Lowell Info Lowell Info

Lowell Info

The City of Lowell is the fourth largest city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Incorporated in 1836, Lowell is often cited as being America’s first planned industrial city. Lowell’s namesake, Francis Cabot Lowell, is famous for adapting English engineering plans for water powered turbines which would ultimately drive the city’s textile mills. The red brick architectural make-up of downtown Lowell, the dramatic dam at the Pawtucket falls, and the nearly 6 miles of canals downtown help its denizens hearken back to the boom years when Lowell was the epicenter of industry in America.

Lowell has struggled and changed over the years. As the north deindustrialized after World War I, Lowell’s factories slowly shuttered. The great depression took a toll as well, and Lowell was slow to move itself out from under its long shadow. The city’s resurgence as a leader in technology and cultural innovation began in the late 20th century as it welcomed new technological and educational opportunities such as Wang Industries and UMass Lowell (University of Lowell). Successive waves of immigrants to Lowell have also made their mark on its unique cultural tapestry—in fact, Lowell has the second highest population of Southeast Asians in America.

Today, Lowell boasts a thriving mix of blue collar grit and multicultural determination. There is a burgeoning arts community, and a systematic program of urban renewal is well underway. There is so much going on in Lowell it can be sometimes hard to keep track of it all. Lowell  is home to a National Historical Park,UMass Lowell, Middlesex Community College, a minor league baseball team, the Tsongas Center and Lowell Memorial Auditorium, a wealth of art galleries, museums, theatres and other cultural attractions. Some of the city’s annual festivals include the African Festival, Lowell Folk Festival, Lowell Summer Music Series, Southeast Asian Water Festival, Lowell Winterfest, City of Lights Parade & Holiday Art Stroll and Doors Open Lowell

Some of the more notable persons to have called Lowell home include (in no particular order), writer Jack Kerouac, painter James McNeill Whistler, actress Bette Davis, actress Olympia Dukakis performer Ed McMahon, senator Paul Tsongas, actor Michael Chiklis, poet Tom Sexton, boxer Micky Ward, writer Elinor Lipman, and businessman Ted Leonisis.

The following is a list of Lowell based nonprofit community organizations, news providers, and cultural, municipal, educational and recreational entities. For local history and genealogy resources and links please visit our Local History or Genealogy pages.

General

• Career Center of Lowell – A career resource for employers and job seekers.
• City of Lowell – Alive. Unique. Inspiring. – All you need to know to live, work, play and learn in the City of Lowell.
• Commonwealth Communities: Lowell – Links to Lowell information from state agencies.
• Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce
• Greater Merrimack Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau – A resource for events, tours, and meetings in the area.
• Howl Magazine – Online arts and entertainment magazine for the Mill City.
• Lowell Historical Society An organization dedicated to collecting, preserving and publishing materials related to Lowell and to encourage and promote the study of the city’s history.
• Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA) – Local buses and paratransit services.
• Lowell Sun Newspaper Lowell’s Daily Newspaper. The Pollard has back issues of this paper available on microform. Inquire at the 2nd floor reference desk.
• WCAP (980 AM) – Merrimack Valley Radio – News/talk radio for the Greater Lowell Area.
• WUML (91.5 FM) – Non-commercial College radio station owned by UMass Lowell.

Art/Concerts/Theater

• ALL – Arts League of Lowell
• Angkor Dance Troupe – The Angkor Dance Troupe develops and teaches Cambodian dance, promotes an understanding and appreciation of Cambodian culture, and provides a positive social and educational outlet for Cambodian youth.
• The Brush Art Gallery
• COOL – Cultural Organization of Lowell Lowell’s Gateway to the Arts and Creative Economy.
• Image Theatre Company.
• Lowell Celebrates Kerouac Inc. – A non-profit organization dedicated “to Jack Kerouac’s life and literature.”
• Lowell Folk Festival – “The largest free folk festival in the United States.”
• Lowell Memorial Auditorium – For concerts and theatre events.
• Lowell Summer Music Series – Music events at Boardinghouse Park, including the Children’s Corner Series.
• Merrimack Repertory Theatre – “The region’s only resident professional theatre.”
• Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell – For concerts, family events and great sports.
• UMass Lowell Research and Outreach
• Western Avenue Studios

Community Organizations

• Cameroonians of Lowell Association Inc. (CAMOLA) – non-profit aimed at helping the growing population of Africans and Cameroonians in the Greater Lowell area.
• Community Teamwork Inc – CTI’s Mission is to assist low-income people to become self-sufficient, to alleviate the effects of poverty, and to assist low-income people to participate in the decisions that affect their lives.
• Lowell Association for the Blind – LAB is a non-profit, community based organization dedicated to working with the blind and visually impaired.
• Lowell Telecommunications Corporation – A collaboration of organizations and individuals using technology to serve the citizens of Lowell, Massachusetts.
• The Lowell Hunger/Homeless Commission – Government, religious, nonprofit and business organizations coming together to end hunger and homelessness.

Education

• Lowell Schools – The Lowell Public School homepage, as well as links to individual schools, public and private.
• Middlesex Community College – Links to all their campuses, including Lowell.
• Tsongas Industrial History Center – The Center encourages the teaching of industrial history with resources for students and for teachers.
• UMass Lowell – The Lowell campus of Massachusetts’ state university system.

Government

• Elected Officials in Lowell, MA – Contact information for the Lowell School Committee, Lowell City Council, and Regional Vocational School Committee.
• Municipal Information – City Hall and other city government offices.

Museums/Parks

• Center for Lowell History
• Lowell Heritage State Park
• Lowell Historical Society – Collects, preserves and publishes materials related to Lowell.
• Lowell National Historic Park – America’s first urban national park, celebrating the American Industrial Revolution. Includes information on the Boott Cotton Mills Museum.
• The New England Quilt Museum
• The Whistler House Museum of Art – James McNeill Whistler’s birth place now houses a fine art collection emphasizing Lowell and New England artists.

Sports

• Lowell Spinners – Lowell’s Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
• Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell – For concerts, family events and great sports.

Did we miss you? If you would like your organization to be included in this list. Please email us