The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is located in Springfield, Massachusetts. The building stands as a memorial to the game designed by Dr. James Naismith who created basketball for his physical education classes. One thing that we learned when we visited the basketball Hall of Fame is that this site celebrates all of basketball history. Unlike the NFL and MLB Halls, the Basketball HOF recognizes the NBA, ABA, WNBA, and many International Leagues and players. Expect to see a lot more than just famous names from NBA history.
First Floor
Our favorite part of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame was the first floor. As you enter and pay your fee, you come to larger-than-life displays that feature some of the greatest basketball players in history. Being Utahns, our favorite was John Stockton, but there was a favorite player for everyone. These displays listed stats and bios for the player, and some had jerseys or videos of the players highlights. The first floor also has a theater with different shows, featuring players and eras. There is also a large gift shop. We even chuckled at the bathroom hand dryers that looked like basketballs.
Court of Dreams
Even better, we spent about 30 minutes on the basketball court. This is a large indoor area where everyone is welcome to play. There are different kinds of hoops from all eras of the game, included the old peach baskets that Dr. Naismith initially used when inventing basketball. In addition, there are many sizes of hoops, so even toddlers can find a place to score. We really enjoyed shooting on these hoops.
Third Floor
From the first floor, you head up the elevator. The front desk recommended we ride to the top and work our way down, so we did. The only reason we started with Court of Dreams is because it was closing. The third floor is very interactive and has some fun screens, too. There are places to compare your hand size or wingspan to different players through the ages. It is a smaller area, so you can visit this floor in a short amount of time, but we did take a lot of pictures in this section.
Second Floor
Next, you’ll walk down to the second floor. This is where most of the displays are. There is a big area with historical items starting with the beginning of basketball. You will not believe some of the outfits! There are also areas that showcase records and plenty of items to represent records set such as uniforms or pair shoes. We spent a long time walking through and finding items from our favorite teams and players.
When we visited there was a special display for Kobe Bryant. I don’t know if it is permanent or if this area changes. But we have one boy who loves Kobe, so it was perfect. We watched videos and looked at all of his shoes and jerseys.
One of our favorite parts was the TNT area. There is a desk set up just like the TNT analysts at the basketball games. You also get a chance to read a script and it records the video for you. Then, you can email it to yourself and feel like a really broadcaster. We had fun doing this. There is also a green screen to take fun pictures with Kenny, Shaq, and Chuck!
The second floor is also where the inductees are listed. We were a little disappointed in this area, because the presentation is all done through computers. So rather than the plaques at the MLB Hall, or the statue busts at the NFL Hall, there are buttons to push that take you to player descriptions and profiles. There is a wall with everyone’s name printed on it, but we did miss a more physical display like at the other halls. We spent a good portion of our time looking through the monitors at players, coaches, and announcers and their career statistics.
We were surprised at how inclusive the Basketball Hall of Fame is, as men and women, and overseas players all have a prominent place. Our boys really liked that they got to play basketball in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. There is a lot to see and do here, and we are excited to keep visiting the sports halls in the United States. For current hours and pricing, check their website.
