Friends of The Great Falls Discovery Center

Program Update: Nice and Easy Walk will be a Talk Indoors
2026-07-02 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Instead of a walk today our program offering at 10 a.m. will be a talk and demonstration about silk with information about the McLane Silk Mill that used to be in Turners Falls. Meet in the Great Hall!
Cancelled: Easy-paced, 1- to 2-mile guided walk, along the Canalside Rail Trail or downtown Turners Falls, geared for older adults, but open to all. Enjoy some natural and local history along the way. Dress for the weather with sturdy footwear and bring water. Inclement weather cancels. Meet at the main entrance.

Nice and Easy Walk
2026-07-09 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-23 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-30 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-08-06 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-09-10 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-09-17 10:00 - 11:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Easy-paced, 1- to 2-mile guided walk, along the Canalside Rail Trail or downtown Turners Falls, geared for older adults, but open to all. Enjoy some natural and local history along the way. Dress for the weather with sturdy footwear and bring water. Inclement weather cancels. Meet at the main entrance.

Ongoing - StoryWalk®: Dino Trail Week*®: Daring to Dig by Beth Strickler
2026-07-11 - 2026-07-22 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Includes the stories of Mary Anning, a hero of fossil discovery, and of Mignon Talbot and the discovery of podokesaurus holyokensis. Enjoy this story for young readers ages 8 – 12, and everyone who appreciates women in science.
The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Story Walk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson. This StoryWalk® is provided by Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Interpretive Services.
* Dino Trail Week
An asterix identifies Dino Trail Week programs, part of a celebratory week in July of performances, films, talks, exhibits, and activities inspired by dinosaur footprints in the Connecticut River Valley. Look for events from our partners during Dino Trail Week: Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center, the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Piti Theatre, the Beneski Museum, the Trustees of Reservations, Springfield Science Museum, Wistariahurst, and the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. Visit the website dinotrail.org to learn more.

Dino Trail Week* – Dinosaur Footprints at Barton Cove: History and Geology Walk
2026-07-11 13:00 - 14:00 | Barton Cove Day Use Area, Barton Cove Road, Gill, MA, United States
Join Sarah Doyle and a guest geologist/paleontologist for a leisurely walk around Barton Cove in Gill, MA. Learn about the role of this site in the 19th-century discovery of fossilized dinosaur footprints when the property was owned by Roswell Field, a local farmer and businessman who was an early discoverer of the tracks. Dress for the weather, wear sturdy shoes, and bring water. Consider enjoying a picnic before the walk. The trails are not difficult but are rough in spots and covered in tree roots. Meet at the picnic tables at the Barton Cove Campground Day Use area on Barton Cove Road in Gill, MA. The walk is less than 1 mile long. For adults and children over 12 years old. Sponsored by our Friends Group. Rain date: Saturday, July 18.
* Dino Trail Week
An asterix identifies Dino Trail Week programs, part of a celebratory week in July of performances, films, talks, exhibits, and activities inspired by dinosaur footprints in the Connecticut River Valley. Look for events from our partners during Dino Trail Week: Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center, the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Piti Theatre, the Beneski Museum, the Trustees of Reservations, Springfield Science Museum, Wistariahurst, and the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. Visit the website dinotrail.org to learn more.

Dino Trail Week* – Art Naturally: Gel Printing Trace Fossils
2026-07-12 10:30 - 12:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Discover nature and pre-history through story, poetry and art in our series of free art programs. Create an art piece inspired by the valley’s fossilized dinosaur footprints using paint, paper, and gel, with instruction and techniques. For adults, teens and children ages 6 and up. All art materials provided. Arrive at 10:30 a.m. in the Great Hall for complete instructions.
* Dino Trail Week
An asterix identifies Dino Trail Week programs, part of a celebratory week in July of performances, films, talks, exhibits, and activities inspired by dinosaur footprints in the Connecticut River Valley. Look for events from our partners during Dino Trail Week: Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center, the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Piti Theatre, the Beneski Museum, the Trustees of Reservations, Springfield Science Museum, Wistariahurst, and the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. Visit the website dinotrail.org to learn more.

