Free Admission to the Boott Cotton Mills Museum in Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Lowell, Massachusetts. LOWELL, MA - Lowell National Historical Park is waiving museum fees at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum on Monday, Jan. 19, 2015, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The Boott Cotton Mills Museum tells the story of America’s Industrial Revolution, and the rise, fall, and rebirth of Lowell. Come experience the operating 1920s weave room, and learn about the history, heritage and people of Lowell.
The Park will also offer a program that honors the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by exploring issues of social justice in the context of Lowell's history and legacy. Join a ranger at the Mill Girls and Immigrants Exhibit, 40 French Street, at 1:45 p.m. for a discussion on the early workers’ experience. Was there social justice for laborers in Lowell? Francis Cabot Lowell and the mill owners in Lowell thought that they had created a utopian vision for industrial society. This 30-minute discussion will explore the realities of that society through the lives of some of the early workers. Did the transition to factory life represent opportunity or oppression? Join us and decide for yourself.
In addition to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 19), the fee-free days scheduled in 2015 are Presidents Day weekend (February 14-16), opening weekend of National Park Week (April 18-19), the National Park Service’s Birthday (August 25), National Public Lands Day (September 26), and Veterans Day (November 11).
The Boott Cotton Mills Museum at Lowell National Historical Park is open daily from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. The Mill Girls and Immigrants Exhibit is open daily from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to begin their visit to the Park at the Visitor Center, open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at 246 Market Street. Free parking is available near the Visitor Center at 304 Dutton Street.
For more information about Lowell National Historical Park visit www.nps.gov/lowe or call 978-970-5000. For information about national parks nationwide that are participating in fee-free events during these same days, please visit www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm.
The National Park Service commemorates the story and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. throughout the country. Visit the place of his birth in Atlanta, Georgia at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. Get inspired by Dr. King’s message at the site of one of his most famous speeches, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Follow the history of Dr. King and the famous 1965 Voting Rights March through Alabama along the Selma to Montgomery National Historical Trail.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
