basketball hall of fame

Now I can say we've been to the hockey, baseball, and basketball halls of fame. The building, a huge ball, is impressive to look at. The hall itself is on the upper ring. Was a bit disorienting going from looking down at the write ups to looking way above at the pictures. Some interesting exhibits on the second floor. Most interesting tidbit wS about the coming to be of the 24 sec shot clock. Some interactive exhibits. Huge space dedicated to the MAAC. Seemed like a ESPN promo. Nothing at all about basketball in culture. How can the be no mention of Spacejam? Or Kareem's acting career? Bottom floor was a basketball court with rims of different heights and lots of balls to shoot. Great for teens. Watch your head though. There is also a large gift shop. Easy on easy off rt 91 so not hard to get to.

It is nice but not as interesting as before the latest move. there are lots of pictures which is good. There used to be several virtual games which were fun. There should be more interactive activities and learning displays.

I am a huge NBA fan, so I was really looking forward to visiting. I was so disappointed. The first floor is a basketball court and the whole visit we could hear someone bouncing a ball--very irritating. When you get to the third floor the pictures of the members are high overhead and it is difficult to match name with person unless you just happen to know who it is. There is a huge room dedicated to Michael Jordan and Nike. There were inaccuracies (Tim Duncan listed as a center, he's a power forward. I just was unimpressed and sorry we went.

I've driven past this building for years when traveling through Springfield. We visited for the first time because my 9-year old had a sports tournament in the area and we were looking for things to do. It's a cool looking basketball-shaped building. I'm not a fan of the sport, but I appreciate the history of the game. There were a few interactive exhibits that he loved. My husband enjoyed the visit. We did everything we wanted to do and were out in 1.5 hours. Happy to have visited. Don't need to return.

This stop was always great to inform you of the vast history of basketball and educate you on key players all around the NBA league. Our visit was around 4 hours and we never got bored. Great place to bring kids and I believe they are free under a certain age. They also have several restaurants located in that plaza so you can grab some grub as long as you are not on a GMO-free diet. they have tons of interactive exhibits and a basketball court. Go check it out if you have never been!

Come here every so often since I'm located in the area and always enjoy this exhibit. It's not as small as some of the other reviewers have said. It's a great opportunity to learn and study the history of basketball in Springfield. There are lots of displays and there is a court to even shoot hoops at baskets. Great experience for young and old...

The Hall is small in footprint, but they pack a ton of historical information into it! I brought my husband as a Xmas gift... his family used to go when he was a kid, but he hadn't been to see it in the new building. This was my first time seeing it, so I have nothing to compare to. I consider myself well-versed enough for someone who doesn't follow the sport very closely, and I found there was plenty of interesting stuff to see. I actually really enjoyed walking around the Honors Ring and reading about past players, coaches, and teams who contributed to the evolution of the sport... more than I thought I was going to enjoy it. It would be nice if they had more artifacts to see, but the historical accounts were short enough to not be boring while still being informative. The interactive features of the Hall are great for everyone, and it was fun seeing everyone shoot hoops on the court and playing games with the staff. We spent about 4 hours there including a lunch break at Subway. You are allowed to leave and return, and there are a lot of nice restaurants nearby. Does it take a full day? Probably not. But it is what you make of it... We didn't spend a ton of time in the HS/College areas but we spent probably an hour and a half in the Honors Ring alone. There's ample free parking. A bit overpriced, but I bought a Groupon which I thought was more than reasonable at $9.50 per person. They also have a cute little gift shop.

Used a groupon and spent 3 1/2 hours. Kids under 5 are free. Great opportunity to learn about thr history of the game and key people. The kids loved the interactive exhibits and court.

It is NOT small, and there is PLENTY of other things to do in the area, to disagree with the prior reviewer. Thank you, I feel better already! This is a basketball shaped building and yes, it is somewhat overpriced. Even though I am not a huge fan, I enjoyed it. The photos on the third floor are mounted very high, and are not as impressive as the plaques in Cooperstown. There is however some narrative about each inductee at eye level. Even for the non-fan, we all know of Jordan, Bird, Johnson, Jabbar, etc., etc., and just reading about each of their distinctive talents and contributions was great. The second floor was all about the history of the game, the evolution of the leagues, etc. There are great tidbits here, such as the evolution of the shot clock, and how it came to be 24 seconds! It is a place to be seen, if you are not a rabid fan you may not spend a huge amount of time particularly on floor 2.

the entire vendu took less than an hour to walk through. Not a weekend trip. Not much else to do in the area

i've coach basketball since 1973 so i think i know just a little bit about the gamejust think a Canadian invented our only true American game from the very beginning til today it is all there in the new building first floor to the thirdevery mention of the game that u can imagineall the great ones are there and plenty more room for the furture ones men and womenplan on spending a while therei have brought many of my teams theregood luck

This visit is overpriced to enter. Then half or the interactive set up either don't work or not enough staff to run the, makes the price even more outrageous. With that said, the things that were open was a lot of fun. The hall of fame has a full size court that can be played on and also has all the "hoops" that have evolved from the history of basketball to shoot at. Only need less than 2 hours to visit this attraction.

I was taken aback by how expensive it was to go into the Basketball Hall of Fame but it more than paid for itself once I saw how thrilled my two sons were to be there. We spent over 3 hours!! There were two highlights for my kids: first the big open court area where they could just shoot and dribble and have fun and which was transformed into the daily free thrown competition. What a thrill. Second, the Michael Jordan dream gym lined with a sculpture made up of his running shoes and the most amazing gleaming hardwood floors. It is well worth taking a trip here and if you have any basketball fans bring a little extra for the outstanding gift shop.

Recently visited the Hall of Fame on a Thursday in October. The place was a morgue. Firstly, the price for admission is too high for a small museum ($21 but if you have AAA, mention that so you can get in for $19). Parking is free and conveniently located near the entrance and on-site restaurants. You'll take an elevator to the third floor to start your tour. The top floor is pretty basic with photos of all inductees, a timeline of important dates, and minimal memorabilia. The 2nd floor is the gist of the Hall of Fame with a few exhibits and some hands-on activities for all ages. The bottom floor is a full-size basketball court (anyone can shoot hoops) and the gift shop. You can get through this entire museum in 60-90 minutes. I've been to the Football Hall of Fame in Ohio and the Baseball Hall of Fame in NY. The Baseball HOF in Cooperstown is clearly #1 and this competes with the small Football HOF in Canton. Go on a rainy day or if you like basketball, otherwise you'll be bored stiff.

I included this stop on our trip to New England. I was not impresses by the way inductees pictures were displayed. You have to look up at an uncomfortable angle to see the pictures. The explanation of the creation of basketball was very good, even to my wife who is not a fan, but otherwise it is a collection of uniforms (some of which were not identified) and basketballs. I would not recommend anyone going out of their way to visit.