Dino Trail Week* – Nice & Easy Walk: Geologic Walking Tour of Turners Falls
2026-07-16 10:00 - 11:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Easy-paced, 1 to 2-mile guided walk, along the Canalside Rail Trail and downtown Turners Falls, geared for older adults, but open to all. Dress for the weather with sturdy footwear and bring water. Inclement weather cancels. This week’s topic is the geology of downtown Turners Falls in celebration of Dino Trail Week! Meet at the main entrance.
* Dino Trail Week
An asterix identifies Dino Trail Week programs, part of a celebratory week in July of performances, films, talks, exhibits, and activities inspired by dinosaur footprints in the Connecticut River Valley. Look for events from our partners during Dino Trail Week: Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center, the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Piti Theatre, the Beneski Museum, the Trustees of Reservations, Springfield Science Museum, Wistariahurst, and the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. Visit the website dinotrail.org to learn more.

Dino Trail Week* – Kidleidoscope Story Hour: Dinosaurs
2026-07-17 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Learn about giant creatures from the past that roamed the Connecticut River Valley. Program includes a story, activities, and crafts. Activities are indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. Siblings and friends welcome. For ages 3-6, accompanied by an adult. Meet in the Great Hall.
* Dino Trail Week
An asterix identifies Dino Trail Week programs, part of a celebratory week in July of performances, films, talks, exhibits, and activities inspired by dinosaur footprints in the Connecticut River Valley. Look for events from our partners during Dino Trail Week: Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center, the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Piti Theatre, the Beneski Museum, the Trustees of Reservations, Springfield Science Museum, Wistariahurst, and the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. Visit the website dinotrail.org to learn more.

Dino Trail Week* – Find us at the Great Greenfield DinoFest!
2026-07-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Greenfield Common, 16 Court Square, Greenfield, MA, 01301, United States
In Greenfield, join Piti Theatre, Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association and Great Falls Discovery Center staff for interactive exhibits, activities, fossils and a chance to make up a dino story with Story Wizards: Dino Drama. Location: on the lawn in front of the 2nd Congregational Church on the Common. For All ages.
* Dino Trail Week
An asterix identifies Dino Trail Week programs, part of a celebratory week in July of performances, films, talks, exhibits, and activities inspired by dinosaur footprints in the Connecticut River Valley. Look for events from our partners during Dino Trail Week: Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center, the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Piti Theatre, the Beneski Museum, the Trustees of Reservations, Springfield Science Museum, Wistariahurst, and the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. Visit the website dinotrail.org to learn more.

Geology Talk: Amazing “Deep Time” Mysteries of Turners Falls and Vicinity
2026-08-15 14:00 - 14:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Why does Turners Falls have a waterfall? Why are the rare Jurassic Armored Mud Balls found here? Why is the Connecticut River in Franklin County so strange? It has sharp 90-degree bends plus mysterious 100-foot-deep holes in its riverbed! Did you know the Connecticut used to flow into Greenfield? Join Prof. Richard Little, the discoverer of the Jurassic Armored Mud Balls, as he explains the unique and dramatic Earth events preserved in our scenic views and in the rocks under our feet. After the program there is a short walk to look at some amazing rocks. All ages. Meet in the Great Hall.

DinoMap Live: Great Falls Discovery Center
2026-09-13 10:30 - 12:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Join Tumble Science Podcast for a live tour stop on NEPM’s DinoMap! Meet a scientist for a Q&A, take a guided tour showing some of the amazing rocky outcrops around the Discovery Center, and get your passport book stamped along the way. Free fun for the whole family!

Nice and Easy Walk
2026-09-24 10:00 - 11:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Easy-paced, 1- to 2-mile guided walk, along the Canalside Rail Trail or downtown Turners Falls, geared for older adults, but open to all. Enjoy some natural and local history along the way. Dress for the weather with sturdy footwear and bring water. Inclement weather cancels. Meet at the main entrance. Note that there is no walk on September 3.
