Lowell Makes

Lowell Makes is a collection of workshops and laboratories where the community of Lowell, Massachusetts can learn by doing. We provide the space, tools, and expertise to help our Makers craft, invent, and create new ventures. We are fueled by the passion and volunteerism of our makers, but we need your support to sustain our mission.

In May 2020, with your support, we purchased a building in Lowell at 150 Western Ave. Unit 3, adjacent to a thriving community of artists and makers. We are excited to see what the next phase of growth will bring. We continue to need your support to finish the build out -see details below!



In the six years since our founding, our membership has grown and our space has morphed to fit the evolving needs of its makers. We have worked hard to keep the cost of membership accessible to anyone with the drive to create.

In addition to providing a space for our members to make, we also serve as a hub of creativity for the community:
·      We teach skills such as basic woodworking, fiber arts, pottery, welding, photography, CNC, and 3D solid modeling. In 2018, we hosted 40 workshop sessions for our members and the public.
·      Our Cosplay shop hosts regular "Cosplay Fridays" and our Dungeons & Dragons shop hosts multiple tables of games each Sunday. These events are free for members and a small fee for the public.
·      We organize and host the annual Mill City Skill Share, a free day of classes for the entire community.
·      We open our space for other non-profits; for example, a glass-etching fundraiser to benefit the Lowell Humane Society.
·      We are home to multiple small businesses  and have proudly watched members incubate and launch their own creative ventures .

Our new space will enable our existing shops to grow, with room for new shops,  ideas, and ventures to launch. Current shops include.
·      Machine shop
·      Wood shop
·      Cosplay
·      Crafting & Fabrics
·      Rapid Prototyping & Lasercutting
·      Bike repair
·      Pottery & Ceramics
·      3D Printing
·      Electronics
·      Fermentation
·      Photography
·      Scanning Electron Microscope

What will your donation mean to us?
·       A  $50 donation would be equivalent to funds raised by one month of maker membership
·       A $500 donation would be equivalent to funds raised by one year of maker membership
·       A $1,000 donation gives us 200 square feet of makerspace (equivalent to one new shop)
·       A $5,500 donation gives us 1,100 square feet, or the area of our current wood shop
·       A $30,000 donation gives us 6,000 square feet, or the area of our current downstairs workspace (including the cosplay shop)

Donors above $500 will be recognized on our website and will be honored by a gear on our wall of donors.

Curious about our space? Come to our weekly Open House every Wednesday night at 6pm to meet makers and take a tour!