NOB - GMV 2023

Find your perfect getaway, where winter adventures await

By StoryStudio on November 12, 2023

Set in the heart of New England just half an hour from Boston, the Valley is an ideal destination year-round. But it’s especially fun and lively during the holiday months. November and December offer the perfect time for skiing, walking the great outdoors and city streets, shopping, dining and learning about the area’s rich American past. For you cold-averse folks, never fear: there are tons of places to try out the local food, arts and culture while keeping cozy and warm inside.

The American and Industrial Revolutions began right here! Visit the Lowell National Historical Park, a living testament to the dynamic story of the Industrial Revolution, which transformed our largely rural country into an urban one. The Boott Cotton Mills Museum is the best place to learn more about Lowell's industrial past. Visitor Centers in Concord and Lexington are great places to discover how the American Revolution began. In 2025, these towns, along with REV 250, will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of "The shot heard 'round the world," which signified the start of the American Revolution and the events that led to the Declaration of Independence. Watch for the many special events leading up to this momentous occasion. Bundle up for a visit to Minute Man National Park, where you can travel the Old North Bridge where the shot was fired and see the monuments to the brave men who fought for our freedom. Be sure to stop in at the Concord Museum, where 16 new galleries dramatically present the events of that iconic day, April 19, 1775. The Valley is also the cradle of much of America’s great literature. It was home to Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Jack Kerouac. Get inspired when you tour the homes where they lived and the grounds where they walked.

Funded by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism

Important Local History

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Enrich your vacation by sampling the Greater Merrimack Valley’s winter sports activities. There’s so much scenic beauty to take in when you hike, ski, snowboard, snowshoe, ice skate, snow tube and snowmobile your way across its rolling landscape. The Nashoba Valley Ski Area in Westford offers skiing and tubing trails. For those who prefer the indoors, try bowling a few strings at Wamesit Lanes or bounce on the trampolines at Altitude Trampoline Park.

The Valley’s vibrant cultural community doesn’t slow down when temperatures drop. The Lowell Philharmonic Orchestra and the Lexington Symphony perform music throughout the year. The historic Lowell Memorial Auditorium celebrates the holiday season with cheerful events, including a Holiday Pops concert, as well as magic, ballet and children's performances. The Celtic Woman Christmas Symphony Tour performs on November 29, and IL Devo brings their New Holiday Tour to the Auditorium on December 1. If art is your scene, take in the Valley’s many world-class museums, galleries and studios. These include The Addison Gallery of American Art, the Whistler House Museum of Art and the New England Quilt Museum, where the unexpected will inspire. The Brush Hill Gallery and Studios presents museum-quality exhibitions. The deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park is one of the largest of its kind in New England. It offers a constantly changing landscape of huge outdoor modern and contemporary sculptures. There’s a thriving arts community at Western Ave Studio & Lofts. Open Studios are held on the first Saturday of every month. Enjoy exhibits, demonstrations, shopping and refreshments. At the Discovery Museum, kids will have tons of educational fun. And if you’re looking for lessons, go to the Groton Hill Music Center or take a ceramics workshop at Pottery Mill Clay Studio.

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The greater merrimack valley has something to please everyone

Sports and Recreation

Art, Culture and Entertainment

Lowell Festival of Lights

This time-honored event kicks off the holiday season in grand style on Saturday, November 25, 2023. Fun, family-friendly activities abound for all ages, along with live music, lighting ceremonies and a parade highlighted by the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Clause.

Wherever you are in the Greater Merrimack Valley, you’re not far from pleasing breweries and restaurants. Lowell, especially, is home to some of the region’s best food. Be sure to check out Cobblestones, Four Sisters Owl Diner, and Athenian Corner Restaurant. And when it’s time to turn in, you will find a wide variety of lodgings, from chain hotels to local bed & breakfasts. Depending on the reason for your visit, you might lean toward a more romantic lodging experience like at the Chateau Merrimack, a landmark historic hotel like Concord’s Colonial Inn or one of the 418 recently renovated rooms at the luxurious Boston Marriott Burlington. Whether you are looking for comfortable and cozy, vibrant and active, or fun and educational, your adventures await here. To make your own history, visit merrimackvalley.org for more information.

Dining and Lodging