Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame — Attraction in Springfield

Visited the Basketball hall of fame mid week so the crowds were low for my visit. There is free parking and a couple restaurants nearby so it has some decent amenities for your "day" at the museum. Unfortunately, you don't need a day there. Overall, the museum was so disappointing for a sports fan. I spent less than two hours at the facility. Not what you would expect for the Hall of Fame at the second most popular sport in the country right now.

After a fluff piece video that gave no information you enter an elevator area that takes you to the third floor. On that floor are a few displays with jerseys and memorabilia, as well as some cut outs that show you how tall some players are. There were also some screens to interact with that had a few trivia questions on them.

Down to the second floor and you find a couple good sections of information about Naismith himself and the start of the game. Then a room about the early days of the sports, the teams, and important players. The first fifty years of the game was decently covered considering it was from a time that few remember anymore and probably don't want to get bogged down with loads of information. But after the barnstorming days of pro basketball, there was virtually no more information in the museum on the history of the sport. Nothing. No mention of leagues merging, teams dissolving, and the formation of the current NBA. No timeline tracking important events, or dominant teams. They do not cover any history of the next 70 years of the game. There were more displays of random balls, shoes worn by stars, and jerseys. And then at the end is a small area about some important rivalries of the game and the Hall of Honor. In the Hall of Honor there are four or five screens for you to interact with and find your hall of famer you want to know more about. There are no busts, or plaques, etc. just a screen and they put it on the attendees to find the people they want to view info on. Lost are opportunities to tell the patron about players that they may not be familiar with and why they are important to the sport.

It was by far the worst $30 I have ever spent on a museum. I went to Springfield Mass just to attend this museum and it was an absolute bust. I guess it might appeal to kids since there is a basketball court to play on. Otherwise, I'm not sure how any person who wants to know more about the game and it's best get anything out of...

A Truly Unforgettable Experience at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame!

I cannot rave enough about the incredible experience we had at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Due to an unexpected weather issue, we had to pivot last minute and completely change plans for my nephew’s surprise birthday party—which put us in a serious time crunch.

From the very first phone call, I knew we were in great hands. Jenkins, one of the amazing team members, immediately stepped up and went above and beyond to make the impossible possible. He expedited paperwork, coordinated details quickly, and accommodated every single need we had to pull off a fantastic surprise celebration. His dedication, quick thinking, and genuine care were the reason this party happened at all—Jenkins truly made the magic happen.

But it wasn’t just him—the entire staff was warm, professional, and just as committed to making sure everything went smoothly. You could feel their care from start to finish, and it meant so much to be met with such kindness and enthusiasm during a stressful situation.

They turned a last-minute scramble into a joyful, unforgettable experience. My nephew had the birthday of a lifetime, and it’s all thanks to Jenkins and the incredible team at the Hall of Fame.

If you’re thinking of planning an event or even just visiting, trust me—you’ll be in the best hands. Jenkins was our MVP, and the whole team made us feel like...

I most definitely enjoyed my time here. You start your journey at first floor, where there’s a bunch of posters and memorabilia of famous basketball players throughout the lobby. You’re then guided to the third floor. They have life-size figurines where you can compare things like your height and wingspan to professional basketball players. They even have grooves where you can compare your hand size to them. As you walk through, you’re learn the history of the game that was created not too far from the museum location. When you go down to the second floor, they have interactive screens where you learn, basketball fundamentals like the crossover, sky hook, Euro, step, three-pointer, etc.. when you go down to the first floor, that’s where the real fun begins. There is a full-size court where they let you shoot around. I stayed shooting hoops for over an hour and a half reliving my childhood hoop dreams. They have a section at the side for small children where they lowered the rims so kids as young as 3 can enjoy. They even have a section where rims are lowered so you can practice dunking. Last but not least, there are different types of hoops from the modern age hoop to the original basketball hoop. You get to shoot on those as well.

As you’re leaving, of course, there is a souvenir shop. I enjoyed myself, my children enjoyed myself, and even my wife enjoyed herself. I would...