Springfield Museums & Dr Seuss National Memorial

User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Wow...what a treasure. I stumbled upon this place while looking for places to visit in the New England area. My family (I have two little ones, ages 4 and 1) are big Dr. Seuss fans, as am I, and I though this sounded like a nice day. During a trip to Western Mass, we spent a day at this museum. What a joy it was. First off, the staff were easily some of the nicest people I have ever met. I actually couldn't find the free parking lot at first, so I parked a few blocks away and walked to the museum. When the staff found out, one of the employees actually drove me to get my van (while my wife and children shopped in the gift shop) so I would be in the parking lot. Wow...what a great thing to do. The museum itself is really 4 museums all clustered together, plus the Seuss sculpture garden that sits in the middle of them all. The Seuss garden itself is a sight to behold, with giant scultures of some of Dr. Seuss' most recongnizable characters, like the Cat in the Hat, the Lorax, the Grinch and Max, Horton, Yertle the Turtle and even the man himself, Dr. Seuss. As for the museums, we really spent the bulk of our time in the Science Museum and it was amazing. The exhibits were wonderful and the place was so clean and quiet. This really is a hidden gem! No crazy crowds or long lines, but this place deserves them because it is just great! There's not much for the real little ones to do, but there was so much cool stuff to just see that my youngest was content for the few hours we were here. Admission was about $25 with a AAA membership for ALL of us to get in...and that prices includes all 4 museums! A really great deal and a really, REALLY nice place that not many people know about! The downside to the museum is the fact that Springfield isn't the greatest area. I was repeatedly cautioned (and this is why I was driven to get my car as opposed to walking to get it) to be careful in the area. If you drive to the museum, park in their free lot and then head out from there, you will be fine, but based on what I was told, you want to be careful if you plan on doing any walking in the immediate area. That being said, I did walk in the area and never felt threatened, but I was told to be careful so I'll pass that along. The only other downside is the lack of a place to eat in the museum. They do have a 'cafe', but that is basically two vending machines with drinks and candy and chips and a few tables. Either pack a lunch or you'll have to find a place to eat nearby. The last upside I'll mention is the gift shop. They have the standard items you'd expect, but since this place is so focused on Dr. Seuss (since he was born in Springfield), they have a TON of cool Seuss stuff I have never seen anywhere before. Tons of his books, plus shirts, games, toys and more! The museum itself is SO worth going for, but if you are a Dr. Seuss fan as well, this place is that much more amazing!

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User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Walter Vincent Smith Museum: An amazing collection of Asian art, including a carved temple ornamented by dragons, Japanese samurai swords, Chinese vases, Japanese netsuke. I've loved this museum since I was a child.

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