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Tsongas Industrial History Center

Update

The Tsongas Industrial History Center is currently offering facilitated (synchronous) virtual field trip programs throughout the 2021-2022 school year. Please call 978-970-5080 to reserve your program.

At this time, we are not able to offer in-person field trips. We will continue to evaluate our capacity to do so within federal space regulations.

We are currently booking virtual field trips and will do so for the entire 2021- 2022 school year.

You may be looking for on-site field trips, but we encourage you to book Virtual Field Trips, as we anticipate high demand once on-site field trips resume. Virtual Field Trips guarantee an engaging curricular experience for students no matter what the year ahead brings. If you book a Virtual Field Trip, and it turns out we can offer on-site field trips, we will work with you to rebook your program(s), if desired, as availability allows.

We will take reservations at some point (exact date TBD) for on-site field trip programs taking place in 2022 if public health conditions permit. Watch for an update on November 1, 2021.

Celebrating 30 years of the Tsongas Industrial History Center, 1991-2021

Young boy working on a loom
Weaving in our Bale to Bolt workshop.
Mill girl speaking to school children
TIHC Campers meet a mill girl in 2014.
Two young girls and a young boy in period garb on floor doing activity
Students examine the differences between farm life and boardinghouse life in our Change in the Making workshop.
Group of students in front of school bus on sidewalk
Staff greeting school busses in 1994.
Two women operating water wheel
Teachers in an NEH-sponsored Landmarks workshop learn about water power in our Power to Production workshop.
Seven teachers standing around map
Teachers from across the country join us in Lowell for a week of learning in our “Inventing America” NEH workshop and mark their towns on a map.
Don Pierson at podium
Former UMass Lowell School of Education Dean and Provost Don Pierson explains the history of the Center’s partnership planning at a staff professional development session.
Student with Industrial Watershed Groundwater Tanks
UMass Lowell UTeach students get experience teaching science programs to students in our Science Lab.
Tsongas staff with chancellor at Pillars of Excellence ceremony
In 2019, TIHC won a UMass Lowell Pillar of Excellence Award for “Leveraging our Legacy and Our Place,” from left, Patti McCafferty, Susan Diachisin, Ellen Anstey, Chancellor Jacquie Moloney, and Sheila Kirschbaum.
2015 photo of staff
Staff photo from a busy spring in 2015.
Three men offer a toast
U.S. Rep. Chet Atkins, U.S. Sen. Paul Tsongas and first TIHC Director Ed Pershey share a toast to an early accomplishment at the Center.
Members of UML hockey team
In 2015, the UMass Lowell hockey team visited to learn some Lowell history in our Workers on the Line program.
Three children in front of mural of city buildings
Students learn about different immigrant groups who came to Lowell in our Yankees and Immigrants program.
Girl waving to someone on a computer while remote learning

Virtual Field Trips

Interactive, "live" online programs for students - in class or at home.
Boy working on a computer

Remote Learning Modules

Modules are ready for Google Classroom: primary and secondary sources, photographs, videos, questions, and writing prompts.
Artist's rendering of mills in Lowell

Teaching Resources

Activities, lesson plans, and multimedia resources. Read more.
Black and white photo of Boott Mill workers

Primary Resources

A database of historic documents, maps, and images.

Visit or interact with us!

A hands-on learning center

Watch the video to see how students “do” history and science at TIHC.

Read more about us!

Teenagers and instructor at a loom learning how to weave at the Tsongas Industrial History Center

Field Trips

Students participate in hands-on learning activities and visit sites where history was made.

Check Out Our Field Trips

Woman working togther laughing around a table

Professional Development

The TIHC offers a variety of engaging professional development opportunities that meet the needs of history, science, and English language arts teachers.

Learn More About Professional Development

School-age kids holding nets on a field trip with the Tsongas Industrial History Center

Summer Camps

Explore history, science, and nature at TIHC’s summer camps.

Check Out Our Summer Camps

Online Resources

  • Teachers and families: Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for some fun and interactive online resources to share with your students. We are posting videos, photos, and other resources to continue learning online.
  • What can we learn about how people have secured equitable political representation in the United States by examining case studies from Lowell's past and present? Find out by participating in our new webinar series this fall.

News

More News
  • UMass Lowell logo
    UMass Lowell
  • The Tsongas Industrial History Center is an education partnership between the University of Massachusetts Lowell School of Education and the National Park Service at Lowell National Historical Park.
  • National Park Service logo. The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.
    National Park Service