Editing Springfield, Massachusetts (section)

===Points of interest===
* [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame|Basketball Hall of Fame]]: housed in a $47&nbsp;million structure designed by [[Gwathmey Siegel & Associates]], it is a shrine to the world's second most popular sport, basketball. Located in the city where basketball was invented, the facility—built beside the [[Connecticut River]]—spans {{convert|80,000|sqft|m2|-2}} features numerous restaurants and the [[WMAS-FM]] studios. However, it is separated from Springfield's [[Metro Center, Springfield, Massachusetts|Metro Center]] by an eight-lane highway, [[Interstate 91 (Massachusetts)|Interstate 91]].
* Bright Nights: during the holiday season, [[Forest Park (Springfield)|Forest Park]] hosts a lighting display.
* City Stage: features off-Broadway productions, comedians, and children's programming.
* [[Club Quarter]]: a grouping of 60 clubs, bars, and restaurants around Stearns Square, Worthington and Main Streets. Springfield's variety of nightclubs and entertainment is part of what makes it, according to [[Yahoo!]], one of America's ten best cities for dating.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://realestate.yahoo.com/neighborhoods/best_and_worst_cities_for_dating.html |title=Best and Worst Cities for Dating |publisher=Yahoo! Real Estate |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314144337/http://realestate.yahoo.com/neighborhoods/best_and_worst_cities_for_dating.html |archive-date=March 14, 2012 }}</ref> [[LGBT]] and dance clubs are integrated with hip-hop, rock, jazz, and blues clubs. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are particularly busy evenings.
* [[Connecticut River Walk Park]]: a landscaped park that snakes along the [[Connecticut River]], offering views of the [[Mount Tom Range]], [[Mount Holyoke Range]], and Springfield's skyline. However, this park is separated from the city by the eight lane [[Interstate 91 (Massachusetts)|Interstate 91]], which cuts through three riverfront neighborhoods and poses accessibility challenges. In 2010, the [[Urban Land Institute]] released a plan for Springfield's riverfront, presenting the possibility of moving Interstate 91 or otherwise altering it to allow easier access to the River Walk and the [[Basketball Hall of Fame]].<ref name="scholarworks.umass.edu">{{cite web |url=http://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=larp_honors&sei-redir=1#search=springfield+divided+by+91 |title=Landscape Urbanism for the Highway city of Springfield North End |author=Piyawut Inthasorn |date=May 14, 2010 |website=scholarworks.umass.edu |access-date=July 12, 2017 |archive-date=January 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112123419/http://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=larp_honors&sei-redir=1#search=springfield+divided+by+91 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Michael McAuliffe |author2=The Republican |url=http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/05/study_by_urban_land_institute.html |title=Study by Urban Land Institute envisions revitalized Springfield waterfront |date=May 5, 2010 |publisher=masslive.com |access-date=June 18, 2011 |archive-date=March 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328130536/http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/05/study_by_urban_land_institute.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.springfieldcityhall.com/planning/riverfront-proj.0.html |title=City of Springfield, Mass.: Riverfront |publisher=Springfieldcityhall.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703195451/http://www.springfieldcityhall.com/planning/riverfront-proj.0.html |archive-date=July 3, 2008 }}</ref>
* [[Court Square]]: a park, referred to as "Springfield's front door", it remains the city's only topographical constant since its founding in 1636. Located on Main Street and surrounded by ornate architecture, including the iconic [[Springfield Municipal Group]], Court Square is the civic heart of Springfield. Until the 1960s, Court Square extended to the [[Connecticut River]]; however, as with [[Forest Park (Springfield)|Forest Park]], its connection to the river was severed by the building of the [[Interstate 91 (Massachusetts)|Interstate 91]] elevated highway.
* [[Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden]]: amidst the Quadrangle, there are large, bronze statues of characters from Springfield native [[Dr. Seuss]]'s books.
* First Game of Basketball Sculpture: located directly on the site of the first game of basketball, this illuminated sculpture in Springfield's [[McKnight, Springfield, Massachusetts (and Mason Square)|Mason Square]] commercial district has become a site of pilgrimage for basketball fans from around the world.
* [[Forest Park (Springfield)|Forest Park]]: nearly the same size as Central Park at {{convert|735|acre|ha|1}}, it features the Zoo at Forest Park; the {{convert|31|acre|ha|1}} Porter Lake; numerous playgrounds; a formal rose garden; 38 tennis courts; a skating arena; numerous basketball and bocce courts; lawn bowling fields; Victorian promenades and water gardens; tree groves; baseball diamonds; numerous statues; an aquatic park; and the Barney Carriage House, where many weddings take place. Contrary to popular belief, the park was not designed by Fredrick Law Olmsted.
* King Philip's Stockade: a historic, city park where in 1675, the Pocumtuc Indians—organized by Chief [[Metacomet]], also known as King Philip—initiated the [[Attack on Springfield]] during [[King Philip's War]]. During the attack, approximately 75% of the city was burned.
* [[MassMutual Center]]: formerly known as the Springfield Civic Center, this 8,000-seat arena and convention center received a $71&nbsp;million renovation in 2003–2005. Located across from historic [[Court Square]] in [[Metro Center, Springfield, Massachusetts|Metro Center]], the arena houses the [[American Hockey League]]'s [[Springfield Thunderbirds]]. The venue also attracts big-name concert tours. In the past, it has hosted concerts by [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], [[Pearl Jam]], [[Van Halen]], [[Marilyn Manson]], [[The Eagles]], and [[Bob Dylan]], among many others.
