Directions & Transportation

Begin your visit at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, 246 Market Street, or at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum, 115 John Street. General information is available at either location. Information about 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

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 Broadway Street, which leads into the Visitor Center parking area. Free parking is available on the left hand side at 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

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 St., 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 LNHP Visitor Center at 246 Market Street, or at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum at 115 John Street. This parking garage is a 0.6 mile or 15 minute walk to the Boott Cotton Mills Museum.

The closest parking garage to the Boott Cotton Mills Museum is the Joseph Downes Parking Garage (75 John St.) and is 1 block away from the museum. Note: posted rates at this city garage apply.

If you park in other City of Lowell garages or if you do not show a voucher when you exit that garage, you will be charged the posted rates for City garages, as shown on the city's parking garage page.

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 Visitor Center (246 Market Street) is .6 miles from the oversized vehicle spots. 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.”