Citing Serious Financial Shortfalls, the American Textile History Museum Will Close Forever

Unfortunately, the American Textile History Museum in Lowell has announced it will be closing its doors permanently citing “a significant financial deficit.”

In November 2015, the museum announced that it would be closing its doors to undergo a “significant transformation.” From the press release sent in November, it was unclear when the museum would open its doors again or exactly how large was the budget deficit. In that same announcement trustees of the museum had announced a new fundraising campaign that would allow the institution to open in a much leaner and stronger phase.

Sadly, this morning we’ve learned that the American Textile Museum will close its doors forever. “This was a very difficult decision for all involved and certainly not the outcome we had hoped and worked for. However, due to serious operational challenges and financial shortfalls, our Board of Trustees has realized that this is the only responsible option,” read an email sent to friends and colleagues of the museum by ATHM Board of Trustees Chair Matthew Coggins, and Todd Smith, Interim Executive Director.

The museum has begun the process of transferring their collections to other organizations and is asking for donations to ensure that their renown collection is well taken care of. This is a huge loss for the people of Lowell and the State of Massachusetts since the American Textile History Museums boasted of one of the finest collections of textiles and related objects in the United States.

More details will be available on the museum’s website in the coming days and months.