April 25, 2013 Springfield, MA

How many times have you discovered an attraction only a short way off a highway you have traveled repeatedly?  For me the truth is, too often.  Today we are visiting a cluster of small but entertaining museums and gardens in the heart of Springfield, MA.just off Interstate 91.

Sandwiched between State Street and Edwards Street, and just north of Chestnut, The visitor's center is easily accessed through the Edwards Street parking lot. The main body of the attraction consists of four museums clustered around a garden filled with delightful life-size sculptures taken from the works of Dr. Seuss, who of course was a Springfield native.

Here's Gloria helping to hoist a bronzed platter of green eggs and ham. Take a guess who won't be cooking dinner tonight! The courtyard is filled with characters from the Dr. Seuss books. Horton, The Cat in the Hat, The Storyteller, and the Lorax pose among lesser characters.  Here is a long distance shot of a cluster of statues with friends Neal and Dory Alderman in the midst of the action.

The Springfield Science Museum is attached to the visitor's center, so it's a logical place to start. The day we arrived most of the exhibits consisted of dioramas featuring local wildlife and habitats, although the compulsory dinosaurs, elk, and polar bears were present to amuse the young and old.  The newly hatched emu's stole the show, in this largely child oriented exhibit. Gloria snapped this picture of me in front of a large, but stuffed, black bear.

We spent quite a bit of time in the Michele & Donald D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts which has an eclectic mix of arts from sixteenth century Italian and French portrait painters, to a photo exhibit of the Beatles (the singing group), abstract sculpture, and nearly everything in between. I got a kick out of paintings that have been judged to be copies of the works of masters done by their students.  It took experts years to figure out that these weren't done by the masters, so I guess it's OK for me to enjoy them for the beauty they possess. Of course photographing such exhibits is not allowed, so you'll have to see for yourself.

Another interesting, if creepy this time of year, garden exhibit is this topiary castle formed from what appear to be kudzu vines. I imagine in a few months the thing will be green and magical. Today it looked a little sad.

We found so much to do that we will have to return to see the GWV Smith Art Museum and the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History (across Edward Street) another time.

I enjoyed this attraction far more than the Basketball Hall of Fame on the other side of Route 91.  Of course the problem may be that I'm not much of a sports fan, and at $10 per person for non city residents, four museums was a bargain.  The site also contains a small cafe' which serves light fare and snacks at reasonable prices.