Greater
Springfield and Western Massachusetts
Town & City Attractions |
Community Resources | Local
Government | Libraries, Schools & Colleges
Town and
City Attractions:
Greater
Springfield:
- The
Big E
- Home page for the great
Eastern States Exposition, ninth largest fair in North America. Besides information
about the annual fair, the page includes a calendar of events held during
the year at the Exposition grounds in West Springfield.
- Brass Players Museum
- Located in Springfield. Individuals interested in Antique Brass Instruments
or brass players are invited to visit and "try out" some of the museum's antique
instruments. The museum features over 90 various instruments. The website
includes contact information for appointments to visit the museum.
- CityStage
and Springfield Symphony Hall
- Schedules and other information
for Springfield's performing arts venues.
- Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau
- The Valley Visitor site ncludes maps, a visitor's guide, a media guide, and much more for tourists and convention attendees in Springfield and the Pioneer Valley.
- Houses of Springfield
- Old WPA photographs, postcards, house plans, and more, highlighting some of the beautiful old architecture in The City of Homes. Hosted by Ralph Slate of Springfield.
- Springfield Symphony Orchestra
- Events calendar for Springfield's professional orchestra, including the
Summer Pops programs at Stanley Park.
- MassLive
- Extensive coverage of Springfield and Western Massachusetts from the local
newspaper the Springfield Republican (formerly Springfield Union-News
& Sunday Republican), including news and weather, arts & entertainment
listings, sports and business coverage, and interactive online forums for
discussion of issues of local interest. For the online archives of the Springfield
Republican, visit our Electronic Databases
page (Western Mass. library card required).
- Naismith
Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- Springfield's leading tourist
destination is now on the Web.
- Six Flags New England
- New England's largest family
amusement park, located in Agawam.
- Spirit
of Springfield
- Organization responsible
for sponsoring many downtown and city-wide events in Springfield, including
Taste of Springfield, Bright Nights, the Balloon Parade, New Year festivities,
Star Spangled Springfield, and more.
- Springfield Armor
- Springfield's NBA development league team. Check out the team, stats, schedule, tickets and more.
- Springfield Armory National
Historic Site
- Visit the nation's first armory! A
Collections Database is available, offering a powerful search engine to
access curatorial information and selected images and archives from the museum's
extensive collection of firearms.
- Springfield Chess
Club
- Information about upcoming events, tournaments, membership and more.
- Springfield
Falcons
- Springfield's professional
hockey team; check here for team stats, rosters, profiles, tickets, schedules,
the Falcon store and more.
- Springfield,
Massachusetts: History and Genealogy
- Various online resources
concerning the history of Springfield, including a history of the "Old
High School," some high school yearbooks, Springfield cemeteries, Springfield
officials, and much more. From the Rootsweb
genealogy community.
- Springfield,
Massachusetts: Old Photographs
- Interesting website from
Dick Bolt, with many old photographs and postcards of Springfield locations,
people, vehicles and more.
- Springfield Museums at the Quadrangle
- Homepage for the museums located on the Quadrangle on State Street, including the Museum of Fine Arts, the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, the Science Museum, the Museum of Springfield History, and the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum.
- Springfield
Parks and Recreation Department
- Check here for information
on city parks, a downloadable summer activities guide for children and youth, Bright
Nights, tennis leagues, swimming, and much more.
- Springfield Stars Club
- The local astronomy club has its own website, with a schedule of events
including programs at the Springfield
Science Museum, and other astronomical information and links.
- Titanic Historical Society
- The oldest Titanic memorial society in the U.S. is located in Indian Orchard,
Massachusetts. This site includes information on the Society's museum and
its Journal.
- Valley Advocate
- The Pioneer Valley's alternative newspaper. Includes information on upcoming
arts and entertainment events.
- Zoo in Forest Park
- Program information and other facts about the zoo in Springfield's beautiful
Forest Park.
Western Massachusetts:
- Berkshires Week
- Online magazine focusing on the arts, nightlife, and activities in the beautiful
Berkshires of western Massachusetts.
- Brattleboro (VT) Literary Festival
- Annual three-day celebration of the literary arts in downtown Brattleboro, Vermont, held in October.
