10 Family Friendly Attractions in Springfield, Massachusetts

Springfield, the third most populated city in Massachusetts, may be most well known as the “Birthplace of Basketball” but is also home to many historical sites and family friendly attractions. 

The greater Springfield area is located in Western Massachusetts, about 90 miles west of both Boston and Providence, Rhode Island and 30 miles north of Hartford, Connecticut. The attractions in this post are spread throughout towns in Hampden and Hampshire Counties.  Hampden County includes the city of Springfield and almost two dozen towns from Brimfield in the east and Tolland in the west, and includes Holyoke and Ludlow. Directly north of the Hampden County is Hampshire County, which includes towns another 20 towns, a couple of which are home to the Five College Consortium: Amherst College (in Amherst), Hampshire College (in Amherst) , UMASS Amherst (in Amherst), Smith College (in Northampton), Mount Holyoke College (in South Hadley). 

Getting started: Check out ExploreWesternMass.com,  VisitHampshireCounty.com and VisitMA.com for information on attractions, hotels, dining, and shopping. Each season offers unique weather, landscape, and historical attractions in Springfield and is worthy of repeated visits!

Eating Local: We’ve had several good meals in Springfield over the years but think this guide, this guide, and this guide will offer the most up to date information on where to dine. Adults might enjoy this beer trail of local breweries. 

Staying Local: We haven’t had occasion to stay in hotels in Springfield (it’s an easy day trip for us), but we’re always a fan of Marriott hotels. We have driven past the Marriott Springfield Downtown that is centrally located to many of the downtown Springfield attractions we’ve included in the post. The Fairfield Inn and Suites Springfield Holyoke in Holyoke and Fairfield Inn and Suites Springfield Northampton/ Amherst are both close to the colleges listed on this list. The MGM Springfield also has a great reputation. 

10 Family Friendly Places in the Greater Springfield Area:

1. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, named for the sport’s inventor, showcases the history of the game of basketball, which was invented in Springfield in the 1890s.The Hall of Fame  includes over 400 inductees and the updated 40,000 facility has tons of interactive exhibits, trivia, and honors for the inductees.
   Kids will love getting a workout with interactive exhibits and showing off their skills at Center Court.
   Adults will love learning about the origins and the rules of the game and finding their favorite players and coaches in the Hall of Honor.
   Travel Tips: The Hall is open from 10am-4pm- updates on hours and admissions rates here; plenty of free parking in the lots and garage adjacent to the Hall; restrooms are located on each floor and exhibits are handicap accessible; several dining options on site- see the list here; plan on 90-120 minutes to fully explore all the exhibits; check out the map of exhibits here. 
   Read our full post here.

2. The Yankee Candle Village in South Deerfield opened in 1982 with a 5,000 square foot building; now there’s over 90,000 square feet of fun to explore. The village welcomes over half a million visitors each year who enjoy shopping, making their own candles and souvenirs, eating, and learning about the candle making process.
   Kids will love seeing Santa in Santa’s Workshop, making their own souvenirs in Wax Works, the candy shops.
   Adults will love the Bavarian Village, making their own candle (or shopping for hundreds of scents and varieties of candles), and Man Town.
   Travel Tips: The Village is open year round with free admission- up to date hours here; plenty of free parking out front; lots of dining and snack options- see the full list here; special events and family programs here.
   Read our full post here.

3. The Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory in Deerfield is home to over four thousand exotic and domestic butterflies. The tropical setting- it’s always 80 degrees inside!- includes a koi pond and waterfall and dozens of tropical plants. There’s also an an acre wide outdoor garden blossoming with native plants and trees.
   Kids will love the prospect of having a butterfly land on them.
   Adults will the beautiful surroundings and learning about how butterflies grow.
   Travel Tips: The Conservatory is open Tuesday through Sunday; check here for updates on special events and programs; plenty of free parking; strollers are not allowed inside the Conservatory; restroom and a gift shop located near the entrance; Food Court is closed in 2023; plan on 60-90 minutes to explore all exhibits. 

