Discover nature and history through story, poetry, and art in our series of free Art Naturally programs. Using words and images, instruction and techniques you create an art piece inspired by this place to take home.

Learn how to make your own paper in a machine shop (the Great Hall) that used to fix machines that made paper and how Turners Falls papermakers innovated in their pursuit of raw materials for pulp, from using recycled manila hemp rope (actually abaca) in the 1800s–think manila envelopes and file folders–to making “Blue Jean Bond” from old jeans in the late 1900s.

For adults, teens, and children ages 6 and up (accompanied by an adult). Art materials provided. Using the tin-can method, you can make paper that is smooth flat and ready to write on!

* Food, Farms, & Factories: In 2024, the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center present programs and exhibits about Food, Farms, and Factories, continuing conversations about rural life in Turners Falls and Franklin County. Supported by the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center, RiverCulture, the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Montague Public Libraries. Funded by Mass Humanities through the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit greatfallsdiscoverycenter.org/foodfarmsandfactories to learn more.