Ranger-led boat tour on the Lowell canals, Lowell National Historical Park

The National Park Service offers a variety of guided tours at Lowell National Historical Park. However, while the park Visitor Center and museums are open year-round, the tours are only held from May through October, and even then not all tours are held every month or on a daily basis. For a schedule, check the National Park Service’s official Guided Tours web page for the park. I recommend visiting the park when tours are being held, otherwise you are missing out on much of the fun.

You can explore the canals at Lowell by attending the Pawtucket Canal Tour. The boats are not wheelchair accessible, but disabled visitors who can make it down three steps with assistance are welcome on the tour. Collapsible wheelchairs can be stored on the boat.

Lowell National Historical Park also offers a Riverboat Tour on the Merrimack River that leaves from the UMass Lowell Bellegarde Boathouse at 500 Pawtucket Boulevard. The tour lasts an hour.

Fee-based tickets are required for the Pawtucket Canal Tour and the Riverboat Tour. These can be purchased at the Visitor Center on the day of your visit, or you can make a reservation in advance at Recreation.gov. I did the Pawtucket Canal Tour on a Monday in mid-August and had no problem getting a ticket at the Visitor Center, but there were seventeen passengers on the boat, not far from being full. If you know for sure when you plan to visit, be safe and make a reservation. You can get the current ticket prices on the National Park Service’s official Fees and Passes web page for Lowell National Historical Park.

There is are two land-based tours. The Suffolk Mill Tour (now called Wannalancit Mill) begins at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum and ends at the Suffolk Mill where participants can see a water-powered turbine that is still in use, as well as the River Transformed Exhibit located inside the building. There is no charge, but you must sign up at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum or call the park at (978) 970-5000 to reserve as spot in advance. The tour involves 1.5 mile of walking.

The second land-based tour at Lowell National Historical Park is A River Transformed Walking Tour, a Ranger-guided tour that follows the Merrimack River to the River Transformed Exhibit inside the Suffolk Mill. I did not attend this, so I can’t comment more on it. As with the Suffolk Mill Tour, it is free, but you must reserve a spot. The tour begins and ends at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum.

Rangers are on duty at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum to give short lectures. Furthermore, there are a variety of special events held throughout the year. See the Calendar web page for Lowell National Historical Park to find out about upcoming events.

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