Events

The Great Falls Discovery Center hosts community programs and events, rotating art exhibits in our Great Hall and a Coffee House hosted by the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center.

Great Hall Exhibit: Intervals

Great Falls Discovery Center 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, United States

Karen Axtell presents, Intervals, mixed-media prints about time on handmade paper, layered with oil and water-based materials. The prints reference the rings of trees, the depth of rivers, the shape of leaves, ebb of tides, phases of the moon, and more.

Free

Kidleidoscope Story Hour: Raptors

Great Falls Discovery Center 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, United States

For ages 3-6, accompanied by an adult. Learn more about our wildlife neighbors who share our home. Program includes a story, activities, and a craft. Activities are indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. Siblings and friends welcome. Meet in the Great Hall.

Free

Nice & Easy Walk

Great Falls Discovery Center 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, United States

An easy-paced, 1 to 2-mile guided walk, along the Canalside Rail Trail or downtown Turners Falls, geared for seniors, but open to all ages. Join others seeking fresh air and exercise. A DCR Park Interpreter highlights natural and local history along the way. Wear appropriate clothing for the weather and sturdy footwear and bring water. […]

Free

At Sword’s Point: A History of Trade Unions in the Machine Tool Industry in Franklin County

Great Falls Discovery Center 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, United States

Public historian Tom Goldscheider discusses Franklin County precision steel tool manufacturing, where it was a world leader for generations. Workers organized with a democratic trade union that was targeted in a national political campaign aimed against it. This led to a peaceful confrontation in Greenfield and surrounding towns that surprised onlookers near and far. Meet […]

Free

At Sword’s Point: Oral History project

Great Falls Discovery Center 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, United States

Did you or someone you know work in the local machine tool industry? Your stories can help enrich this research. If you are interested in sharing your memories please introduce yourself at the At Sword’s Point event or contact the presenter at tom.goldscheider@gmail.com. Learn more about the project from Tom here.

Free

The Geology of Gill and Vicinity— The Best Place in the World To Study Geology

Great Falls Discovery Center 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, United States

Professor Emeritus Richard Little, presents his new 25-minute movie, The Geology of Gill and Vicinity —The Best Place in the World To Study Geology. Dive into the deep history preserved in our local rocks and landscape. Learn about the birth and death of Pangea, local dinosaurs, armored mud balls, Lake Hitchcock, and the mysterious deep […]

Free

Great Hall Exhibit: Migrations and Day of the Dead Altar

Great Falls Discovery Center 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, United States

Migrations paintings, curated by GuateMaya Art and Culture Connection, celebrate the human and natural diversity of the upper Connecticut River Valley and the Americas. Colorful works depict scenes integral to village life, Mayan culture, and the history of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. From Oct. 6 through Nov. 1, view a Day of the Dead Altar […]

Free

Kidleidoscope Story Hour  – Raccoons

Great Falls Discovery Center 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, United States

For ages 3-6, accompanied by an adult. Learn more about our wildlife neighbors who share our home. Program includes a story, activities, and a craft. Activities are indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. Siblings and friends welcome. Meet in the Great Hall.

Free

Nice & Easy Walk

Great Falls Discovery Center 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, United States

An easy-paced, 1 to 2-mile guided walk, along the Canalside Rail Trail or downtown Turners Falls, geared for seniors, but open to all ages. Join others seeking fresh air and exercise. A DCR Park Interpreter highlights natural and local history along the way. Wear appropriate clothing for the weather and sturdy footwear and bring water. […]

Free

StoryWalk®: Honk! Honk!  

Great Falls Discovery Center 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, United States

Enjoy a story, fresh air, and exercise! Join us on the center’s grounds for a free self-guided StoryWalk® featuring the children’s picture book, Honk! Honk!  by Mick Manning all about migratory geese, for readers ages 5 and up. Follow the path to book pages posted along the route. The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne […]

Free

Art Naturally Series – Nature Journals

Great Falls Discovery Center 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, United States

Discover nature through story, poetry, and art in our series of free Art Naturally programs. Using words and images, instruction, and techniques create an art piece inspired by the natural world to take home. For adults, teens, and children ages 6 and up (accompanied by an adult). Art materials provided.

Free

Conservación Panamá: Rural Bird Guide Training

Great Falls Discovery Center 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, United States

Conservación Panamá, a non-profit organization from Greenfield, has brought a livable wage to the rural poor of Panama. Where ecosystems and their services are lost due to farming methods, Conservación Panamá has a solution. Learn how these accomplishments directly relate to birds in New England and how successful this program has been. Q & A […]

Free