One of the exhibits at the Visitors Center

One Jackson Street, Lawrence, MA 01840
978 794-1655
Open daily 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

A restored boarding house with two floors of interactive exhibits tells the tale of Lawrence, one of the nation's first planned industrial cities. Along with stories of Lawrence's mill workers and industry, the workers' role in the 1912 Bread and Roses Strike is relived with images and sounds. Walk along the esplanade of a nineteenth-century canal and through a park created within the walls of an industrial-era building.

The Visitors Center is located in a beautifully restored 1840s boarding house that features the original beams and brickwork. You will find a turn-of-the–century kitchen, complete with antique stove and sink similar to that of the mill workers. There are amazing models of the mills and boarding houses to help visitors imagine how the community looked and functioned. Visitors can trace the routes of more than 30 immigrant populations who settled in Lawrence and can test their skills at planning their own industrial city. A video presentation of the Great Strike of 1912 tells the powerful story of nearly 30,000 workers and the nation’s labor struggles and a painting by renowned labor artist, Ralph Fasanella, titled “Lawrence 1912: The Bread and Roses Strike,” hangs as a permanent piece of the exhibit.

Pemberton Park, off Canal Street near the Central Bridge, offers superb views of the city’s mills and historic dam, and oportunities for fishing and boating. The park property is about five acres and will soon extend to the Great Stone Dam. Walking trails, lighting and benches make this park an attractive place to visit in daylight or at dusk.

Lawrence Riverfront State Park, Eaton and Everett Streets, offers tennis, basketball, street hockey courts; wooded walking trails; children’s play area and a sledding hill. Company, family or other group outings are welcomed by reservation. Bashara Boathouse offers summer sailing and instruction through the Greater Lawrence Community Boating Program (978) 681-8675.

Public Programs
The park offers free band concerts, lectures, drama performances, children’s events, games, sailing lessons, special events and guided tours. The Bread and Roses Festival on Labor Day is an annual highlight. Guided tours are offered by reservation. Assistive listening devices are available.

Park Directions
Lawrence HSP is located in northeastern Massachusetts.
• From Salem, MA: Rte. 114 west to Rte. 495 north


• From Boston: Rte. 93 north to Rte. 495 north


• From Portsmouth: Rte. 95 south to Rte. 495 south


• From Route 495 north or south: Take exit 45 (Marston Street). Take first left onto Canal Street. Go straight through lights then take second right onto Jackson Street. The Visitors Center will be on the right. A small parking lot is located in back of the Jackson Street Visitors Center on Mill Street. In addition there is a private parking garage on Appleton Street (one block west of the Visitors Center). The park is also accessible by bus and train from Boston. Call the park for train schedule.

Other Heritage State Parks
You can learn more about Massachusetts' industrial heritage at these state parks: Blackstone River and Canal HSP, Holyoke HSP, Western Gateway HSP, and Lynn HSP.