Lowell National Historical Park
Lowell, MA
Opened Summer 1992

In the mid 19th century, Lowell, Massachusetts, was the epicenter of the world’s cotton textile industry. Much of the infrastructure of the industry is still intact today, providing a window into the American industrial revolution through such large and impressive features as power canals, rail systems, cotton mills and worker housing. The Boott Cotton Mills are the centerpiece of a multi-site urban “museum” ten years in the making.

We placed the exhibit entry point deep in the complex to immerse visitors in the 19th century. Once inside, they immediately put themselves in the shoes of factory workers by ‘punching in’ at a timeclock and traveling the well-worn path to the weave room floor, drawn by the thunderous sound of a hundred vibrating looms – earplugs are required – and the smell of oil and leather.

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The mill’s second floor tells a chronological story of the industrial city of Lowell up to today, presenting industrial history from diverse human perspectives including those of mill workers, work floor managers, technological innovators and mill owners. The experience is enlivened by the use of a wide range of media including a multi-screen slide presentation, interactive video discs for political role playing, and a great number of historically significant artifacts, documents and photographs.

The exhibition received the 1993 Dibner Prize, an international award given annually by the Society for the History of Technology to the museum exhibit that best demonstrates excellence in the interpretation of the history of technology.