To me, the best thing about going somewhere on the road isn't the final destination but the stops that are taken on the way. You can be impulsive and go anywhere, and I love the freedom and lack of structure that goes with it. They enhance the overall trip and become a small piece in the jigsaw puzzle that a road trip is. As we were driving up to Vermont on I-91, we decided to go to The Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield Massachusetts, the birthplace of basketball.

I've always loved basketball and the building is a shrine to the sport. You can't miss the building from the highway; it is a huge silver semi-sphere with a tall spire topped by a huge basketball. I immediately thought, I have to go there.

One thing that I thought was funny as we pulled into the parking lot was the huge McDonald's that's attached to the hall. These gifted athletes work countless hours to perfect their bodies and their game and when people visit the ultimate shrine to the game, it's adjacent to a shrine of fatty fast food. I couldn't get over the irony.

Anyway, it costs $17 each to enter. We saved a couple of dollars with our AAA card. You have to take advantage of these kinds of savings on the road, they do add up - I am always thinking like the financial adviser that I am.

There are three floors in Basketball's Hall of Fame and we started from the top. That floor is for the inductees themselves: pictures, stats and information on each of the players, coaches and contributors to the game, nearly 300 in all. It's pretty dry and mostly informational but if you have an interest in the history of the game you will like it. There are also video screens on which you can watch historic highlights and there is a scoreboard hanging down that plays famous highlights like Larry Bird stealing the ball in the final seconds against the Pistons.

The next floor down is much more on the fun side. There are displays of jerseys from high school, college, NBA and international teams. There are a couple of video games you can play, a rebounding exercise that I think I pulled a muscle on and a device that tests your vertical leap. This white boy really can't jump. There is an area where you can test your broadcasting expertise or lack thereof. In addition, there are a few games for the kids as well including a bungee cord game where you have to shoot baskets before the cord snaps you back and a little maze in one of those bouncy house things.

Those two floors are the only exhibits, the first floor is basically the entrance. However, they do have a full court where you can shoot and play around for as long as you'd like. They have a neat thing there: they have all the different buckets and backboards as they have evolved over time and it's fun to shoot at the baskets.
There's a gift shop (of course there is, what tourist site doesn't have one) and the pricing isn't bad for t-shirts and hats.

The Basketball Hall of Fame is a great place to go and spend a couple of hours whether you're a fan of basketball or if you've got kids. Its mission is to preserve and promotes the game at all levels and it does so in a fun, interactive way. It became a very nice piece of the puzzle that was our trip to Vermont and you should make it a part of yours.

You can check out the Hall of Fame online at hoophall.com if you'd like to plan your trip a little more in advance then I did.

I'd like to thank cr01 for adding this to the database so quickly.


Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime