Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center and parking lot

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 a free parking lot at 304 Dutton Street, which is right next to the building. This is a gated parking lot for legitimate park guests only. You get a ticket upon entry and must get it validated inside the Visitor Center to get out.

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 in 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.

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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.

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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 Museum
• Park film
• Book and Souvenir store
• Restrooms

Visitor Center information desk and souvenir store

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. There is no set schedule, so if it is not playing when you arrive, ask a Ranger to start it for you. In general, the first show begins when the first guests arrive, and then it runs every half hour as long as there are people who want to see it. It is shown 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 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.

You can also request to see the film Lowell Blues, a film about author Jack Kerouac. Known as one of the “Beat” writers of the 1950s and best known for his book On the Road, Kerouac was born and raised in Lowell.

MUSEUM

Exhibits in the Lowell Museum

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 in the mid-1800s

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

Model of a loom submitted with a patent application

There is also an exhibit dedicated to author Jack Kerouac, a native of Lowell who grew up in the Centraville neighborhood.

Jack Kerouac exhibit

SCHEDULING YOUR TIME

If you want to read through all of the exhibits in the museum, it will take 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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