Springfield, Massachusetts at a Glance
Location: Western Massachusetts
Access: Bradley International Airport; Amtrak; interstates 90 and 91
Major Meeting Spaces: MassMutual Center, Eastern States Exposition, Mullins Center, MGM Springfield
Hotel Rooms: 5,800+
Off-Site Venues: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum, Yankee Candle Village, Six Flags New England, MGM Springfield
Contact Info:
Explore Western Mass
413-757-1548
explorewesternmass.com
Massachusetts is not short on history — the Pilgrims landed there in 1620 — but even in a state packed with “firsts,” the city of Springfield stands out.
Founded in 1636 atop bluffs on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three smaller rivers, Springfield was chosen by George Washington as the site of the Continental Army’s arsenal during the Revolutionary War. The Springfield Armory manufactured muskets, rifles and other weapons until its closure in 1968, and Springfield also played pivotal roles in the Civil War, on the Underground Railroad and during World War II.
The city is less than 30 minutes from Hartford, 90 minutes from Boston and three hours from New York City. The beaches of Cape Cod and the islands on the eastern shore of Massachusetts are only a two-and-a-half-hour drive to the east, which is especially alluring during the summer months.
Situated in the fertile Connecticut River Valley and surrounded by mountains, bluffs and hills, Springfield itself has the nation’s largest municipally owned park. Spanning 735 acres, Forest Park boasts a zoo, aquatic gardens and an outdoor amphitheater. It was designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead, who also created New York’s iconic Central Park.
Nicknamed “the city of firsts,” Springfield boasts a list of achievements that are almost too numerous to mention. Merriam-Webster published the first American-English dictionary there in 1831. America’s first gas-powered automobile was manufactured there in 1895. Motorcycles came later, in 1901, and British luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce rolled out its American factory in Springfield in 1919.
With plenty of reasonably priced hotels, interesting attractions and a central location, Springfield is ideal for gathering attendees in the New England area.
MassMutual Center
MGM Springfield manages the MassMutual Center. The convention, sporting and entertainment center has 900 on-site hotel rooms and is within a five-minute walk of 1,100 more in downtown Springfield. The MMC Arena plays host to the Springfield Thunderbirds AHL hockey team, Disney on Ice and nationally known musicians and comedians. The convention center has more than 100,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including a 40,000-square-foot exhibition hall and a 15,000-square-foot ballroom.
Meeting Hotels
Springfield has seven downtown hotels, ranging from locally owned boutiques to national chains, and an assortment of convention and meeting venues for groups of all sizes. The two largest are the recently renovated 266-room Marriott Springfield Downtown and the 325-room Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel. MGM Resorts International brought Vegas-style glitz and excitement to town in 2018 with the opening of the 240-room, boutique-style MGM Springfield. The 2 million-square-foot casino resort complex features a 125,000-square-foot gaming floor, a comedy club, a seven-screen luxury cinema and Top Golf, along with multiple restaurants, shopping and meeting and convention spaces.
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
“Hoops City” is where James Naismith invented “basket ball” in 1891, and the striking, globe-shaped Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is not to be missed.
“We like to talk about those things that you can’t find anywhere else except in Western Massachusetts,” said Michele Goldberg, director of marketing and communications for the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Springfield is the birthplace of basketball, and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has memorabilia from every league in the world on display. Whether you’re a basketball fan or not, there’s something in that building that will definitely make for a very fun day. It’s very interactive. They just did a $30 million renovation, so everything is brand new. It’s a great place to visit and to host dinner or an event.”
Other Museums
Springfield is also home to five Smithsonian-affiliated museums, including the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, which includes works by Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent and members of the Hudson River School. It was also the boyhood home of Theodor Geisel — better known as Dr. Seuss. The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum is a sight to behold, and everyone will want a few photos in the whimsical Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, where visitors can come face-to-face with Horton the Elephant, The Cat in the Hat and Dr. Seuss himself.
