Basketball Hall of Fame, Massachusetts, United States

4NVLAAL 5:00 PM Aug 8, 2020

Great for Basketball Nostalgia
I recently discovered the Basketball Hall of Fame is in Springfield and as an avid basketball wanted to visit. I took my family with a four year and one year old to go and learn more about the history of basketball and some of the greats who have played the game. It is in an interesting location, and by interesting, it's like in a mini strip mall surrounded by restaurants, with the Hall of Fame being the center piece of the area. While my little kids didn't care much for the exhibits and learning about the history of the game, I enjoyed learning about the origins of the game and how it's evolved over time (side note, facility was easy to navigate with a stroller). One of the highlights for myself and my kids was being able to play on the center court afterwards. They have 4', 5' and 6' hoops for little kids which my kids loved. Overall, the facility isn't as large and robust as I would have expected, but what's the Basketball Hame of Fame special is the nostagalia that you feel walking through the exhibits and being taken back in time for those unforgettable basketball moments from your youth. I would definitely recommend to those other basketball enthusiasts in my life and any other basketball fan considering the visit.

3CassandraAKD 5:00 PM Aug 8, 2021

Digital Age
My husband and I stopped at the hall of fame on a Sunday afternoon. Pens were handed out to interact with the touch screen displays, and there were a lot of digital displays throughout the exhibits. We enjoyed our time here, and I learned interesting facts about the history of the sport. However, I was most interested in seeing the hall of fame players showcased and I felt that portion of the experience was lacking. Kobe had a nice, new exhibit (I liked the video), but aside from that and a few panels, all hall of famers were listed in a single room with 4-5 interactive displays and a large (cool looking) arrangement of TVs repeating highlights. The interactive displays provided write ups on each hall of fame, some including highlight clips, which were (again) nice, but felt like something I could see at home on the internet. Additionally, the 4-5 stations really weren't enough. It wasn't busy when we were there, but there was a decent wait to get to a display (maybe 10-15 min). Quite a few groups skipped waiting. In the center of the building, there was an optional basketball court area with various hoops and point lines (for different leagues, I think). The hoop options included peach baskets, which was fun. There were also varied basket height options to attempt slam dunks. This area had the most people, but we were able to move around and take shots without much waiting. The gift shop was surprisingly empty. I was expecting more items to be on sale, perhaps including throwback gear and Olympic gear (ongoing at the time of our visit). Some of the other retail spaces in the complex were empty as well, although several food places were open. COVID policies seemed to vary by business, so I recommend checking policies in advance.