New England Quilt Museum

The New England Quilting Museum, established in 1987, is dedicated to the art and craft of quilting and is located in downtown Lowell, Massachusetts. It is the second oldest quilt museum in the United States. 2 It houses special and permanent exhibitions, a library, a store, and classrooms. The quilts in the collections are primarily from the New England region of the nineteenth century.

History

Quilt makers founded and run the museum, which opened in 1987. The museum has always been focused on fine art and craft quilts, with exhibits and classes that combine contemporary and traditional fiber arts approaches. Following a flood in its previous building, the museum relocated to its current location in 1994. The historic Lowell Savings Institute provided more space for exhibits, collection storage and preparation, classrooms, a store, and events. 5 It is now part of the Lowell National Historical Park, which highlights Lowell's importance in the 19th century textile trade and the American Industrial Revolution.

Activities

The Lowell Quilt Festival was founded by the museum in 2000. The festival also includes IMAGES, a show that debuted in 1983, with competitors from the United States and Canada. 7 The last Lowell Quilt Festival was held in 2014. Mass Quilts, a statewide volunteer-run project to document the history of quilts, holds sessions at the museum every second Thursday of the month. Since its inception in 1994, 8 Mass Quilts has documented over 7,000 quilts. Mass Quilts has also created travelling exhibits, museum exhibits, and a book of Massachusetts quilt history called "Massachusetts Quilts, Our Common Wealth."

HOURS:

Tuesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Sundays and Mondays are closed.

Installations and holidays will have special closings in 2022.

January 1 - 27th, April 12th, and July 4th (Independence Day)

Thanksgiving Day is November 25th, and Christmas Day is December 25th (Christmas)

admission 

Regular  

costs $9.

Children under the age of 12 are FREE.

FREE for Museum Members