Lowell National Historical Park

08/29/2026

We are celebrating all the people who preserve and protect Lowell’s sites and stories! Here are some of the different types of rangers you might encounter on a visit to Lowell National Historical Park:

🚎Our trolley operators, who run our historic trolleys.
⚙️Our weavers, who demonstrate our 100-year-old machines.
🔨🧹Our maintenance rangers, who keep our historic buildings clean and in working order.
🔎Our curatorial staff, who preserve objects in our exhibits and manage our collection.
🎤Our interpretation and education rangers, who give tours and provide information to visitors at the park.
🚨Our law enforcement rangers who protect visitors, staff, and historic resources.
🖥️Our administrative staff, who work hard behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly for the rest of us.

Do YOU want to join this awesome crew and become an honorary Lowell National Historical Park Junior Ranger? Stop by the Suffolk Mill tomorrow, Sunday August 30, between 1 and 4 p.m. for our Junior Ranger Day activities to be sworn in!


NPS Photos

08/27/2026

Summer in Lowell is a time when volunteers especially shine. As one of the longest-running free folk festivals in the country, the Lowell Folk Festival is proudly powered by volunteers and Lowell National Historical Park is proud to be a partner in this incredible community tradition. From music logging to recycling to helping visitors experience the festival, our Volunteers-in-Parks (VIPs) play an essential role in making this weekend possible. Their time, energy, and dedication help us share Lowell’s stories and culture during the best weekend of the year.

This , we’re thankful for the volunteers who show up for Lowell National Historical Park and the Lowell Folk Festival year after year. Their service helps bring Lowell’s history and culture to life and we thank you!


NPS Photo

08/26/2026

For today's edition of we are looking at some of Lowell’s urban wildlife. Lowell National Historical Park participates every year in the Dragonfly Mercury Project (DMP), a nationwide project that connects people to place and tracks mercury in the Merrimack River Watershed. We've monitored sites in Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsborough State Forest, along Black Brook, Clay Pit Brook, and at Flaggy Meadow.

Since 2021, the DMP's efforts in Lowell have engaged over 900 students and 12 community groups in an initiative to monitor mercury levels in their local watershed. Groups have helped Park staff to collect dragonfly larvae from ponds and streams to assess mercury concentrations—a concern due to mercury’s toxic effects on health and the environment.


NPS Photo

08/25/2026

Today marks the National Park Service’s 110th birthday. We are proud to be part of 110 years of preserving and protecting America’s history.

One of the crown jewels of our park is a set of machines almost as old as the National Park Service itself. Our 1920s weave room still operates today, keeping the history of Lowell alive, and giving visitors the opportunity to feel the beat of the looms when they visit the Boott Cotton Mills Museum. To celebrate the NPS birthday, visiting the museum is free today, so stop by to see what makes us a 10/10!

Visit https://www.nps.gov/lowe/planyourvisit/boott-cotton-mills-museum.htm to learn more about the museum and find when the next weave room demonstration time will be.


NPS Photo

08/24/2026

There are lots of ways to travel during your visit to Lowell National Historical Park, but the most unique is by trolley. Electric streetcars began operating in Lowell in 1889, as similar systems cropped up across the country. Trolleys transformed the way people moved around American cities and their suburbs and allowed mill workers and their families to access attractions like amusement parks and beaches.

Today, a ride on a trolley is an attraction itself! Our trolley operates from Wednesdays to Sundays, making morning runs between our Visitor Center and the Boott Cotton Mills Museum. In the afternoon, take the trolley from the Boott to the Suffolk Mill to explore our turbine exhibit.

In early fall our trolley schedule will shift, for more information and up to date schedules visit go.nps.gov/trolleys.


NPS Photo

08/23/2026

Join us next Saturday, August 29 at 10 a.m. for a ranger-led brisk 1.75-mile walk to the Pawtucket Gatehouse. Then take the chance to enter and explore this symbol of Lowell's engineering prominence.

Beginning at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum, it takes about 45-minutes to walk to the Pawtucket Gatehouse. Walk, stroll, saunter, or stride, at whatever pace you feel comfortable. After you explore the gatehouse, you can return to the downtown area at your own pace. (self-guided return trip)

The ranger and tour group will arrive at the gatehouse at approximately 11 a.m. and will keep the gatehouse open until 1 p.m. If you're not interested in the walking portion, but still want to visit the gatehouse, feel free to stop by between 11a.m. - 1p.m. The gatehouse is located at Pawtucket Falls, at one end of the School Street/Mammoth Road bridge. Please note that the historic gatehouse is not accessible and does require the ability to climb a set of stone stairs.


Photo: James Higgins

08/22/2026

Today marks the first day of , which celebrates the people, places, and stories of our nation’s parks. Throughout the week we will be highlighting park stories and staff on social media and holding special events at Lowell National Historical Park. Here’s what you can look forward to throughout the week:

🎂Tuesday August 25: Celebrate the National Park Service’s 110th birthday with FREE entry to the Boott Cotton Mills Museum.

🥾Saturday August 29: Take a brisk walk to the Pawtucket Gatehouse and explore this symbol of Lowell's engineering prominence. Leaves from the Boott Cotton Mills at 10 a.m.

⚙️Sunday August 30: Celebrate Junior Ranger day with us! Join us for a special scavenger hunt during our 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. walking tours leaving from the Visitor Center. Then from 1-4 p.m., visit the Suffolk Mill turbine exhibit for a special Jr Ranger Day program. Ride the trolley to or from the Boott Cotton Mills Museum, explore our hands on activities, and conduct an experiment. At the end of your visit, you will be able to be sworn in as a Junior Ranger!


NPS Photo

08/10/2026

Riverboat tours are still available! Discover the stories of the people who made the Merrimack River their home throughout the centuries and learn more about how the landscape has changed.

These 60-minute tours are available on select Fridays. Visit https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/300011/ticket/10253667 to make your reservation today!

To learn more about the riverboat tour and other tour offerings taking place this summer visit our website at https://www.nps.gov/lowe/planyourvisit/guidedtours.htm!


NPS Photo

08/07/2026

Don't miss our next Hands-On History: Weaving & Engineering happening on Saturday, August 8th. We've been enjoying meeting lots of new people this way who come to learn to weave. This Saturday, you will also have a chance at tackling an engineering design challenge. It's a great activity for families! Drop by between 1-4pm.

07/24/2026