Family Fun Just Up the Road in Springfield, MA

Summertime is one of the favorite times of the year for most kids. Instead of sitting in class all day, they head to fun sports camps, go on trips to the beach and dive into their backyard pool.

Well, if parents want to try out something new this summer with their children, then a quick trip up north is a good idea. There are several family-friendly places just over the border in Springfield, MA, including science, history and art museums, a sports Hall of Fame, and an outdoor park and zoo.

The science, history and art museums are a part of the Springfield Museums and Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden. Among these are four museums located right next to each other: the Springfield Science Museum, the Michele & Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History and the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum.

According to Sara Orr, the director of public relations and marketing at the Springfield Museums, the four museums at the "Quadrangle" are offering much to do this summer.

“The science museum is our main attraction for kids, and we have these great interactive exhibits this summer: 'Be the Dinosaur' and 'Dinosaur Dig,'” Orr said. “We have this robotic Tyrannosaurus Rex and kids love it. Then we have these live performances from kid entertainers every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday this summer.”

Orr said the dinosaur exhibit runs until mid-September, and participants experience the day-to-day world of dinosaurs from 65 million years ago through computer simulations.

Other interactive components include dinosaur observation windows, a touch screen “designasaurus” station and a virtual Dinosaur Jeep Safari. In addition, kids can become paleontologists and excavate “fossils” in the Dinosaur Dig room.

The live performances on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday are part of the Summer Celebration program through Aug. 26. Entertainers come at 1 p.m. on these days, and programs include children’s theater, puppet shows and magician shows. Furthermore, there will be drop-in art-making workshops, science experiments, live animal demonstrations, planetarium shows and scavenger hunts Monday through Friday.

“There is plenty to see and do here, and it is really a great way to spend the day for a family,” Orr said. “We like to call it a mini-Smithsonian with all the museums in one spot. It’s cheap admission, and one ticket allows you to get to all four museums.”

The museums at 21 Edwards St. are open in the summer Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and also on Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is free onsite parking at the Edwards Street parking lots.

The regular rate of admission is $12.50 for adults, $9 for seniors and college students with an ID, $6.50 for ages 3-17, and free for under 3.

There is also the Dr. Seuss Sculpture Garden, open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The memorial garden is free to the public, and it has life-size bronzes honoring Springfield native Theodor Seuss Geisel.

The park features Dr. Seuss at his drawing board surrounded by some of his most beloved characters, including Horton the Elephant, the Grinch, the Cat in the Hat, Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose, the Lorax, among others.

For more information on the Springfield Museums and Dr. Seuss Garden, call 413-263-6800 or log on to www.springfieldmuseums.org.

Springfield is also the birthplace of basketball, and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is a noteworthy attraction this summer and all year long. Michael Desrosiers, marketing and sales representative at the Hall of Fame, said there are a few special exhibits this summer that people should check out.

“Our Michael Jordan exhibit is a huge one to look at, and it will be here only until November,” Desrosiers said. “It’s all about his career, and the signature piece is Jordan’s shoe wall with every signature shoe he wore during his career.”

The USA basketball team is another exhibit, which shows the key moments throughout USA basketball’s history. Desrosiers said it is an interactive exhibit, and people could learn some interesting facts from it.

In addition to these exhibits, Desrosiers said there is a lot of programming going on at the Hall of Fame this summer, with several visits and autograph signings from basketball and sports personalities.

These special visits include NBA referee Bob Delaney, former Boston Red Sox pitcher Bill “Spaceman” Lee, former UConn basketball star and 1996 Olympic gold medalist Rebecca Lobo, among others.

The Hall of Fame is open every day 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost of admission is $16.99 for adults, $13.99 for seniors, $11.99 for ages 5-15, and free for under 5.

The Hall of Fame is located at 1000 Hall of Fame Ave. For more information, as well as enshrinement tickets, log on to www.hoophall.com or call 413-231-5513 or 413-781-6500.

The Zoo in Forest Park is an additional Springfield destination, and it can entertain kids for a while, according to Kim Madrak, a zookeeper there.

“We have four different types of monkeys, with one of them (being) spider monkeys, and we also have bears, kangaroos, horses, camels, a leopard, cougars, a whole bunch of different parrots,” Madrak said. “The kids just love the animals and have a ton of fun with them.”

The zoo holds events on the weekend for the general public. These programs include Pet Awareness Day and Rainforest Day.

In addition to the zoo, Forest Park has a water area for kids to cool off at, playgrounds, hiking trails and a snack shack. There are also train rides around the park where people get to see all the fields and everything going on at the park.

“Without spending a lot of money or without wasting a lot of gas, from Connecticut you can come here and spend the whole day,” Madrak said. “It’s a lot of fun and kids really enjoy all of it.”

The Zoo in Forest Park is open every day 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The zoo’s admission is $6.75 for adults, $4.75 for seniors and for ages 5-12, $2.50 for ages 1-4, and free for under 1. All train tickets are $4.

Forest Park is located at 302 Sumner Ave. For more information, log on to www.forestparkzoo.org or call 413-733-2251.