* [[Mulberry Street (Springfield, Massachusetts)|Mulberry Street]]: the street featuring the house that inspired [[Dr. Seuss]]'s first children's book, the classic ''[[And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street]].''
* [[The Puritan (Springfield)|The Puritan]]: a famous statue designed by [[Augustus Saint-Gaudens]] depicting Deacon Samuel Chapin, an early settler of Springfield. Originally located in Stearns Square, it has been located in Merrick Park in the Quadrangle for over 100 years and become a symbol of Springfield.
* The [[Quadrangle (Springfield, Massachusetts)|Quadrangle]]: a campus of five museums surrounding the [[Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden]]. It includes the [[Quadrangle (Springfield, Massachusetts)#Michele and Donald D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts|Museum of Fine Arts]], known for its [[Impressionist]] and [[Dutch Renaissance]] collections, as well as its collection of American masters, including works by Springfielder [[James McNeill Whistler]]. The [[Springfield Science Museum]] features the United States' first [[planetarium]] (built 1931), and a large [[dinosaur]] exhibit. The [[George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum]] is known worldwide{{citation needed|date=March 2020}} for housing the largest collection of Chinese [[cloisonné]] outside of China; it also features exotic curiosities like Asian suits of armor, and a collection of marble busts. The Quadrangle also features two regional history museums: the Connecticut Valley Historical Society, which tells the story of "The Great River" and its people, and the new Museum of Springfield History, which showcases the innovations that make Springfield "The City of Progress" during the [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionist period]] and [[Industrial Revolution]], which includes the first American–English dictionary, the first gasoline-powered car, the first successful motorcycle company, the first modern fire engine, and dozens of other firsts (see below for a more complete list).
* St. John's Congregational Church: founded in 1844 as the Sanford Street "Free Church", St. John's Congregational Church is a predominately black church that played a pivotal role in the [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionist]] movement. While living in Springfield, [[John Brown (abolitionist)|John Brown]] attended services here from 1846 to 1850, and as of 2011, the church still displays ''John Brown's Bible''. It was at this church where John Brown met [[Frederick Douglass]], [[Sojourner Truth]], and other prominent abolitionists—and where he later founded the militant ''League of Gileadites'' in response to the [[Fugitive Slave Act]]. As of 2011, St. John's remains one of the most prominent, predominately black congregations in the Northeastern United States.<ref name="sjkb">{{cite web |url=http://sjkb.org/discover_stjohns/history.html |title=History &#124; St. John's Congregational Church &#124; Springfield, MA |publisher=Sjkb.org |date=June 22, 2010 |access-date=December 27, 2011 |archive-date=April 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426062202/http://sjkb.org/discover_stjohns/history.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[St. Michael's Cathedral, Springfield|St. Michael's Cathedral]]: beside the Quadrangle, this elegant Catholic Church is the seat of the Diocese of [[Greater Springfield]].
* [[Stacy Building]]: the location where, in 1892–1893, the [[Duryea Brothers]] built the first, American gasoline-powered car, which in 1895 won the first automobile race in Chicago, Illinois. A model of the Duryea Brothers' first car sits in a tree-shaded park beside the historic location, amidst the restaurants and bars of the [[Club Quarter]].
* [[Six Flags New England]]: located {{convert|1|mi|km|1}} west of Springfield's [[South End, Springfield, Massachusetts|South End]] in Agawam, this amusement park is the largest in the Northeast and features a roller coaster, Superman the Ride.
* The [[Springfield Armory National Historic Site]]: founded by General [[George Washington]] and [[Henry Knox]] in 1777; the site of [[Shays' Rebellion]] in 1787, which led directly to the [[U.S. Constitutional Convention]]; the site of numerous technological innovations including the manufacturing advances known as [[interchangeable parts]], the [[assembly line]], and [[mass production]]; and the producer of the United States Military's firearms from 1794 to 1968, when the Armory was controversially shut down by Defense Secretary [[Robert McNamara]]. Today, it is a [[National Historic Sites (United States)|National Historic Site]], and features a museum that includes one of the world's largest collections of firearms.<ref name="nps.gov">{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/spar/index.htm |title=Springfield Armory National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service) |publisher=Nps.gov |access-date=May 24, 2012 |archive-date=March 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323142701/http://www.nps.gov/spar/index.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Springfield Cemetery (Springfield, Massachusetts)|Springfield Cemetery]]: opened in 1841 and located in the heart of the city, it is designed in the scenic [[rural cemetery]] tradition. The cemetery is the final resting place of many pioneer settlers and noted individuals from Springfield and the region.
* Symphony Hall: dedicated in 1913 by President [[William Howard Taft]] as part of the [[Springfield Municipal Group]], Springfield Symphony Hall features "perfect acoustics". It is home to the [[Springfield Symphony Orchestra]], and also hosts Broadway touring productions.
* [[Stearns Square]]: designed by the artistic team of [[Stanford White]] and [[Augustus Saint-Gaudens]] in 1897, this small park is the center of Springfield's Club Quarter.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.springfieldmuseums.org/news/view/360-walking_tour_to_visit_outdoor_sculpture_by_saint-gaudens |title=Walking Tour to Visit Outdoor Sculpture by Saint-Gaudens—News |publisher=Springfield Museums |date=July 23, 2009 |access-date=April 14, 2011 |archive-date=July 1, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110701190458/http://www.springfieldmuseums.org/news/view/360-walking_tour_to_visit_outdoor_sculpture_by_saint-gaudens |url-status=live }}</ref> It features ornate architectural and sculptural details from the original team's design; however, most of those were meant to accompany The Puritan, and thus moved to storage. Stearns Square hosts a large motorcycle gathering each Thursday evening, and is the site of a summer concert series.