Boott Mills Cotton Museum

We recently made a family trip to a local museum. The museum is dedicated to life during the Industrial Revolution. The whole first floor- the Weave Room- showed what the mills looked like long ago. Original documents are displayed in frames on the wall.

There are signs like this throughout the museum, describing and even quoting the workers

Tools of the Mill workers

A real loom used in the Mill

Restored looms that are actually running! They weaved cool patterns. It was VERY noisy in this room.

Inspecting a loom (not running)

We all had ear plugs to drown out the noise in the Weave Room. We got to feel the fabric the looms made.

 Upstairs we saw tools used by farmers who lived in the South.

 We saw (and were even able to carry) large bags that slaves had to use when picking cotton.

Model of the Boott Cotton Mills

 Checking out the tools used and feeling the cotton.

Quote from a Mill worker

 Clothing worn by wealthier people.

Overseer- Basically a manager of the mills

 As we were leaving we saw girls dressed as Mill Girls. I tried to get the kids in, but they were too shy to stand with strangers.

"Mill Girls"

 Then we went out for brunch where I asked them to smile if they had fun. Guess not.

This trip was a LOT of fun. We definitely plan on going back soon. There were lots of things we didn't get to see because we were on a time crunch.