- CISA:
Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture
- Check here for local farmers
markets in Western Mass., a farm products guide, news and other resources
for supporting locally grown agricultural products. Sponsored by CISA, a community
organization dedicated to sustaining agriculture in Western Massachusetts
by strengthening the relationships between farmers and consumers.
- Connecticut River
Homepage
- Investigate the history, biology and geology of New England's longest river.
From the UMass-Amherst Biology Department.
- Digital Amherst
- Utilizing the historical and literary resources of the Jones Library of Amherst, Massachusetts, in collaboration with area residents and scholars, this site celebrates Amherst's 250th anniversary through images, multimedia, and documents.
- Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
- The first full-scale museum in America devoted to national and international
picture book art, conceived and built with the aim of celebrating the art
that we are first exposed to as children. Located in Amherst, MA.
- Exploring Western Massachusetts
- A local blog
where you'll find vintage postcards and ephemera, photographs, old advertisements, anecdotes and original essays, all with an eye on the wild west of the Bay State.
- Franklin County Publication Archive Index
- Ongoing project to index the Greenfield Courier & Gazette newspaper and
other historical Franklin County publications.
- GazetteNET: Daily Hampshire Gazette
Online
- Covers news, activities, entertainment, dining, and more for the Pioneer
Valley.
- Hampden County, Massachusetts Local History
- Part of the American History Local Network. Includes links and some records.
- Hampshire Hills Bed and Breakfast Association
- Includes a member directory, things to see and do in beautiful Western Massachusetts,
links to area attractions, and a section on the 'eight B&B seasons of the
Hampshire Hills'.
- Historic Holyoke Page
- Includes a timeline, historic engravings and photographs, maps, and selections
from histories of the City of Holyoke. Includes newly-added information on
Mt. Tom and the Mt. Tom Railroad and other fascinating glimpses back at the
first pre-planned industrial city in the United States.
- iBerkshires.com
- Find your way around the
beautiful Berkshires and see what's happening in that part of Massachusetts.
Full of information on local attractions, dining, lodging and resources in
individual towns.
- Historic Deerfield
- Historic Deerfield is a museum of New England history and art within the
carefully preserved 330-year-old western Massachusetts village of Deerfield.
This site gives information about planning a visit, the history of the village,
the museum shop and tours, and much more.
- Lupa Zoo
- Lupazoo, located in Ludlow MA., is a conservation and education institution demonstrating the value, beauty and interdependence of all living things, managed and operated by Lupa Game Farm Inc.
- Massachusetts
Local History and Genealogy
- An extensive directory of
links to history and genealogy resources for cities and towns in Massachusetts,
broken down by county or by category. Provided by Ann Mensch as an aid to
genealogists and local historians.
- MassGrown
- Website of the Massachusetts
Dept. of Food & Agriculture. Includes information on pick-your-own farms;
farms, markets and specialty products; wholesale growers; farmers' markets;
and farm web sites for consumers, as well as events, funding and grants, publications,
regulations, statistics and more.
- Mass Moments
- An electronic almanac of Masssachusetts history.
Visitors can choose to listen to a one-minute audio spot or read the script, and then explore the story further by reading a background essay and clicking on a primary source document, links to follow, and places to visit.
- Memorial
Hall Museum at Old Deerfield
- Located in the picturesque 330-year-old village of Deerfield, the museum's
extraordinary collection of furnishings, paintings, textiles and Indian artifacts
is "the finest collection of local antiquities in New England and one of America's
oldest museums." And don't miss the museum's fascinating online exhibit, American
Centuries...view from New England, which features a digital collection
of approximately 1,800 objects and transcribed document pages, and includes
curriculum aids for teachers, activities for students, and much more. From the
Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield, Massachusetts.
- Mohawk Trail Association
- Comprehensive guide to one of the loveliest spots in Massachusetts, including
maps, directions, weather, state parks and forests, directories of attractions,
shops, sports and recreation, lodgings, restaurants, and much more.
- Noho.com
- Check out what's happening in arts and entertainment and link to other
sites in Northampton.
- Norman Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge
- Celebrating the legacy of one of America's most popular artists, particularly
remembered for his many Life magazine covers.
- Old Sturbridge Village
- Take a virtual tour of an 1830s village, a popular tourist attraction in
Western Massachusetts. Includes a calendar of events, visitor information,
the gift shop, and a special page for kids.
