Where visitors can 'hoop' it up

Basketball is so popular, fast-paced, and global that it deserves a popular, fast-paced Hall of Fame, too. So last fall, the museum that honors basketball's greatest players moved out of its gray, boxy home in downtown Springfield, Mass., and into a strikingly modern building.

The architects who designed the spherical exterior wanted the inside to be just as dynamic. They recommended that the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame hire, not traditional museum designers, but a company that designs sets for Broadway shows. The idea was to create a "theater" of basketball history.

The most dramatic element is the domed ceiling. Rows of Hall-of-Famer photos create a halo-like ring in the basketball heavens. They peer down upon a full-size basketball court that is the centerpiece and grand concourse for the $45 million museum.

John Doleva, president of the Basketball Hall of Fame, says the goal is to immerse visitors in learning about and experiencing the game. They are encouraged to grab a ball, get out on the museum's court, and break a sweat if they're inspired to try to emulate their heroes.

Today's museums, Mr. Doleva says, are about "edu-tainment," combining education and entertainment. Entertainment is important in a world where museums compete with TV, the Internet, and video games.

Planning the museum took a long time. A committee of a dozen basketball people hammered out the details over 18 months in meetings with designers and engineers.

The planners studied other museums, including two in Washington, D.C. For tips on using interactive electronic equipment, they looked at the Newseum, a news museum. For inspiration on how to craft exhibits with impact, they went to the Holocaust Museum. Committee members also experienced the reverential atmosphere at other sports museums. Visiting the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., "was like walking into a church," Doleva says.

Basketball fans were also consulted in small groups. They were especially keen on being mentally transported back to different eras in basketball history.

So the game's early history is chronicled in a gallery that resembles the college gym in which basketball was first played. Next door, a marquee conjures up the electric atmosphere of games in New York's Madison Square Garden in the 1950s.

Scattered throughout the exhibit areas are interactive displays and skills challenges. After learning about the game's great players, for example, visitors can test their own rebounding or reaction time.

Besides having the hall be an active and reverent place, designers wanted it to accommodate a variety of events. The center court can host autograph sessions, lectures, business meetings, and pickup games.

The Springfield Spirit, a women's pro team, holds practices there on Tuesday nights. Kids are invited onto the court to meet players and hone skills.

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