Springfield Museums

The Springfield Museums is one organization comprised of five museums that cover art, history, and science. The museums are: - the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, which was built in 1896 and features various artworks from around the world. These include Japanese lacquer items, arms and armor, Greek and Roman artifacts, American 19th century paintings and the largest collection of cloisonné outside of Asia. - the Springfield Science Museum, which was founded in 1859 and moved into the current building in 1899. Its exhibits and collections cover natural history, anthropology and physical science; there is also a planetarium that contains one of the oldest star projectors in the world. - the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, which was built in 1933 and houses American, Asian, European paintings, prints, drawings and other works of art. It also holds the largest collection of lithographs in the world. - the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History, which opened in 2009 and serves as the repository for local history and research (this includes records of the Connecticut River Valley). It also houses the largest Indian motorcycle collection in the world and also the largest collection of Smith & Weston firearms in the world. - and, The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum, which opened in late 2016 and honors the legacy of Theodor Seuss Geisel. It features interactive exhibits and a recreation of his studio. Also on the museum grounds is the Dr. Suess National Memorial Sculpture Garden which was completed in 2002.

The Springfield Museums' origin dates to 1857 when the City Library Association was formed. The first collections were located in a room in City Hall. 

https://springfieldmuseums.org/about/our-history/