- Pioneer Valley History Network
- The Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts is rich with historical resources. Browse the database to find the small museums, archives, and historical societies in the area.
- Westfield on Weekends
- Local activities, festivals, and other community events in one of the leading cities in our region.
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Community Resources:
- Affiliated
Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield
- Includes news, staff members,
membership directory and other resources for businesses and consumers in the
Greater Springfield area.
- Armoury Quadrangle Civic Association (AQCA)
- AQCA is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization that represents residents and businesses in the Armoury-Quadrangle neighborhood of downtown Springfield.
- Better Business Bureau of Central New England
- Company reports, complaint
filing options, membership lists, and more from the BBB, located in Worcester. Covers western and central Massachusetts and northeastern Connecticut.
- BusinessWest
Online
- Sections of
the Western Mass. business journal available online, including the latest
bankruptcy filings, DBA certificates, incorporations, building permits, and
real estate transactions.
- C/WMARS: Community Information Online
- Searchable listings for agencies, services, and organizations that serve
a significant public need in communities in Central and Western Mass. served
by the C/WMARS library network.
- Christ
Church Cathedral, Springfield MA
- Home page of the Episcopal
Diocese of Western Massachusetts.
- Connecticut
River Watershed Council
- Homepage of the citizen's
advocacy group for the environmental well-being of the Connecticut River.
A watershed map and history, the story of the Conte National Fish and Wildlife
Refuge and current news about happenings on and around the river are included.
See also the EPA's American Heritage Rivers page on the Connecticut
River.
- Connect and Serve: Massachusetts Volunteer Portal
- Connect and Serve was developed in collaboration with the Governor's office in an effort to increase volunteering across the Commonwealth. Although this is a statewide initiative, the focus is local, so that no matter where an individual lives, he or she may find volunteer opportunities close to home. Any nonprofit agency, school, governmental agency, city, or town, can post one-time and on-going volunteer opportunities on the website for potential volunteers to search.
- Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society
-
- Visit the shelter at 171 Union Street in Springfield, and check on volunteer opportunities and other information. Includes information about adoptable animals. Housed in the former MSPCA building.
- Diocese of Springfield MA
- Home page of the Roman Catholic
Diocese of Springfield, which covers the four western counties of Massachusetts.
- Forest Park Civic Association
- Information about the local civic organization for one of the oldest Springfield
neighborhoods.
- FutureWorks
- Check out this site if you are unemployed or contemplating a career or
job change. The folks at FutureWorks in Springfield, a government-funded program
to aid in job transition, can help you make the career choices you need today,
including resume preparation, interviewing, computer skills, and job counseling.
- Greater
Springfield Senior Services
- Provides information about
various programs offered to local seniors, including home care, Meals on Wheels,
aid for elder abuse, volunteer opportunities, and more.
- Jobs in the Valley
- Job postings for the Pioneer Valley region.
- Longmeadow.org
- The web site of the Town
of Longmeadow includes local history, maps, government and school information,
a tax assessment database and links to the library and other organizations.
- Mass 211: Statewide Community Resources
- Mass 2-1-1 online directory is an information resource for emergency food, rent, help paying your heating and utility bills, mental health counseling, health programs, public health and safety services, child care referrals, job resources, and other help for individuals, parents and families.
- Massachusetts Performers and Programs Directory
- Provided as a service to the librarians in Massachusetts through a joint effort of the Massachusetts Regional Library Systems. The directory is designed and maintained by the Southeastern Massachusetts Library System.
- MassHome: Your Online Guide to Massachusetts
- This 'unofficial' website
provides extensive links to history and trivia, libraries, museums, historical
and other organizations, banks and businesses, and much more.
- MassLive
- Extensive coverage of Springfield
and Western Massachusetts from the local newspaper the Springfield Republican
(formerly Springfield Union-News & Sunday Republican), including
news and weather, arts & entertainment listings, sports and business coverage,
and interactive online forums for discussion of issues of local interest.
- MassResources.org
- A free online resource for Massachusetts residents in need of housing, food, health care, and other basic services.
It provides information on what benefits are available, how to apply, eligibility requirements, benefit amounts, and answers to commonly asked questions.
- Massachusetts Center for the Book
- Affiliated with the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, this
organization promotes reading and literacy and hosts the annual Massachusetts
Book Awards.
