Edward A. LeLacheur Park - Lowell Spinners
- Paul Baker
- 6 hours ago
- 7 min read
Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.71
Edward A. LeLacheur Park
450 Aiken St.
Lowell, MA 01852
Year Opened: 1998
Capacity: 4,767
Take it for Another Spin
The original version of the Lowell Spinners first took the field in 1996. Located just 27 miles northwest of Boston, this Class-A Rookie League affiliate of the Red Sox was an immediate success. Noted for their wacky gameday presentation, the team was a model low-minor league franchise over their quarter century of play, at one point selling out 413 consecutive games at LeLacheur Park.
Edward A. LeLacheur Park was built in 1998 as the result of a partnership between the city of Lowell and the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. The ballpark is named in honor of the state representative who spearheaded its construction. From its opening until 2020, LeLacheur served as home to the UMass Lowell Riverhawks baseball team and the Lowell Spinners. When Minor League Baseball was reorganized before the 2021 season, the Spinners were one of the 40 teams dropped from Minor League Baseball.
In November 2025 it was announced that a new team would play in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League using the Spinners name starting in the 2026 season. Leading the ownership group is Marc Deschenes, a former UMass Lowell baseball player who enjoyed a 13-year professional career in the Cleveland and Boston organizations. After his playing days, Deschenes founded and developed USA Prime New England, a premier youth baseball program in the area. Among the minority owners is Red Sox legend Johnny Damon.
The Futures League is a summer wood-bat collegiate league with teams located throughout New England. The circuit began play in 2011 when the NECBL denied the league’s founders, Drew Weber and Chris Carmucci, expansion teams. Many of the league’s teams play in former minor league ballparks. The Futures League differs from other area leagues in that half of each team’s roster must have a New England connection, either by being natives of the region or by attending area schools.
Food & Beverage 4
There are concession stands on either side of the ballpark serving up traditional ballpark fare for visiting fans. Anchoring the menu are hot dogs, burgers, sausage and pepper sandwiches, and chicken tenders. Fans looking to save a few dollars can pair a main item with fries and a 12-ounce drink in a value meal.
A good selection of snacks are sold throughout the park, from nachos, pretzels, cotton candy and ice cream novelties to Dippin’ Dots, which are sold behind the press box building at one of the portable carts that line the concourse.
Speaking of portable carts, fans looking for an adult beverage will find three bar carts serving up a good selection of craft beers all over the park. Featured are brews from local favorites Fiddlehead, Mighty Squirrel, Sea Dog and Garage Brewing. Coca-Cola products are featured at LeLacheur Park.
Before games the Spinners open up the Sea Dog Brewpen, an all-you-can-eat party area open for 90 minutes before each game, where fans can enjoy BBQ foods or unlimited pizza slices. A separate ticket is needed to access the Brewpen.
Atmosphere 3
The Spinners have stated their intention to replicate the wacky in-game promotions and packed promotional schedule of the original Spinners. While the schedule is loaded with giveaways and deals for visiting fans, the gameday presentation still has a way to go to fully round into form. While there are games, contests and distractions planned for every half inning, the staff are very inexperienced and need some more practice to smooth out the many rough spots in the game day presentation.
Stadium Journey attended the Spinners’ second home game of the 2026 season, and there were several gaffes noticed throughout the game, many of which will undoubtedly get ironed out as the season progresses. The overall volume could stand to be turned down a bit, and the folks with microphones will hopefully learn that they don’t need to yell into those microphones, but the enthusiasm shown by Spinner staff is impressive. Likewise, the staff should quickly figure out which promotions are working and which need to be replaced as spring moves into summer.
Many promotional mainstays that were popular during the days of the original Spinners have been brought back, including the chicken dance, the alligator mascots, and the giant inflatable Canaligator that greets fans outside the front entrance to the ballpark. Face painters, caricature artists, mimes and balloon artists add to the carnival-like atmosphere at the game. A kids play area is open at the far end of the left field grandstand for younger fans who need a place to blow off some steam.
