Page 19 - BusinessWest April 27, 2026

TOURISM & HOSPITALITY >>
A M i l e s t o n e
a t b r C e i o n
l e Area Institutions
Ready Programs,
Exhibits to Mark
the 250th
semiquincentennial.
It’s a big word that’s hard to pronounce:
It’s a lot easier to say ‘250th birthday,’ and that’s what
the nation will be celebrating this summer. Only, in many
ways, the celebration has already begun, especially in
this region, which is eager to showcase the many ways in
which Western Mass. played a vital role in the nation’s fight
for independence.
Indeed, whether it’s stops along the Knox Trail, the so-
called Noble Train of Artillery that Col. Henry Knox brought
from Fort Ticonderoga in New York to Dorchester Heights in
Boston; or programs at the Springfield Armory, the region is
already commemorating its strong role in the formation of a
new nation.
And the celebrations will continue — with everything from
special exhibits at area museums to lectures to an Indepen-
dence Day celebration featuring fireworks viewing from the
Armory grounds.
Area museums and other institutions are expecting an
influx of visitors, from this region and well beyond, and
they’re hoping the many 250th anniversary celebrations can
bring opportunities to introduce, or reintroduce, people to all
that they offer.
For this issue, BusinessWest talked with three area insti-
tutions — Springfield Museums, the Norman Rockwell Muse-
um, and the Springfield Armory — about what they have
planned for the semiquincentennial, the planning that went
into these exhibits and programs, and what they expect visi-
tors will take home from these experiences.
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