Directions & Transportation

 

Begin your visit at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum (115 John Street) or at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center (246 Market Street). General information is available at either location. Information about hours and additional park sites can be found here.

 

Getting to the Boott Cotton Mills Museum

The directions below take you directly to the Boott Cotton Mills Museum. Paid parking is available across the street from the Museum in the Downes Parking Garage (75 John Street). Note: Free parking is available at the Hamilton Canal Innovation District Parking (350.4 Dutton St.) which is 0.6 miles away from the Boott Cotton Mills Museum.

From Interstate Route 495 take Exit 89C on to the Lowell Connector

From Route 3 take Exit 80A if traveling southbound, Exit 80B if traveling northbound.

• Take the Lowell Connector to Exit 5B Thorndike Street.
• Continue right on to Thorndike Street, which becomes Dutton Street.
• Take a turn right at the corner of Dutton and Merrimack Street
• Take the 2nd left onto John St. Paid parking is available at the Downes Garage (75 John St.) on your right. The Museum is at the end of the street, 1 block away from the garage.

 

Getting to the Visitor Center

The directions below take you directly to the Hamilton Canal Innovation District Parking Garage (350.4 Dutton St.) which is a short walk from the Visitor Center. Parking validation is available at the Visitor Center and Boott Cotton Mills Museum.

From Interstate Route 495 take Exit 89C on to the Lowell Connector

From Route 3 take Exit 80A if traveling southbound, Exit 80B if traveling northbound.

• Take the Lowell Connector to Exit 5B Thorndike Street.
• Continue right on to Thorndike Street, which becomes Dutton Street.
• Take a turn right at the corner of Dutton and Canal Street.
• Take the first left, looking for signs for National Park Service parking.
• Free parking is available on the right hand side in the Hamilton Canal Innovation District Parking Garage.
• After you park head towards the closest brick mill building and follow signs for the Visitor Center. Continue walking through the courtyard. The Visitor Center will be on your left.
• To take advantage of the free parking, show your ticket to the Ranger on duty at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum so they can provide a QR code to let you out of the garage cost-free.

 

Parking

Paid parking is available in the Joseph Downes city parking garage, located at 75 John Street, one block from the Boott Cotton Mills Museum. 2-hour metered, street parking is available throughout the city, with free services offered on Sunday's and holidays.

Disability designated parking spaces are provided in the city parking garage at 75 John Street. The garage has a height limitation of 6'8" for vehicles. Vehicles that display disability license plates or a hanging placard may also park at no cost in any designated parking space within the City of Lowell.

Lowell National Historical Park visitors arriving in vehicles no larger than 6'8" in height may park at the Hamilton Canal Innovation District parking garage at 350 Dutton Street, Lowell. Parking in this garage (only) is available to National Park visitors at no cost provided they obtain a valid parking voucher at either the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center at 246 Market Street, or at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum at 115 John Street.

Visitors with oversized vehicles (busses, RVs, etc.) can park on the north side of Father Morissette Boulevard between Aiken Street and University Avenue. NPS spots are marked with signs. The Boott Cotton Mills Museum (115 John Street) is .6 miles from the oversized vehicle spots.

 

Public Transportation

Commuter rail service is available from Boston's North Station to Lowell's Gallagher Terminal. View the MBTA schedule for the Lowell Line. Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA) shuttles buses run between Gallagher Terminal and downtown Lowell Monday through Saturday. Please view the schedule for the LRTA “Downtown Shuttle.”