4. The Springfield Museums are a collection of five museums that showcase over 130,000 artifacts related to the areas of science, history, art, and culture. The first museum to open was the George Walter Vincent Smith Museum, named for the patron who donated his entire collection of art in 1896.  The Science Museum followed in 1899, and the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts opened in1933. The most recent additions include the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, which opened in 2002, the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History which opened in 2009, and the Wonderful World of Dr. Seuss Museum, which opened in 2017 (it was our very first blog post!). In the middle of the quadrangle is the outdoor Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, which includes The Lorax, Dr, Seuss and The Cat in the Hat, The Storyteller, and Horton Court.
   Kids will love everything in the Dr. Seuss Museum and the Science Museum, and Hasbro GameLand in the Museum of Springfield History.
   Adults will love everything in the Museum of Springfield History and the Art Museums.
   Travel Tips: The museums are open 10am-5pm Tuesday through Saturday and 11am-5pm on Sunday; get up to date information on dates and hours here; Tickets can be purchased ahead of time here; kids under age three are free; Start in the Welcome Center, located on the first floor of the Science Museum; the Hanmer Museum Store is also located inside the Welcome Center; there is plenty of free parking in front of the science museum, and in lots on Edward Street and State Street (across from the City Library); every museum is handicap accessible via elevators and strollers are allowed; restrooms are located on most floors of every museum; there are usually food trucks at the far end of the Seuss Sculpture Garden; check out family focused programs, events, and classes here, the daily calendar of events here, and updates on special exhibitions here; a good map of all five museums here and the link to the cell phone tour here.
   Read our full post here.

5. The Beneski Museum of Natural History at Amherst College in Amherst is home to a collection of over 200,000 specimens ranging from the Ice Age to the 1911 expedition to Patagonia. The lower level focuses on the Mesozic Era with fossils of a Hadrosaurus, the skeleton head of a triceratops and tyrannosaurus, and theIchnology collection of 1,200 slabs of 21,000 fossilized travels. The first floor features the Eighmy Gallery which has skeletons of a wolfe, saber footed cat, cave bear and mastodon, as well as displays of oxides, sulfides, and minerals of the Connecticut River Valley, with the descriptions of the chemical make ups. The second floor has a lengthy exhibit on the Connecticut River Valley and studying and meeting spaces. 
   Kids will love all the large scale fossils and skeletons and pulling out the drawers to see various fossils.
   Adults will love the history of the Connecticut River Valley and the massive collection of fossilized tracks.
   Travel Tips: The museum is free to visit and open Tuesday through Sunday- check hours here; parking is available at the Dickinson/O’Connell lot on Dickinson Street during the week and on campus on weekends- see a good map of the campus here; restrooms located on each floor; handicap accessible with an elevator; plan on 60-90 minutes to explore all three floors and exhibits.

6. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst honors and showcases the life and work of Eric Carle and other picture book artists and publications. The Carle Museum is the first American museum devoted to picture book art. The museum is located on the edge of the Hampshire College and offers beautiful grounds for walking, picnicking, and gathering.  
   Kids will love the Art Studio, reading library, and the giant caterpillar.
   Adults will love the timeline of Eric Carle’s life and Bookshop filled with beautiful books, apparel, and gifts.
   Travel Tips:  The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday- check for updates hour and admission fees here; restrooms and lockers are located near the main entrance and gift shop; a large Bookshop sells the most adorable and fun curated selection of books, gifts, and souvenirs; plenty of free parking is located in front of the museum; there is a large lunchroom with plenty of tables (and wide windows that showcase the meadow) and guests are welcome to bring their own lunches and dine in the lunchroom; the only food option on site is a vending machine; plan on 60 minutes to explore the museum.
   Read our full post here. 

7. Lupa Zoo in Ludlow is home to over 500 animals, including everything from bobcats, zebras, bears, and donkeys to camels, antelope, goats, ostriches and emus.  Polish immigrants Henry and Joan Lupa decided to open a zoo to the general public in 1996. Today, there are additions that include ponds with several species of birds, a critter garden, and an indoor habitat for sloths, lizards, snakes, and more! Kids of all ages will enjoy learning about, and seeing up close, over 100 species of animals.
   Kids will love the playgrounds, splash pad, and feeding the animals.
   Adults will love seeing so many animals up close.
   Travel Tips: The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from mid April through the end of October with some Monday holidays, as well as November weekends; more information on hours and rates here (kids under age two are free!); check here for special events; plenty of free parking in front of the main entrance and a small overflow lot closer to the road; restrooms are located throughout the zoo; there is a gift shop and party room located in the “Old Town Building” just past the admission check in, which sells a variety of animal themed gifts, souvenirs, and apparel; bring a stroller for the toddler set and wear sneakers; plan on 90 minutes to fully explore all the exhibits.
   Read our full post here. 

