Off-Site Options
In addition to hotel conference space, planners can take advantage of several creative off-site venues throughout the Merrimack Valley.
“We see a lot of people that are coming in for these large-scale conventions downtown and then drive north to enjoy more intimate off-site venues,” said Fitzmaurice. “We’re like a built-in breakout space for the entire city of Boston.”
For example, the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is a stunning 30-acre sculpture garden and museum that overlooks Flint’s Pond, a site immortalized in Thoreau’s timeless memoir “Walden.” Groups can organize a cocktail reception or a corporate retreat on the rooftop terrace to admire a sweeping view of the sculpture park below or set up a tented event in the 35-acre park.
The Onyx Room is an unusual black-box-style venue at Western Avenue Studios in Lowell. The building’s black-veiled walls and high-tech sound system enable planners to create vivid light and video displays that provide chic backdrops for seminars, receptions and other events.
Cobblestones is one of the most iconic restaurants in the Merrimack Valley, specializing in quality American fare like hand-cut steaks, fresh oysters, burgers and craft beers. The restaurant features several private dining and meeting areas for groups and is close to signature attractions like Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Lowell National Historic Park and the Merrimack Repertory Theatre.
In downtown Lowell, the family-owned Athenian Corner Restaurant serves one of the most diverse Greek menus in New England, regularly attracting groups for fine Greek dining, belly-dancing shows and live Middle Eastern music. The restaurant also caters events with between 10 and 75 guests.
Regional Attractions
Beyond the boardroom, business travelers will find numerous attractions and activities to explore in the Merrimack Valley.
“There’s no shortage of off-site venues and extracurricular activities for groups — everything from live entertainment, national park tours, farms, breweries and wineries to team-building activities such as indoor go-kart racing and virtual-reality gaming,” said Fitzmaurice.
History comes alive at Minute Man National Historic Park in the Concord-Lexington area, where visitors can walk across the first battlefield of the American Revolution and browse exhibits on colonial America inside the North Bridge Visitors Center.
Nestled in the heart of Lowell, Lowell National Historic Park was once the epicenter of the textile industry, and today, groups can still tour some of the historic water-powered textile mills along the canal. During the summer, the park hosts several major regional events, including the Lowell Free Folk Festival in July and the Lowell Summer Music Series from June to September. In addition, there are numerous hands-on activities available in the park, such as textile workshops, trolley rides, canal boat tours and guided wellness walks.
Concord is home to some of the region’s most distinguished literary sites, such as the original homes of Alcott and Hawthorne, and also lays claim to the gravesite of renowned beatnik poet and writer Jack Kerouac. Several of Kerouac’s possessions can be viewed at the Morgan Cultural Center in Lowell National Historic Park. Every fall, the city celebrates his legacy with a three-day literary festival.
“We pride ourselves in being the beginning of the Industrial Revolution but also the literary revolution,” said Fitzmaurice.
Art enthusiasts are guaranteed to enjoy a trip to Western Avenue Studios and Lofts, one of the largest artist communities on the Eastern Seaboard. In 2005, the city of Lowell converted one of its brick mill buildings into an exquisite five-acre art-studio complex for more than 300 working artists. Groups can sign up for a wide variety of art classes — painting, pottery and fiber art among them.
Merrimack Valley
Location: Greater Boston region
Access: U.S. Route 3, interstates 93 and 495, Logan International Airport, Manchester Airport, Hanscom Regional Airfield
Major Meeting Spaces: Tsongas Center, UMass Lowell Inn and Conference Center, Boxboro Regency Hotel and Conference Center, Westford Regency Inn and Conference Center, Boston Marriott Burlington, The DoubleTree by Hilton Boston Andover, Radisson Hotel and Suites Chelmsford-Lowell, Holiday Inn Tewksbury-Andover, Holiday Inn and Suites Nashua
Hotel Rooms: 7,000
Offsite Venues: Cobblestones Restaurant and Bar, the Onyx Room, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Artistry on the Green, Vesper Country Club, Four Oaks Country Club
Contact Info:
Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau
978-459-6150
www.merrimackvalley.org
