
The city of Lowell, its mills and the canal system have been the site of exciting innovations throughout its long history. Discover why Lowell was once called a “living laboratory” on this two hour canal tour.
Transforming Landscapes Tour 2:00 & 3:00 Daily (1 hour 45 minutes)
From 1796 to the present, the canal system has played a role in changing the land around it, transforming the area from a farming community to a thriving city. This tour will follow the Pawtucket Canal to explore the remarkable changes that have occurred along its banks over the last 200 years.
Meet Us on the Merrimack 6:00-8:00 pm
(June 27 – August 18. Mon-Fri/Dates TBD) (3 rides, 20 minutes each)
Join the National Park Service for a free ride on the Merrimack River. Take a break from your stroll along the Esplanade. Need a relaxing way to end your workday? Come to the UMass Lowell Boathouse on Pawtucket Boulevard and experience the Merrimack River from a different perspective. Look for wildlife, learn about the early uses of the river, take in the sights and sounds of this remarkable resource, and find out more about what your National Park has to offer. Tickets are free and are available at the tent near the boathouse on a first-come, first-served basis.
Mill & Trolley Tour 2:30 Daily (1 hour 30 minutes)
Lowell’s founders had a plan to control the Merrimack River to power the mills. Learn how waterpower “works” to turn turbines and power machinery, while discovering some of the consequences of industrializing the river.
Hidden History Talks
Join a ranger for these short presentations on various topics that explore the “hidden history” behind the stories of Lowell.
Mill Girl & Immigrants Exhibit 12:00, 2:00 & 4:00
Boott Cotton Mills Museum 11:00, 1:00 & 3:00
Lowell Folk Festival – July 28, 29, 30
Friday, July 28 – Regular Tours & Museum Hours – Boott/MGI/Visitor Center
Saturday, July 29 & Sunday, July 30
Boott Cotton Mills Museum: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Mill Girls & Immigrants Exhibits: CLOSED
Visitor Center:
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Boat Rides – Offered at 10, 11, 12, 2, 3 & 4
VISITOR CENTER
246 MARKET STREET
9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Daily.
Begin your visit at the Visitor Center in Market Mills, one of the city’s original textile mills. Plan your exploration of the major park sites and the city’s rich industrial past. Watch “Lowell: the Industrial Revelation”, an award –winning multimedia presentation, introducing visitors to the story of Lowell. Make reservations for park tours and other programs. Learn about Lowell’s many cultural institutions and diverse array of special events that celebrate the city’s rich cultural heritages. Also check out the Children’s Corner, become a Junior Ranger, and shop in the Museum Store. Free admission.
BOOTT COTTON MILLS MUSEUM,
115 JOHN STREET
9:30 am – 5:00 pm, Daily.
Don’t miss the roar of a 1920s weave room with operating power looms! The park’s primary exhibit includes the weave room, interactive exhibits and video programs about the Industrial Revolution, labor, and the rise, fall, and rebirth of Lowell. Stop in the Boott Museum Store for a shuttle of your own.
Fees: Adults, $6.00; Youths, 6 -16 & Students $3.00; Senior Discount; Children 5 and under, free.
MILL GIRLS & IMMIGRANTS EXHIBIT,
4O FRENCH STREET
1:30 pm – 5:00 pm, Daily.
Explore the history of mill girls and the legacy of immigrants in a Boott Mills boardinghouse. The Mill Girls & Immigrants Exhibit, located in the Mogan Cultural Center, tells the human
story of the Industrial Revolution by concentrating on the working people of Lowell. Free admission.
TROLLEYS
Our historic replica trolleys run in downtown Lowell operating daily carrying visitors and students from the Visitor Center to the Boott Mills. Schedules vary, so please check for the trolley schedule at the Visitor Center Desk or trolley stops throughout town. Free.
To learn more about this and other park offerings during this, the 101st year of the National Park Service, including expanded summer offerings beginning Saturday, June 17, the Junior Ranger program, Boott Cotton Mills Museum, Mill Girls and Immigrants Exhibit, ranger-led tours, and upcoming special events stop by the Visitor Center at 246 Market Street, or contact Lowell National Historical Park at (978) 970-5000, or visit www.nps.gov/lowe .
Look for the other Park information at www.nps.gov/lowe or by calling 978-970-5000. Follow us on Twitter (LowellNPS) and like us on Facebook (@Lowell.NPS)
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