When you come to our city, you will sense an excitement in the air about all things cultural. As you walk along our cobblestone streets and hear the whistle sound on the trolley, you will be caught up in the energy. Turn a corner to find a public art piece. Suddenly, you will find yourself listening to a musician practicing his guitar on the sidewalk. Go into a local coffee house and see a new art exhibit, or step into one of our museums to explore all that makes Lowell unique. Wherever you go, you will notice that culture is alive and well in our city!

Since 1998, Lowell has dedicated itself to the development of a thriving Arts District, understanding that through culture, one can revitalize a city. The cultural activities in Lowell are abundant. Lowell is a "Festival City", which brings the community together through various cultural festivals, including the largest free Folk Festival in the United States and the Southeast Asian Water Festival. The birthplace of cultural icons, such as writer Jack Kerouac, artist James McNeill Whistler, actress Bette Davis and several other legends, Lowell continues to support the arts with passion and perseverance.

Home to the Lowell National Historical Park, Lowell captures the living history of an industrial mill town, teaching residents, visitors, and students, alike, about the harsh demands of the textile industry. The museums of the National Park, along with seven other museums, including the American Textile History Museum, New England Quilt Museum, Whistler House Museum of Art, Brush Art Gallery and Studios, The Revolving Museum and the newly-developed National Streetcar Museum of Lowell, all combine to make Lowell a "Destination City" for culture.

We have attracted over 300 artists to our community from all over New England, who have heard that we are an "artist friendly community". Thanks to visionary developers at Vespera, we've created nearly 75 affordable artists' studios in converted mill space.  Western Avenue Studios provides the cheapest & best studio space in the Greater Boston area!  We are proud of what we have accomplished thus far in creating a cultural center in Lowell, and we hope to continue bringing the highest caliber of cultural offerings to our community for years to come.

The "stars" shine in Lowell at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium and at our state-of-the-art Tsongas Arena, and we pride ourselves on the achievements of our resident award-winning Merrimack Repertory Theatre, currently celebrating its 25th anniversary. We have a community orchestra and a community opera company, we boast the Angkor Dance Troupe, a highly-respected dance company, which preserves the culture of traditional Cambodian dance, and we celebrate the many cultural achievements of our local schools and universities, including Middlesex Community College and the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.

If you haven't been to Lowell lately, please come to visit us, and then be sure to tell your friends about the special time you shared with us! Encourage them to come enjoy our many fine museums, shops, galleries, restaurants, sporting events and arts performances! Let them know that in Lowell, CULTURE IS COOL!