Top 15 Best Things to Do in Lowell Massachusetts (2025)

You’ll find plenty of things to do in Lowell MA, includinglearning about the Industrial Revolution, exploring the hidden Mill No. 5 streetscape, visiting a museum, or taking in a show.

Although once a depressed mill town, Lowell, Massachusett’s fifth-largest city, has transformed into a vibrant center for art, music, and history.

Nowhere is this transformation more on display than in Lowell’s Canalway Cultural District, roughly between Middlesex, Thorndike, and Dummer Streets and the Merrimack River. Here, you’ll find a central downtown that takes on characteristics of nearby Boston – with its cobbled streets, ubiquitous red brick buildings, and a budding hip urban vibe.

While most visitors to Lowell come to learn about the city’s fascinating role in the Industrial Revolution with a visit to its National Historical Park, there’s more to do and explore. Art galleries and enjoyable restaurants, artisan shops, and music and theater performances are scattered throughout the downtown.

15 FUN things to do in Lowell MA

Here are fifteen of the best things to do in Lowell MA:

Visit a restored cotton mill from the Industrial Revolution

Lowell wears its roots in the Industrial Revolution with pride and visiting historical sites is among the best things to do in Lowell MA.

In 1826, the city was incorporated as a mill town, one of the first in the United States, primarily spinning cotton into cloth. It was here, and in neighboring towns, where the Industrial Revolution took root in the United States, ushering in an era of industry.

Visitors can learn about and experience Lowell’s mills at theBoott Cotton Mills Museum, a part of theNational Historical Park.

The museum’s Weave Room is the most exciting exhibit, with its eighty 1920s power looms in action. As you enter this enormous factory space, the sound of the machines will overwhelm your senses, giving you an understanding of what working conditions were like for mill workers during the 19th and early 20th centuries. (115 John Street)

Be sure to also stop at the Mill Girls Boarding House exhibit within theMorgan Cultural Centeralso within the National Historical Park. Here, you’ll learn what life was like for the hundred or more girls who moved to Lowell to work the machines for six days a week, 12-14 hours. The exhibit includes a dining room showcasing what the girls ate as well as a glimpse into their crowded bedrooms. (40 French Street)

Shop, dine, and watch a movie at Mill No. 5

One of the most unique things to do in Lowell MA is to visit the hidden treasure,Mill No. 5.

Described as a lively indoor streetscape, this 4th and 5th floor of an old factory building contains storefronts of various themes and styles, making you feel like you’ve entered a small village.

Inside, you’ll find a cafe, soda fountain, multiple boutiques, book and record shops, photography and music studios, an independent cinema, and a farmer’s market on Sundays.

Although Mill No. 5 is only fully open on the weekends, weekday visitors can still enjoy the resident cafe,Coffee and Cotton, from 10 AM – 8 PM Wednesday to Friday, on Saturdays from 9 AM – 8 PM, and on Sundays from 9 AM – 5 PM. The warm, welcoming space is popular among remote workers or colleagues getting together.

Beware that finding Mill No. 5 can take some effort – walking right past it is easy. But once you’ve found the large number 5 outside the entrance, step inside and follow the enormous illuminated arrow leading you to the elevators, which will take you to the fourth and fifth floors.

Mill No. 5 is open Thursday and Friday from 5 PM – 8 PM, Saturday from noon – 8 PM, and Sunday from 11 AM – 6 PM, although additional hours vary by shop. (250 Jackson St. No. 401)

Check out Lowell’s arts and crafts scene

Lowell has nurtured a creative community within itsCanalway Cultural District, making it a haven for artists and craft makers.

You’ll find numerous art galleries scattered throughout the city center. Forexample, The Brushis a gallery within the National Historical Park that showcases a variety of arts and crafts and houses eleven studio artists (256 Market Street). Gallery Z, just across the street, is a cooperative art gallery with a cafe and theater (167 Market Street). And one street over, you’ll find the cooperative art gallery,Ayer Lofts(172 Middle Street).

