Springfield is located in Hampden County in the western part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is the largest city in Western Massachusetts. It was founded in 1636 by William Pynchon.

Springfield is known for being the city of homes as well as the city of firsts. It is the birthplace of basketball and is the home of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Some other famous firsts include:

1891 the game of basketball invented by Dr. James Naismith
1892 the first commercially sold automobile - the Duryea
1850 the first railroad sleeping car in the U.S. built by George Pullman
1795 the first U.S. musket
1937 the first Garand rifle
1901 the first gasoline powered motorcycle - the Indian Motorcycle
1919 the first Junior Achievement Program
1873 the first U.S. Government postcards
The first projection planetarium

Springfield is comprised of 17 neighborhoods. There are many historic homes, and interesting places to visit throughout the city. Springfield is the home of the areas finest museums, entertainment, and restaurants. Springfield is the birthplace of Theodor Geisel better known to the world as Dr. Seuss, and the home of the famous Mulberry Street.

Springfield has a great park system with the Crown Jewel being Forest Park, which is situated on 735 pristine acres. At the park, there are many recreational and passive activities such as picnicking that people can enjoy. Forest Park is also the home of the Forest Park Zoo, the area's best zoo with many different types of animals. In addition to Forest Park, there are over 32 neighborhood parks and open space located in just about every part of the city. Other parks such as Blunt, Van Horn, Hubbard, Nathan Bill, Greenleaf, Marshall Roy, Ruth Elizabeth, Emerson Wight, Walsh, Kenefick, and Calhoun also provide a host of recreational activities and sports events that make Springfield a great place to live.

Springfield is also the home of the Falcons, a professional AHL hockey team and The Springfield Sirens, A professional girls world class soccer team.

Any visit to Springfield should include a stop at:

The Basketball Hall of Fame
Forest Park and the Forest Park Zoo
George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum
Connecticut Valley Historical Museum
Museum of Fine Art
The Quadrangle and Springfield City Library
The Springfield Science Museum
Indian Motorcycle Museum
Titanic Museum
The Springfield Armory National Historic site
The Springfield Civic Center
Springfield Symphony Hall
City Stage
Bright Nights at Forest Park during the holiday season