LOWELL, MA -On May 13 through May 15, Lowell is throwing open its doors again during National Preservation Month. The ninth offering of Doors Open Lowell provides an inside look at numerous historic buildings, many not normally open to the public. The buildings, located throughout Lowell’s downtown historic district, will be open Friday evening or Saturday. Doors Open Lowell is sponsored by Lowell Historic Board, Lowell National Historical Park, Lowell Heritage Partnership, City of Lowell, Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Cultural Organization of Lowell.
Doors Open events happen annually in over 47 countries and Lowell was the first city in the United States to launch this prestigious event dedicated to built heritage, architecture, and design in 2002. For more information on the international participation in “Doors Open" visit MSNBC at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36508215/ns/travel-tips/During Doors Open Lowell 2010, here is a look at the offerings of Lowell National Historical Park:
Thursday May 13 at Boott Cotton Mills Museum 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Reception as kick off to Doors Open Lowell including the opening of “Preservation Then & Now" exhibit and Community Awards presentation with Lowell Heritage Partnership. An RSVP required @ (978) 275-1700.
Friday, May 14
• Kirk Street Agents House. Park headquarters at 67 Kirk Street is one of the Friday evening sites including several others along Kirk Street. Open from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
• The Park Visitor Center, 246 Market Street, will be open through 9:00 pm for event information.
Saturday, May 15
• Explore the Pawtucket Gatehouse with a Park Ranger from Lowell National Historical Park and Dr. Patrick M. Malone, author of the recently released book, “Waterpower in Lowell: Engineering and Industry in Nineteenth Century America". This gatehouse, a National Historic Civil and Mechanical Engineering Landmark, holds the intact Francis Turbine and related power transfer system used to raise the gates for canal system water control. Open 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
• Lowell Then & Now Walking Tour: 1:00 to 2:30 pm with Chuck Parrott, Lowell National Historical Park Architect, starting at the Boott Cotton Mills Courtyard, 115 John Street.
• River Transformed Exhibit: Open 3:00 - 5:00 pm. 600 Suffolk Street. Featuring original 19th century turbines and water raceways that are still visible to the public. Learn how industrialists and engineers viewed and harnessed the power of the Merrimack River to drive Lowell’s textile mills. Explore the history of the watershed, the human uses of the river system, and the impacts of industrialization on the river.
• Preservation Then & Now exhibit in partnership with Historic New England. Open: 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum Gallery, 115 John Street.
• Lowell First Bloom Program at Moody Street Feeder Gatehouse, Merrimack and Dutton Streets, with local students. First Bloom is a national conservation education program from the National Park Foundation that reaches out to urban youth in their communities to teach them the science of native plants, encouraging them to protect the environment in America’s celebrated national parks and in their own backyards. First Bloom was created by the National Park Foundation to honor the conservation legacy of Lady Bird Johnson and connect it with the legacy of another First Lady, Mrs. Laura Bush, who was the first Honorary Chair of the National Park Foundation. The Lowell First Bloom program is supported in partnership between Lowell National Historical Park, the Tsongas Industrial History Center, Community Teamwork, Inc, and Keep Lowell Beautiful Community Gardens Greenhouse. Time 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm.
Ongoing park operations
• Saturday, Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center at 246 Market St. Open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
• Boott Cotton Mills Museum Exhibit, 115 John St, open 9:30 am - 4:30 pm, fees apply.
• Trolleys operating from Boott Mills to Wannalancit Mills primarily and occasional runs to Lower Locks. Hours: 10:00 - 5:00
Doors Open Lowell is a celebration of urban living and culture where people and preservation have made Lowell a creative and exciting place to live and work. Tour everything from residential lofts in 19th century commercial buildings to offices and homes within former textile mills to historic civic and community buildings still in use today. Look for returning favorites this year as well as exciting new additions to the roster of participating buildings.
The full event program guide will be available at the event’s website at www.doorsopenlowell.org, in the Wednesday May 12 edition of the Lowell Sun, and will also be available at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center. For more information, call (978) 970-5203.
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Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