Neighborhood 3
LeLacheur Park is located on the campus of The University of Massachusetts-Lowell, which straddles the Merrimack River in the north-central part of the city. The ballpark is on the south bank of the river, a short distance from Tsongas Center. Running right behind the field are the rapids that fueled the mills that made this area a magnet for industry back in the day. A nice feature of the area is the Riverwalk, a two-mile trail that runs along the Merrimack River. It’s a nice place to explore if you have some extra time.
Lowell is a working-class city. There isn’t much in the immediate vicinity of LeLacheur Park to draw visiting fans, but visitors to the city may be interested in exploring the Lowell National Historic Park, which has preserved several old textile mills to tell the story of the industrial revolution. On the grounds of the park is a memorial to native son Jack Kerouac, who was one of the icons of the “Beat Generation.”
Most out-of-towners will likely make their way to nearby Boston, 25 miles to the southeast, but for those looking to stay in town, most lodging options are located out by Interstate 495. Fans looking for a place to eat near the ballpark might want to check out the Worthen House Café, which was established in 1898. Some of its notable patrons through the years were Edgar Allen Poe, Jack Keroac and Jimmy Breslin.
Fans 5
Stadium Journey attended the Spinners’ second game, and early returns have been amazing. Opening Night drew a capacity crowd, while the second and third games have drawn about 1,800 fans each. Those figures alone are very respectable figures for summer college baseball. It will be interesting to see if these large crowds continue once the novelty of the team fades.
Futures League games attract many families, along with friends and families of the players, and in the case of Lowell, local baseball fans happy to see baseball return to their local ballpark. There is a definite buzz in the stands at LeLacheur.
Access 3
Lowell is a city with a population of about 115,000 citizens located about a half hour northwest of Boston near the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border. Straddling the Merrimack River, Lowell came of age during the Industrial Revolution as a mill town. Many of those mills have been preserved as part of the Lowell National Historic Park.
LeLacheur Park is located on the southern bank of the Merrimack River a short distance from downtown. Interstate 495 runs just south of Lowell, and the Lowell Connector takes motorists from the interstate into downtown Lowell. The ballpark is about two miles from the end of the Lowell Connector. The Lowell Regional Transit Authority’s number 9 bus has a stop on Pawtucket Street right near the ballpark for those fans using public transit.
Fans will enter the ballpark via an entry tower on the right field side of the stadium. The concourse and seating bowl stretches from deep right field around to medium left field, with the field visible from most spots on the concourse. Most seating consists of faded green stadium seats, with some metal bleachers farther down the right field line. Standing room and handicapped seats are located at the top of the seating bowl.
Concession stands, a small team store, restrooms, and portable carts line the outer edge of the concourse all the way around the ballpark. Lines are generally not an issue here in Lowell.
Return on Investment 4
Tickets for Spinners games are affordable, with prices starting at $10 for reserved bleacher seats, and rising to $11 for box seats and $12 for premium box seats. Parking is available in the East Parking Garage adjacent to the ballpark, the Hall Street Garage a few blocks away, and on the local streets near the ballpark. Parking costs $10 no matter which option you choose.
Concessions and souvenirs are inexpensive for this level of baseball, making a Spinners game an affordable entertainment option for Merrimack Valley sports fans.
Extras 3
An extra point for the return of the Spinners and baseball to Lowell.
A second extra point for the needed repairs to LeLacheur Park to bring it back to its former glory. On our last visit there for UMass Lowell baseball in 2025, large sections of the park were closed off, the video board was covered by a tarp, and overall maintenance had been clearly neglected. Today, surfaces have been painted and powerwashed and the park looks much as it did during the heyday of the original Spinners.
A final extra point is awarded for the Lowell baseball traditions that were carried over, without overdoing things, and giving the new team room to create their own traditions. Using the old name, but a new logo is a prime example of this philosophy.
Final Thoughts
Creating a summer college team to replace a beloved professional baseball team does not always go as planned (Hello, Brockton!). But if the first week of the 2026 Futures League season is any indication, the Future is indeed bright in Lowell. No need to put a positive spin on it.
