Spring has officially sprung in Western Mass bringing days filled with sunshine and chirping birds and also those necessary rain showers. No matter what the weather throws at us in April, Western Mass has a variety of options for getting out of the house! Here are a few of our best ideas:

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Basketball Hall of Fame has recently unveiled newly reimagined and highly interactive new displays. Visitors can anchor a virtual sportscast alongside some of the best to ever do it and then download it. On center court, where visitors can shoot baskets on hoops from different eras, the Hall has added a second replica of Naismith’s peach basket. A 14-by-24-foot LED screen plays buzzer beaters and other memorable moments on a 15-minute loop. Elsewhere, items like an original pair of Air Jordans share space with Dennis Rodman’s boa and Lou Carnesecca’s sweater. An exhibit on basketball moves features the crossover dribble, the skyhook and now the Eurostep. From April 12-23, the Hall will be open daily.

Springfield Museums
The Springfield Museums has great options for the month of April including The Festival of Flowers: Reflection from April 8-11. Floral arrangements will be placed in the two art museums. In the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum and in the D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts. The popular “How People Make Things” exhibit is at the Springfield Science Museum through May 9^th. This interactive exhibit celebrates the people, the manufacturing processes and the technology used to make everyday objects in our world. Once, every product we used was made by hand, usually one at a time. But over the years, people invented machines to make things quickly, more efficiently and less expensively.  This exhibit allows the visitor to use their hands, tools and machines to cut, mold, deform and assemble.

Eric Carle Museum of Picure Book Art
The Eric Carle Museum has a variety of exhibits in April including “Picture the Dream: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement through Children’s Books”. This exhibition is the first of its kind to delve into the events, people, and themes of the civil rights movement as told through picture books. More than 80 artworks evoke the power of the era that shaped American history and continues to reverberate today. For the little ones, The Carle offers “On the Move with Eric Carle”. This exhibit highlights some of the ways people and animals move from place to place in Eric Carle’s picture-book illustrations. This exhibition is divided into themes of travel by land, air, and sea, and the artworks represent 15 different titles.

Bounce Trampoline Sports
Bounce is now open daily with 6,000 square feet of different trampoline-based activities. This includes a large main court, 3 basketball dunk lanes, an over-sized foam pit, 2 Dodgeball courts, 2 complete junior areas, and 2 BOUNCE! Xtreme areas that will challenge all. In addition, Bounce offers laser tag, virtual reality and an arcade!

Sonny’s Place
Sonny’s is open for extended hours from April 12-23 with a variety of indoor and outdoor activities. Looking like a chilly day? Try Sonny’s for their arcade, laser tag, Hologate virtual reality attraction and carousel. When the weather cooperates, head over for miniature golf, Sonny’s Playland, go-karts and Soaring Eagle Ride.

Be confident in your choice to Explore Western Mass! Our attractions, hotels and restaurants are practicing enhanced COVID safety measures to ensure that your visit is safe as well as fun. More information can be found here.