- MassPIRG
- Homepage of the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, a watchdog
group which seeks to protect the environment and the health of the residents
of the Commonwealth.
- Massachusetts
Regional Centers for Healthy Communities
- The Regional Centers for
Healthy Communities are health education resource centers located throughout
the Commonwealth, funded by the Department of Public Health.
The Western Massachusetts Center
is located at 489 Whitney Ave., 2nd Floor, Holyoke, MA 01040. Search the Resource Library Catalog for books, pamphlets, videos, and other learning materials.
- MontagueMA.net
- Montague's Community website with corkboards, business listings, event calendar, local organization news and postings, local resource listings.
- PVTA: Pioneer Valley Transit Authority
- Check here for schedules and maps, news and resources for the local bus
and transportation company.
- Peter Pan Bus Lines
- Major transportation carrier for Western Massachusetts and New England,
headquartered in Springfield.
- Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley
- Information for the general public on buying a house, locating a realtor, or finding descriptive information on communities in Western Massachusetts; includes a searchable database of homes for sale in Western Massachusetts.
- The Reminder ONLINE
- The Reminder newspaper has its own website, with news of interest
to Springfield and its surrounding towns, classifieds, links to other sites
of interest, and interactive community bulletin boards for activities in Greater
Springfield, East Longmeadow, Hampden, Longmeadow and Wilbraham.
- Sixteen Acres Civic Association
- Information about the neighborhood association in Springfield.
- Springfield
Downtown
- Site of the Springfield
Business Improvement District, including events in downtown Springfield, demographics,
an interactive map, and more. Requires the Flash plug-in for some sections.
- Springfield
Enterprenurial Institute
- Located at the Springfield Technical Community College Library, the purpose of the Springfield Enterprenurial Institute is to enhance the economic
development of the Pioneer Valley by providing nascent entrepreneurs with
the opportunity to experience what it's like to be in business for themselves,
but still have a team of advisors guiding them.
- Springfield GIS
- Geographic Information System for Springfield property. Check out aerial views, wetland status, and zoning.
- Springfield Institute
- The Springfield Institute exists to bring fresh perspectives, raise the level of debate, broaden participation in the debate, support community groups, and contribute to urban transformation.
- Springfield SeniorNet Learning Center
- Located at the Good Life Center on East Columbus Aveune, SeniorNet provides computer training and other technology
assistance for local seniors. Check with these folks for computer classes,
a computer club, tips and more.
- Springfield Mass. City Ordinances
- Online access to Springfield municipal ordinances. In PDF format. Searchable.
- Springfield
Mass: Neighborhood Services
- A listing of Springfield's neighborhoods, with links to neighborhood councils
where available.
- Springfield Public
Forum
- The Springfield Public Forum, an annual event held every Fall at Springfield
Symphony Hall, is the last surviving lecture series in the nation that
is still offered at no charge to the public. The Springfield Public Forum
brings an incredible array of celebrity journalists, authors, political commentators,
environmentalists, health experts and financial advisors to our community
each year. The site includes this year's schedule of speakers and information
about membership.
- Springfield School
Volunteers
- Springfield School Volunteers is a non-profit organization dedicated for
33 years to marshalling the resources of the community to benefit the teachers,
principals and children of the Springfield Public Schools. Springfield School
Volunteers welcomes people who care about children and have anywhere from
an hour a week to an hour a year to help children learn.
- Thomas J O'Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center
- Provides animal control services for Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, West Springfield and Hampden. Animal control officers respond to routine service calls Monday through Friday 8am-5pm. Emergency response for ill, injured or aggressive animals is available 24 hours a day. Located at 627 Cottage Street in Springfield, phone: 413-781-1484.
- WGBY Education and Outreach
- A professional development resource center for Massachusetts educators housed
in WGBY's downtown Springfield offices, offering comprehensive K-12 technology
training in a 26-station dual-platform computer lab, a software preview and
evaluation library, and a wide assortment of PBS videos and teaching resources. Don't miss the Video Lending Library for Western Mass. educators.
- United
Way of Pioneer Valley
- Home page of the umbrella
organization for charity and volunteerism in Western Mass.
- YMCA of Greater Springfield
- The YMCA of Greater Springfield serve the towns of: Agawam, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Hampden, East Longmeadow, Ludlow, Monson, Palmer, Springfield, West Springfield & Wilbraham.
