Jack Kerouac was born in Lowell in 1922. The city was often the setting for many of the famed author’s novels such as the highly acclaimed, The Town and the City. The novel was an ode to his upbringing in Lowell and subsequent growth in New York City. Kerouac would often use various business, churches, and locations distinct to Lowell in his writings. 

Dedicated to the author in 1988, the park features several granite monuments embossed with various excerpts from Kerouac’s writings. The pathway around the park is covered with a few crosses and circles said to represent his Buddhist and Roman Catholic beliefs.