Basketball Hall of Fame -- housed in a $47 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 80,000 square feet (7,400 m) features numerous restaurants and the WMAS - FM studios. However, it is separated from Springfield 's Metro Center by the 8 - lane highway, Interstate 91. The Big E -- also known as The Eastern States Exposition, it is New England 's collective, annual state fair. Held on a permanent fairgrounds approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Springfield 's Metro Center, across the ornate Memorial Bridge in West Springfield, it attracts more than 1 million visitors per year during its 14 - to 17 - day run beginning in mid-September. Bright Nights -- during the holiday season, Forest Park hosts a nationally renowned, 2 + mile, state - of - the - art lighting extravaganza. Year over year, the numerous lighting displays become creative and elaborate. City Stage -- Springfield 's best - known playhouse 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. 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, affording views of the Mount Tom Range, Mount Holyoke Range, and Springfield 's skyline. However, this park is separated from Springfield by the badly designed, 8 - lane Interstate 91 highway, which cuts through three Springfield riverfront neighborhoods, and thus presents a major obstacle to accessing this riverfront park. In 2010, the Urban Land Institute released a plan for Springfield 's riverfront, which has given Springfielders cause for hope that Interstate 91 will either be moved or made more easily passable via new design features that would allow people to access the River Walk and the Basketball Hall of Fame. 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 Olmsted 's Forest Park, its connection to the river was severed by the building of the 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 Mason Square commercial district has become a site of pilgrimage for basketball fans from around the world. Forest Park -- designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the renowned landscape designer of New York City 's Central Park, Springfield 's Forest Park is nearly the same size as Central Park at 735 acres (297.4 ha). It features the Zoo at Forest Park; the 31 acres (12.5 ha) 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. King Philip 's Stockade -- an 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 million renovation in 2003 -- 2005. Located across from historic Court Square in 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, Pearl Jam, Van Halen, Marilyn Manson, The Eagles, and Bob Dylan, among many others. 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 -- a famous statue designed by Augustus Saint - Gaudens depicting Deacon Samuel Chapin, an early settler of Springfield. "The Puritan '' is perhaps St. Gaudens ' most celebrated, outdoor sculpture. 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 -- a campus of five museums surrounding the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, is an extraordinary cultural grouping -- especially considering Springfield 's medium - size population and small land area. It includes the world - class Museum of Fine Arts, known for its Impressionist and Dutch Renaissance collections, as well as its extensive collection of American masters, including works by Springfielder James McNeill Whistler. The world - class Springfield Science Museum features the United States ' first planetarium (built 1931), and a large dinosaur exhibit. The world - class George Walter Vincent Smith Museum is known worldwide for housing the largest collection of Chinese cloisonne 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 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 abolitionist movement. While living in Springfield, 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 famous, 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. 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 -- 93, 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 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Springfield 's South End in Agawam, this amusement park is the largest in the Northeast and features a top - ranked 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 Site, and features a museum that includes one of the world 's largest collections of firearms. 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 progressive Springfield Symphony Orchestra conducted by showman Kevin Rhodes, and also hosts numerous Broadway touring productions. Stearns Square -- designed by the renowned artistic team of Stanford White and Augustus Saint - Gaudens in 1897, this small park is the center of Springfield 's Club Quarter. 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.
when does the big e start in springfield mass
mid-September