Yet another field trip to another National Park, this time Lowell. Not a lot of people would think that Lowell would have a National Park, but it is a great example of what happened all around the country during the Industrial Revolution. Not only are a lot of the buildings still there, many of them have been revitalized into new spaces.
Excavated by two of my professors (One from UMass Boston and another from Boston University) the Boott Cotton Mills Museum presents the history of the Industrial Revolution in a way everyone can understand. By using the oral histories left behind by former workers and actual artifacts from that time period, you can really get the feel of what it might have felt like. Inside the Boott is a room with a number of machines that are needed in the process of the creation of fabric. Here is a video that has only a few of the machines running:
Lowell is also known for having one of the best education centers in the National Park Service and they provide a huge variety of programs for children to attend and learn math, history, language arts, and science during. One of the programs has children weaving on a loom:
They are also in possession of Jack Kerouac’s backpack from when he went off on his tour of America. Not only was Kerouac an important poet and writer, he was also a native son. At one event, they gave away bobbleheads of him 🙂
There is also a lot of artwork in the surrounding area and a stage for performances during the summer.
All in all, Lowell is an awesome National Park and quite worthy of a visit. Go in the spring when you can ride the canal!
A Small Girl in the Great Outdoors 