8. The Lyman Plant House and Conservatory at Smith College in Northampton, located in the middle of campus and near the Campus Center, includes 12 climate controlled greenhouses that showcase a collection of over 7,000 tropical, subtropical, and desert plants. There’s an exhibition gallery inside the Conservatory with rotating exhibits (many from Smith students).  Several gardens are also spread throughout the campus’s 125 acres, including a Wildflower Garden, Systematics Garden, Rock Garden, Capen Garden, and Japanese Garden.
   Kids will love the geological timeline of insects, plants, and animals; learning how fossils are dated; walking between the various climate controlled houses.
   Adults will love the succulent house and walking throughout the campus to check out the campus Arboretum, Rock Garden, Japanese Garden, and more. Be sure to check the schedule for the popular Spring Bulb Show (usually early March) and the Fall Chrysanthemum Show (usually in early November). 
   Travel Tips: The outdoor gardens are open year round and the Lyman Plant House is open from 9am-4pm all year except Thanksgiving, and the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day; free to visit (donations accepted); restrooms located near the admission desk; handicap accessible; free parking is available on Elm Street (Route 9) and in the garage on West Avenue and metered parking is available on Green Street; no dining options on site; plan on 45-60 minutes to explore the indoor plant houses and outside gardens; get the full guide here.

9. The Springfield Armory National Historic Site was built in 1794, but its first major production started with the War of 1812 and ended with the Vietnam War. During WWII alone, the armory produced 4.5 million M1 semi automatic rifles, amongst dozens of other weapons. The current museum is housed next to the oldest building on site (now home to the Massachusetts State Police Academy), built in 1808.  The Springfield Armory is located on the campus of Springfield Technical Community College. 
   Kids will love the carpenter’s tool chest, an operational Blanchard Lathe, and earning a Junior Ranger badge.
   Adults will love the Organ of Muskets, the misshaped weapons, and the introductory video.
   Travel Tips: The museum is open from late May through November Wednesday through Sunday- up to date info on hours here; the museum is spread across one floor and there are daily options for guided tour; info on special events here; no dining facilities on site; restrooms located near the entrance; make sure kids complete the Junior Ranger booklet to earn a JR badge; plan to spend about 60-90 minutes exploring.
   Read our full post here.

10. There are tons of parks throughout Springfield that are open to the public. Forest Park, one of the more popular parks, includes athletic fields, gardens, two lakes and two ponds, the Forest Park Zoo, and plenty of space to spread out and relax. Van Horn Park, School Street Park, and Heritage Parks are popular spots for families. There’s also the Connecticut Riverwalk and Bikeway in Springfield that offers an almost four mile path for walking, jogging, biking, and rollerblading throughout Springfield- get the full scoop here. A thorough list of all state parks in Western Massachusetts can be found here. 
    Kids will love the Forest Park Zoo and playgrounds.
    Adults will love the beautifully maintained grounds and open space.
    Travel Tips: There is a daily fee of $3/car for Massachusetts license plates and $5/car for out of state guests; check online for up to date information on hours, restrooms,  and seasonal programs and events; here is a good map of Forest Park.

Bonuses– Two more seasonal activities that are super fun: Six Flags and the Big E. Six Flags New England, located 15 minutes south of Springfield, is a massive amusement park with over 50 thrill rides, kids rides, and water rides- see the full park map here. Six Flags is typically open May through August with additional openings on weekends in April, and September through mid November.  And from mid September through early October, the Eastern States Exposition (“The Big E”) is a 17 day multi state fair that represents all of New England. The fair includes carnival rides and games, seemingly endless food options, tons of concerts, agricultural exhibits and contests, museums, and the famous Avenue of States.

Looking for another adventure nearby? Check out our feature of the Jiminy Peak Resort in Hancock, Massachusetts, about an hour northwest of downtown Springfield. The year round resort offers world class skiing, snowboarding, tubing, and ice skating in the winter, an outdoor adventure park in the spring, summer, and fall, and tons of amenities for the whole family.

Looking for other Massachusetts City Guides? Check out our city guides to Boston, the Berkshires, Cape Cod, and New Bedford. And follow along on our adventures on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.