Industry and Innovation Tour: The Mother of All Textile Mills

Our popular outdoor walking tour returns! Come see an evolution of a historic textile mill: the Francis Cabot Lowell Mill.

Curious about the old mill complex by the river? Discover the history and architecture of the world’s first modern factory, the 1813 Boston Manufacturing Company, which lies right in your own backyard! Take a walk by the river in the fresh air. Then have a delicious lunch at one of Waltham’s local eateries.

Learn how this maze of buildings developed from a single brick mill and why that humble mill was a powerhouse of industry and innovation. Hone your powers of observation as you learn to read the clues that demystify this and other mill sites in every corner of industrial New England.

This is a free, 75-minute guided tour with staff members of the Charles River Museum. Tours begin overlooking the river beneath the Charles River Museum smokestack. Follow signs from Landry Park off Moody Street or the footbridge behind Embassy parking. Meet outside our Visitor Entrance. The optimal size for this tour is up to 20 persons. Groups are welcome to contact the museum to arrange a private tour.