[2] It houses special and permanent exhibits, a library, a museum shop, and classrooms.

[6] In 2000, the museum founded the Lowell Quilt Festival, which has expanded to involve multiple partners across the city and region.

IMAGES, a top juried show that began in 1983, is also part of the festival; entries are from across the United States and Canada.

[needs update] MassQuilts, a volunteer-led statewide project to document the history of quilts, holds sessions at the museum the second Thursday of every month.

[citation needed] MassQuilts has also developed traveling shows, exhibits for the museum, and Massachusetts Quilts, Our Common Wealth a university press book on the history of Massachusetts quilts and exhibits for the museum.