Lowell National Historical Park News Release
Release date: Immediate
Contact(s): Phil Lupsiewicz
Phone number: (978) 275-1705
Date: April 2, 2018
Release code: 18-12
Photo: NPS
April is full of Free Family Fun –
National Park Week at Lowell National Historical Park
Lowell, Massachusetts. — April in Lowell is all about family fun, wellness, and Earth Day. The Boott Cotton Mills Museum will be fee-free on April 21st, for National Park Week, an annual celebration of “America’s best idea” in more than 400 national park sites across the country. In addition to park events, PLAYcation Lowell returns with numerous programs. Check out all the free family fun happening in Lowell during April and National Park Week:
· Hands-On History: Saturday, April 14th. Lowell National Historical Park is back for another month of free family fun exploring the Boott Cotton Mills Museum and the Tsongas Industrial History Center. Stop by the Center on the 3rd floor of the Boott Cotton Mills Museum (110 John Street) anytime from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. This month’s Hands-On History offers an afternoon of engineering! Think like an engineer in the design, build, and test challenge.
· Wellness on the Walkways: Family Photography Walk, Saturday, April 15th. Bring the family for a free 90-minute walk and phototography stroll through downtown Lowell. Meet at the Visitor Center at 11:00 a.m.
- A Short History of Social Media in Lowell: Bloggers, Tweeters, and Facebookers: Sunday, April 15th. Since the mid-2000s, Lowell and the world have been disrupted in good and bad ways by the coming of new media forms that have empowered individuals and communities. Listen to the founders of the popular RichardHowe.com blog talk about this ongoing phenomenon. 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Visitor Center.
· Wellness on the Walkways: Night Sky Program, Tuesday, April 17th. Spend t the evening with us, build star wheels, and take a walk under the stars. Explore the history of astronomy in Lowell and “human computers” who created the technology for exploring space. Limited copies of the Junior Ranger Night Explorer activity guide will also be available. Meet at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum at 7:30 p.m. 90-minute program.
- Fee-free day at Boott Cotton Mills Museum: On Saturday, April 21st (the first day of National Park Week), bring the family for a free visit to the museum, experience the sights and sounds of an operating 1920s weaveroom, and discover the stories of Lowell’s mills and workers. The Boott Cotton Mills Museum is open daily 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Junior Ranger Day and Your City Saturday: Saturday, April 21st. Explore, Learn, Protect! Kids can take part in a museum scavenger hunt, earn a badge and certificate, and become a Lowell National Historical Park junior ranger. 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Visitor Center and Boott Cotton Mills Museum.
- Celebrate Earth Day: Lowell Earth Day celebration is on Sunday, April 22. The celebration is sponsored by UMass Lowell and presented by the university and community partners. The celebration kicks off with a parade from the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center at 12 noon on Sunday, April 22. The parade will finish at UTEC Lowell (35 Warren Street) where the Earth Day Festival will take place from 12 noon to 4:00 p.m. For more on Lowell’s Earth Day, visithttp://www.lowellearthday.org/.
- Points of Light Floating Lantern Celebration: Join the fun Saturday, April 28th from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the 2nd Annual Points of Light Floating Lantern Celebration, a free celebration of unity and renewal bringing together the food, music, and traditions of Lowell’s diverse cultures. Participants will personalize water lanterns that are released onto the Western Canal, creating hundreds of floating points of light. The event takes place at Ecumenical Plaza, between St. Patrick Church and Holy Trinity Church along Suffolk and Lewis Streets. City street parking is free after 6 p.m.
At the Park, free parking is available at the Visitor Center lot at 304 Dutton Street (a 10-15 minute walk to the Boott Cotton Mills Museum). Paid parking is available one block from the museum with on-street metered parking, or the city parking garage at John and French Streets.
For more information on PLAYcation events and activities, visit www.lowellkidsweek.org/. To learn more about park offerings, the Junior Ranger program, the Boott Cotton Mills Museum, the Mill Girls and Immigrants Exhibit, ranger-led tours, and upcoming special events stop by the Visitor Center at 246 Market Street, contact Lowell National Historical Park at (978) 970-5000, or visit www.nps.gov/lowe.
– NPS –
