Passengers board the National Park Service boat for a cruise on the Merrimack River, Lowell National Historical Park

The National Park Service offers a one-hour cruise on the Merrimack River on select days from mid-June through the end of August. Be sure to get the current schedule on the official Guided Tours web page for Lowell National Historical Park. The cruise leaves from the UMass Lowell Bellegrade Boathouse at 500 Pawtucket Boulevard. There is plenty of free parking available next to the building.

UMass Lowell Bellegrade Boathouse in Lowell, Massachusetts

There is no charge for the Riverboat Tour, but reservations are required. You can sign up at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center on the day of your visit, or you can make a reservation in advance online at Recreation.gov. There is a $1 per ticket service charge for online reservations. Being free and a boat cruise, the Riverboat Tour is quite popular. If you know in advance when you will be visiting the park, splurge and make your reservation online.

The Riverboat Tour is a leisurely trip on the Merrimack River. The dock is at the midway point of the journey, so the boat first heads upriver about three miles, then turns around and heads downriver to the Pawtucket Dam. In all, the cruise covers about four miles of the river. There are no stops where passengers get off the boat to visit an attraction, but there is a park Ranger on board who talks about the history of Lowell and provides a narration about what you will see along the riverbanks.

View of the Merrimack River from the National Park Service’s boat cruise, Lowell National Historical Park

The highlight of the cruise for those interested in history is the Pawtucket Dam. From the boat, the dam looks like an infinity pool and is thus not very interesting to view, but you can see the Pawtucket Dam Gatehouse (long, brick building) that was built between 1846 and 1848 to control the flow of water into the Northern Canal. The orangish building to its right was once the blacksmith shop used by the men who maintained the dam. The Ranger was not sure if the building was empty or was being used to store maintenance equipment, but she was sure that it is not open to the public. The Gatehouse still functions as a gatehouse and is not open to the public either.

Pawtucket Gatehouse and Blacksmith Shop in Lowell, Massachusetts

Pawtucket Dam and Gatehouse viewed from the Merrimack River in Lowell, Massachusetts

When you get back on land, there is a great view of the dam from the Gatehouse itself, but unfortunately there is no parking nearby. If you don’t mind some exercise, take the Riverwalk Ramble, a 4.6-mile round trip walk that begins at the Boott Cotton Mills and ends at the Guard Locks and Francis Gate. The route runs right past the gatehouse and the blacksmith shop.

View of the Pawtucket Dam from the Pawtucket Gatehouse in Lowell, Massachusetts

If it is a little chilly out when you do the Riverboat Tour, it is going to be very cold on the boat due to the wind, so dress accordingly. It was a pleasant 70 degrees when I did the trip, perfect for walking around in a T-shirt and shorts. Well, I was fooled into thinking no jacket was necessary. It was damn cold once the boat started moving.

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