Address
21 Edwards Street, Springfield, Mass. 01103
Phone Number
(413) 263-6800
Date Visited
7-26-24
Website
Springfield Museums (Springfield, Mass)
Description
The Museums at Springfield are located at 21 Edwards Street, Springfield, Mass.There is ample, free parking in two, paved lots, with four accessible spaces close to the Visitor Center Entrance.
Each of the buildings is accessible to everyone.
Every building has accessible restrooms with baby-changing facilities.
- Attraction Type: museums
Number of accessible spaces: 4
Location of accessible spaces: very close to Visitor Center Entrance
Surface of lot: paved
Distance to venue: depends on where you park
Transportation to venue offered: na
Terrain: flat
Places to rest: benches throughout the courtyard
Paths and walkways: concrete and stone walkways
Location of accessible entrance: all buildings have accessible entrances; some are the main entrance, some are around a corner. There are clear signs for all
Doors: most buildings have double door entrances
Number of floors: Different building have different numbers of floors - all have elevators to all floors
Elevators: To all levels - the visitor center has a lift
Ramps: na
Steps and staircases: there are steps throughout - but no need to use them if you don't want to
Width of aisles: ample space throughout
Places to sit: benches throughout the courtyard, benches in most galleries
Location of restrooms: You need to look at the museum map to find the best choice for you
Type of restroom: Some are single-occupancy; some are multi-stall, all are accessible
Ease of entry and exit: ok
Baby changing station: yes
Available food services: "Smoked Cafe" in the Blake House Cafe
Friendliness of staff: extremely friendly and knowledgeable
We had seen signs for the Springfield Museums many times on our way to and from Vermont, yet somehow never seemed to have the time to stop. Now that we have been there, we are sorry we hadn’t visited before.
The Museums are a group of five world class museums, in five buildings, all except one around a lovely courtyard. Each building has its own interesting architecture and theme; two of them devoted to art, one to Dr. Seuss, one to science, and one to the city of Springfield.
You can find the largest collection of Chinese Cloisionne outside of Asia, Japanese swords, arms and armor, Tiffany windows, a planetarium, interactive science activities for kids, a rare plaster cast collection, and of course, Dr. Seuss!
If you have kids, or grandkids, or are just a Seuss fan yourself am), “The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss” is not to be missed! Wonderful and engaging, is all I can say. I loved it! An added bonus is the Dr. Seuss Sculpture Garden located in the courtyard.
There is free parking, with four accessible spaces close to the entrance to the Visitor Center, (located within the Science Building). Once inside the street-level entrance you find a large lobby, with the admissions desk and paper maps for the Museums (something I desperately need!) and the way to the Museum Store and Science Museum entrance. They are both located on the upper level. If you cannot manage the steps there is a lift to get you there. The Science Museum (including the planetarium) is quite interesting. The store has lots of things to choose from.
All of the buildings are fully accessible. You may find you need to traverse a few saddles to some of the galleries, but they are manageable. Every building has accessible restrooms, some are single-occupancy, some are multi-stall, with accessible stalls and baby-changing facilities. It would be best to use a map to find your best option. If you have any accessibility questions or concerns, call (413) 719-2156.
Besides all of the great art, science, and Dr. Seuss, a treat awaited us as we stopped for a quick lunch at “Smoked,” at the Blake House Cafe. It was super! Kudos to the chef!
As we mentioned previously, there are accessible restrooms in each building.
Unfortunately, we never made it to “The Museum of Springfield History.” We were so busy enjoying everything we saw that we simply ran out of time. We will make it our first stop on our next visit.
Right now there is a fascinating Frida Kahlow Exhibit of her photographs, through September, 2024.
We also loved “Look Again – Portraits of Daring Women” – there until February, 2025. So… interesting!
We are grateful to the Museums at Springfield for inviting us to visit this wonderful venue. There is something for everyone here. We will be back!
As always, Destination Accessible advises you to visit a venue’s website, www.springfieldmuseums.org, when planning a visit, to “know more before you go.”
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