Springfield, city in western Massachusetts and seat of Hampden County. It is located on the east bank of the Connecticut River in a region locally known as Pioneer Valley. Springfield is a commercial, manufacturing, telecommunications, and transportation center. Government, health care providers, educational institutions, and insurance companies are the city's largest employers. Westover Air Force Base is north of the city. Springfield is avoiding decline experienced by other industrial cities in New England by revitalizing a central business district, where historically significant buildings are being restored and remodeled for retail and office use.
Among the points of interest in the city are the Basketball Hall of Fame, a museum which commemorates teacher James Naismith, who developed the game of basketball in Springfield in 1891; the Dr. Seuss Museum, honoring children's author Theodor Seuss Geisel, who grew up on Mulberry Street in the city; and the Indian Motorcycle Museum, devoted to the famed motorcycle once manufactured in the city. The Springfield Library and Museums include four distinct museums (one each devoted to history and science and two to art) clustered around the Quadrangle green, the cultural centerpiece of Springfield.
