History, Culture, Creativity

Canal at night

The birthplace of Jack Kerouac and the Industrial Revolution, Lowell's history echoes all around you. Former mill buildings and cobblestone streets now add charm to a bustling downtown, steps away from the UMass Lowell campus, which boasts a thriving arts scene, a population rich in cultural diversity and a flair for festivals.

Discover restaurants representing more than a dozen different cultures. Spend a day exploring art galleries or take in a show. Stroll along the Merrimack River, which winds through the city center, and enjoy a picnic on the esplanade. Hike, bike or cross-country ski more than 1,000 acres of state forest nearby.

LowellLowell's location at the intersections of Routes 495, 93, and 3 extends your education beyond the classroom, with easy access to hands-on learning opportunities such as co-ops and internships. And with Route 128 nearby and Boston only a 40-minute commuter rail ride away, once you graduate you're right where the jobs are.

  • Jack Kerouac lived in three neighborhoods in Lowell: Centralville, Pawtucketville and the Highlands. Despite being French-Canadian, he never lived in Little Canada.
  • By 1850, less than 50 years after their establishment, the mills in Lowell were annually producing enough cloth to circle the earth twice!
  • Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone in 1876, but in 1880, the first city to use telephone numbers was Lowell.
  • The 5.6 miles of hand-dug canals in Lowell channeled the Merrimack River's 32-foot drop to Lowell's mills, providing power for the mill machinery in the 19th century.
  • The Lowell Cemetery on 77 Knapp Avenue is the fourth oldest garden cemetery in the U.S.; it dates back to the 1840's.
  • The soft drink, Moxie was invented as a medicine in Lowell in 1876 and claimed to cure paralysis.
  • The first CVS was established in downtown Lowell in 1963, it began as a "Customer Value Store" on Merrimack Street.
  • Lowell's downtown is part of the Lowell National Historical Park, established in 1979 as the first urban National Park in the country.
  • Death Cab for Cutie's song, "Lowell, MA," features lines about the city - it was featured on their album "We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes," released in 2000.