- YWCA of Western Massachusetts
- Programs, volunteer opportunities, membership information, and more.
-
Top
Local Government:
-
- City of Springfield, MA
- Springfield's official home page. Information on the Mayor and members
of the City Council, the Police Department, the Department of Public Works,
and city job postings. Also local information and links to other sites.
- Springfield Assessor's Office
- Search the Springfield Assessor's database for commercial and residential
property cards with building information and current assessment. Search by
owner name, property address, or Parcel ID number.
- Community Profile for Springfield, Massachusetts
- From ePodunk.com
- Springfield
Planning Department
- Downloadable forms, Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regs, and information
about the Historical Commission -- all now online.
- Springfield Police Department
- News, Most Wanted lists, community policing and other information.
- Springfield DPW
- Information from the Springfield Department of Public Works, on trash collection,
pothole repair reporting, traffic, and more.
- Commonwealth Communities
- Check here for a wealth of information about cities and towns in Massachusetts,
including community profiles, Department of Revenue statistics, demographics,
school profiles, information from other state agencies and links to local
informational sites. From the Commonwealth of Massachusetts website.
- Massachusetts General Court
- Information on the Massachusetts legislature including alphabetical directories
of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, with biographical
and contact information. Also available is a directory listing state senators
and representatives by city or town.
- Massachusetts Municipal Association
- Nonprofit, nonpartisan organization which represents the cities and towns
of Massachusetts.
- Office of U.
S. Senator Scott Brown
- Office of U.S.
Senator John Kerry
- Office of U. S. Rep. Richard Neal
- Office of U. S. Rep. John Olver
- Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
- Home page for the regional economic development agency. Learn about ongoing
projects, meet the staff or read the online newsletter.
- Where Do
I Vote?
- Fill in your home address on the online form to determine your ward and
precinct and polling place for municipal, state, and federal elections.
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Libraries,
Schools and Colleges:
Local Libraries:
- Springfield Library Catalog
- Includes search capabilities for the catalogs of participating libraries
in the Central and Western Mass. Resource Sharing System (C/WMARS). Cardholders
may login to check their library accounts and renew items.
- Cooperating Libraries of Greater Springfield
-
A consortium of academic and public libraries in the Greater Springfield
area. Check here
for links to member libraries and recommended academic websites.
- Five Colleges Libraries Catalog
- Search the library catalog shared by UMass., Amherst, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke and Smith Colleges. Search all five at once, or limit to one school at a time. You can search by author, title, subject or keyword.
-
- Massachusetts
Library Directory
- Database of homepages for public, academic, school and special libraries
throughout Massachusetts. From the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.
- MBLC: Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
-
This site provides information on libraries and library planning throughout
the Commonwealth, links to library homepages and catalogs, and access to
periodical indexes and union lists
of magazines and journals, electronic databases, the Virtual Catalog, and much more.
-
- Western Massachusetts Regional Library System
(WMRLS)
-
This continually-updated web site is a valuable resource for librarians and
library users alike.
Information on training, services, staff, and programs; links to other
web-based resources;
access to the WMRLS listserv, and much more.
Springfield and Area Schools:
- School and School District Profiles
- Database of profiles of schools and school districts throughout the Commonwealth
maintained by the Department of Education.
- Springfield
School District Profile
- Profile for the Springfield public school district, with links to staff,
enrollment, test results, finances and more.
- Springfield Public
Schools
- Links to individual public schools and other information about the Springfield
public school system.
- ESL: English as a Second Language Classes
- A list of free ESL classes offered by organizations in Springfield.
Springfield and Area Colleges:
- Massachusetts Mentor
-
Information about colleges and universities throughout Massachusetts, with
campus tours, online admissions, financial aid, student planners and other
helpful resources.
- American International College
- Amherst College
- Bay Path College
- Elms College
- Greenfield Community College
- Hampshire College
- Holyoke Community College
- Mount Holyoke College
- Springfield Technical Community
College
- Springfield College
- Smith College
- University of Massachusetts at Amherst
- Western New England College
- Western New
England College School of Law
- Westfield State College
Top
Note: If you have suggestions for local links to be added to this page,
please e-mail the Webmaster.
Springfield
Library
http://www.springfieldlibrary.org
220 State Street
Springfield MA 01103
413-263-6828
This page last updated: March 15, 2010