Visitors examine a photo of Boston Garden at the Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Springfield
From hoops to Seuss
By Daniel Golden
 hey are the un-Bostons.
Feeling ignored by tourists and politicians alike, the gritty cities of Massachusetts' hinterland have long resented Boston's stranglehold on the state's government, commerce, and imagination. Although these outposts, from New Bedford to Springfield, can't match the Hub's museums and symphony, they offer a variety of inexpensive attractions.
As a former Springfield resident, I well recall its charms. The city boasts an array of distinctive neighborhoods, from the predominantly Italian South End to the McKnight district, the region's first planned residential neighborhood, where many of the Victorian gingerbread homes have been elegantly restored.
Springfield's distinguished past infuses its present. The achievements of its skilled craftsmen are preserved in the early American motorcycles on display at the Indian Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame at 33 Hendee St., and the firearms exhibits at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site.
Getting there:
To start your trip at the Basketball Hall of Fame, take the Mass. Pike to Exit 4, Interstate 91 south. Take Exit 7 and continue for 1 mile. The Hall of Fame is on the right. The city is serviced by Amtrak (800-872-7245) and is home base to the Peter Pan bus line (800-343-9999).
Resources:
Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, 1500 Main St.; 413-787-1548 or 1-800-723-1548; www.springfieldvisitor.com. Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, 1350 Main St.; 413-787-1555.
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In the summer of 1999, six bronze statues of the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, and other Dr. Seuss characters will be unveiled in the downtown Quadrangle to commemorate the self-anointed doctor, aka Theodor Geisel, who drew on his Springfield boyhood for his first book, ''And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.'' For now, Seuss devotees must content themselves with visiting Mulberry Street itself, at the foot of the Maple Hill Historic District.
Every sports fan knows that a Springfield College teacher with a restless classroom and an empty peach basket invented the world's second-most popular sport. Without Dr. James Naismith, only doughnuts would be dunked and Larry Bird would still be a French Lick hick.
So your Springfield day trip should begin at the Basketball Hall of Fame at 1150 West Columbus Ave. (413-781-6500). Adults can wallow in Celtics nostalgia - or, if they are Knick fans, scoff at the enshrinement of second-raters K.C. Jones and Bailey Howell. Children can shoot hoops from various distances, check out lockers of NBA stars, measure their vertical leaps against Michael Jordan's, and go one-on-one with a virtual-reality Bill Walton. The Hall of Fame is open seven days a week, year-round. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors and students, free for children 6 and under.
Then it's time for lunch at my favorite deli, Gus and Paul's, either in its original Sumner Avenue digs or its branch on Main Street. The salami and eggs, knishes, and cookies are to die for. (Hint: Leave your Weight Watchers point counter at home.)
If the sun is shining after lunch, wander over to the zoo in Forest Park, also on Sumner Avenue (413-733-2251). About a decade old, the park boasts nearly 200 animals, including cougar, bear, emu, wallaby, and lemur. Kids can feed and commune with deer, goats, and sheep. Admission is $3.50 for adults; $2.50 for children aged 5-12 and seniors; $1 for children under 5.
Or, if you prefer an indoor attraction, try the Springfield Armory National Historic Site (413-734-8551) at One Armory Square. From 1794 to 1968, the armory was a world leader in developing military small arms. It produced the Springfield rifle and the M-1 Garand, once praised by General George Patton as ''the greatest weapon ever made.'' Admission is free. Weapons buffs can also visit the Smith & Wesson factory at 2100 Roosevelt Ave., which has tours by pre-arrangement on Tuesday and Thursday mornings (800-331-0852, x626).
If you're looking for a carbo-loading dinner, try the Lido on Worthington Street, a rare Italian restaurant that serves pasta and french fries. The Red Rose Pizzeria on Main Street offers excellent, reasonably priced pizza in an informal atmosphere.
The venerable Student Prince on Fort Street, specializing in German cuisine, is Springfield's answer to Locke-Ober in Boston. And, if you enjoy indulging in legal vices, end your day on Worthington Street with a cup of joe at Caffeine's and a cigar from the walk-in humidor next door at Nicotine's. No doubt coming soon: Amphetamine's.
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