Slightly further afield is theWestern Avenue Studios. This former mill building provides both studio space and living quarters for more than 350 artists. Here, you can visit individual artist studios and attend events. (122 and 160 Western Avenue)

Visit a unique museum

In addition to the museums within the National Historical Park, Lowell MA has an art and two niche museums in its city center.

TheWhistler House Museum of Art, just steps from the National Historical Park, is a restored 19th-century home showcasing 19th and 20th-century American art, emphasizing New England artists. It is also the preserved birthplace of artist James McNeill Whistler. Hours are Wednesday through Friday, 11 AM – 4 PM, and admission is $12 for adults, students, and seniors, $8, and children under 12 free. There’s an additional small fee for a docent-led tour. (243 Worthen Street)

Just across from the Historical Park’s Visitor’s Center is theNational Street Car Museum’s Lowell branch. While the museum’s headquarters is in Kennebunkport, Maine, this location provides a small representation of the preserved streetcars in the museum’s collection. Hours are Saturdays and Sundays, 11 AM – 4 PM, and admission to the museum is $3; seniors and youth ages 3-12 are $2. (25 Shattuck Street)

A few steps away on the same street is theNew England Quilt Museum, which showcases antique and contemporary quilts exhibits. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM – 4 PM; admission is $9, with children under 12 free. (18 Shattuck Street)

Explore Cambodia Town

If you’re up for an adventure off the beaten track, a stop in Lowell’s Cambodia Town is worth a visit. Lowell has the highest concentration of Cambodians in the United States at 20,000, many of whom are refugees or descendants of refugees from the Khmer Rouge’s 1970s genocide.

You won’t find a definite neighborhood in Cambodia Town as you might in, say, the Chinatowns in other cities. Instead, Cambodia Town is primarily made up of a few strip mall stores selling Cambodian products, art, clothing, groceries, and numerous restaurants.

This ethnic neighborhood is considered to be between Branch, Middlesex, and Westford Streets. But you’ll find most stores and restaurants along Middlesex Street within Palin Plaza and the New Palin Market next door.

Attend an outdoor concert or festival

One of the best things to do in Lowell MA during the summer is to attend one of the city’s many outdoor music events.

According to its website, theLowell Folk Festivalis the longest-running free folk festival in the country. Officially started in 1990, the festival has continued yearly since over a long three-day weekend in July. Five performing stages make up the venue in the city’s center, surrounded by various food vendors, craft demonstrations, and activities for children.

Another way to enjoy music in the city is through theLowell Summer Music Series. This series runs from the middle of June through the beginning of September, with approximately sixteen evening concerts. National recording artists perform in Boarding House Park at 40 French Street; most events are ticketed.

Attend a live performance

Among the fun things to do in Lowell MA is to attend a live performance.

Lowell’sMerrimack Repertory Theatre is the place to catch live theater in the city. Productions range from Shakespeare to contemporary comedies. Tickets are from $15 to $65, and parking is free.

Cotton and Coffee, located within Mill No. 5, hosts open mic nights on the first and third Friday of every month and hosts occasional poetry, comedy, and songwriter showcases.

Go kayaking along the Merrimack River

For a different vantage of the city and some outdoor recreation, rent kayaks at the UMASS Lowell Kayak Center. It’s among the best outdoorsy things to do in Lowell MA.

The facility is open every day from Memorial Day weekend through August 31st and weekends in September and October. A shuttle service is available on Saturdays and Sundays to drop boats and riders off in neighboring Tyngsboro, allowing you to paddle back to the facility along a quiet stretch of the river. Rentals range from $15-60 depending on the number of people and trip duration. (500 Pawtucket Boulevard)

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About Kerry Flatley

Kerry Flatley has lived in New England for the past 26 years. She has roots in Maine & Massachusetts, family in New Hampshire, and grew up close to the Connecticut border. She loves all that this region has to offer – the ocean, mountains, islands, history, villages, and cities. When she’s not writing about New England, she’s relaxing at home in the Boston suburbs with her two teenage daughters and husband.