Interior of the Visitor Center at Lowell National Historical Park
LOCATION AND PARKING
The Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center is located in the former Lowell Mills building (now called Market Mills) at 246 Market Street. There is free parking for legitimate park visitors in the garage at 350 Dutton Street, which is right next to the building (vehicle height must be 6′ 8″ or less to enter). Be sure to follow the signs to the National Park Service parking area. You get a ticket upon entry and must get it validated inside the Visitor Center (or the Boott Cotton Mills Museum) to avoid paying when you leave the garage. Of course, you can’t just walk into the Visitor Center and get your parking ticket stamped so you can go shopping downtown. You must pay the entrance fee for the Boott Cotton Mills Museum or one of the canal tours (which actually may be cheaper than paying to park).
Lowell Mills was built in 1906 by the Lowell Manufacturing Company for producing woolen carpets; it operated until 1914. The building was sold and occupied by various textile companies until the mid-1950s, after which time it fell into disrepair. It wasn’t until an urban renewal movement began in Lowell during the 1980s that the old mill was renovated and put to use. Today, in addition to the Visitor Center, the building houses offices and apartments.
OPERATING HOURS
Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center is open year-round, though hours may be truncated in the winter season. From Memorial Day weekend through Thanksgiving it is generally open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM. The National Park Service does not publish a schedule for the entire year, but you can get one for the current season on the official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for the park.
AMENITIES
- Ranger-staffed information desk where you can pick up a park brochure, activity schedule, and urban trail map
- Sign up and pay for tours
- Lowell History Museum
- Park film
- Book and souvenir store
- Restrooms
PARK FILM
Lowell: The Continuing Revolution, which was produced in 2015 for the park, is a 16-minute documentary about the history of Lowell from its beginning in the late 1700s up through today. It is shown every half hour in an actual movie theater, complete with a large screen and movie theater seats.
The film is a nice way to start a visit to Lowell National Historical Park, but it is not a necessity. The guided tours and museums cover much of the same story, though it is always entertaining to watch a film. There is no objectionable material, so all ages are welcome to attend.
MUSEUM
Exhibits in the Lowell Museum at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center
The museum inside the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center focuses on the history of Lowell, whereas other museums within the park are more about the Industrial Revolution and the textile industry. The room is divided into two sides, and the exhibits progress in chronological order. Start your exploration on the right side where the book and souvenir store is located. The exhibits cover the years 1821 to present day.
Exhibit covering Lowell’s history from 1860 to 1920 at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center
The majority of exhibits are information panels, so there is a good bit of reading involved. Actual artifacts, while sparse, include a power loom and a model of a loom that was submitted when the inventor applied for a patent in 1855.
Loom on display at the Lowell Museum inside the Visitor Center for Lowell National Historical Park
Model of a loom submitted with a patent application on display at the Lowell Museum inside the Visitor Center for Lowell National Historical Park
There is also an exhibit dedicated to author Jack Kerouac, a native of Lowell who grew up in the Centraville neighborhood.
Jack Kerouac exhibit at the Lowell Museum inside the Visitor Center for Lowell National Historical Park
SCHEDULING YOUR TIME
If you want to read through all of the exhibits in the museum, it takes about a half hour. Give yourself another half hour for the film and time to talk with a Ranger about what there is to see and do at Lowell National Historical Park.
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Last updated on March 27, 2026
