Two series of lanthanide coordination polymers based on 2-methylenesuccinate acid (H 2 MSA) ligand, {[Ln(MSA)(NO 3 )(H 2 O) 2 ]·2H 2 O} n (Ln=Gd (1); Tb (2); Dy (3)) and {[Ln 2 (MSA) 3 (H 2 O) 4 ]·3H 2 O} n (Ln=Gd (4); Tb (5); Dy (6)), have been synthesized. Compounds 1-3 exhibit a 1D zigzag chain structure, in which the neighboring Gd 3+ ions are connected by two carboxylate groups from different MSA 2-ligands. Compounds 4-6 all consist of unique 1D lanthanide-carboxylate building units [Ln 4 (CO 2 ) 6 ] n constructed from the adjacent Ln 3+ ions and carboxyl groups of the H 2 MSA ligands, which can further generate 2D layer structures via the link of MSA 2− . The magnetic study reveals that the weak ferromagnetic interactions between adjacent Gd 3+ ions both exist in 1 and 4. Meanwhile, 1 and 4 display significant cryogenic magnetocaloric effects with maximum −∆S m values of 38.86 and 39.31 J kg −1 K −1 at 2 K and 7T, respectively, and 3 was found to exhibit slow relaxation of the magnetization. Solid state photoluminescence properties reveal that the Tb-and Dy-containing complexes 2, 3, 5 and 6 are photoluminescent materials.