Friends of The Great Falls Discovery Center

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Ants
2025-08-08 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
For ages 3-6, accompanied by an adult. Learn more about our wildlife neighbors in the Connecticut River Watershed. Program includes a story, activities, and crafts. Activities are indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. Siblings and friends welcome. Meet in the Great Hall.

Nice & Easy Walks
2025-08-14 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-08-21 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-08-28 10:00 - 11:00
Easy-paced, 1 to 2-mile guided walk, along the Canalside Rail Trail or downtown Turners Falls, geared for seniors, but open to all. Enjoy 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.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Who Lives in the River?
2025-08-15 10:30 - 11:30

Art Naturally: Source to Sea Mosaics
2025-08-16 10:30 - 12:00
Discover nature through story, poetry and art in our series of free art programs. With instruction and technique, you create an art piece to take home from tile, pebbles, marble and glue, inspired by the Connecticut River’s annual Source to Sea Clean-up in late September. For adults, teens, and children ages 6 and up (accompanied by an adult). All art materials provided. Meet in the Great Hall at 10:30 a.m. for complete instructions.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Bobcats
2025-08-22 10:30 - 11:30

Find Us at the Farmers Market!
2025-08-23 10:30 - 13:00, 2025-08-30 10:30 - 13:00, 2025-09-20 10:30 - 13:00, 2025-10-04 10:30 - 13:00
Join DCR staff for family activities at the Great Falls Farmers Market, located between 6th and 7th streets along Avenue A at Peskeompskut Park. In case of rain, you can find our activities inside the center instead. For all ages.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Spiders
2025-08-29 10:30 - 11:30

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Butterflies
2025-09-05 10:30 - 11:30
Learn about our wildlife neighbors in the Connecticut River Watershed. Program includes a story, activities, and crafts. Activities are indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. For ages 3-6, accompanied by an adult. Siblings and friends welcome. Meet in the Great Hall.

Presentation and Walk: Wildlife out Your Window
2025-09-06 10:30 - 12:30
Join us on a leisurely, family-friendly combined wildlife presentation and walk by Brad Timm, wildlife ecologist and founder of the Northeast Wildlife Team. This program is inspired by Brad’s book Wildlife Out Your Window: Fascinating Facts About 100 Animals Commonly Seen in the Northeastern U.S., which is full of interesting facts about common wildlife all around us. We’ll start inside with a short presentation that will open your eyes to wildlife in ways you never imagined! Then we’ll take a leisurely stroll up the bike path along the Connecticut River and keep our eyes and ears peeled for all sorts of wildlife as we walk. All ages are welcome and encouraged to join. Meet in the Great Hall.

Nice and Easy Walks
2025-09-11 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-10-02 10:00 - 11:00

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Skunks
2025-09-12 10:30 - 11:30
Learn more about our wildlife neighbors in the Connecticut River Watershed. Program includes a story, activities, and crafts. Activities are indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. For ages 3-6, accompanied by an adult. Siblings and friends welcome. Meet in the Great Hall.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Snakes
2025-09-19 10:30 - 11:30

Nice and Easy Walk
2025-09-25 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-10-09 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-10-16 10:00 - 11:00

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - River Otters
2025-09-26 10:30 - 11:30

Source to Sea Cleanup
2025-09-27 10:00 - 12:00
Hard work, real fun, true impact: the annual fall trash cleanup of the Connecticut River and its tributaries. Join DCR staff to clean up the Canalside Rail Trail. To register, visit SourcetoSeaCleanup.org/event/Canalside-rail-trail, or contact DCR staff at 413-863-3221 for more information. Meet at the main entrance. For ages 8 and up.

National Public Lands Day Celebration
2025-09-27 10:00 - 16:30
Join conservationists from New England to celebrate National Public Lands Day and learn about public wildlands in the region by pitching in with the Source to Sea River cleanup from 10:00 a.m. — noon, enjoy lunch, then dive into teach-ins and workshops to learn how you can protect wild nature and public lands in New England. Expect fun, food, music, and an opportunity to deepen your knowledge about New England public lands. RSVP and see the full agenda at: actionnetwork.org/forms/save-the-date-national-public-lands-day-celebration. Sponsors include Sierra Club Massachusetts, Climate Action Now Western Mass, Atowi, Standing Trees, and more.
For Source to Sea Cleanup, meet outside the main entrance.
For National Public Lands Day Celebration afternoon events, meet in the Great Hall.

Montague Community Fair - Mammal Investigation Station
2025-09-27 14:00 - 17:00
Celebrate “Good Neighbor Day” with an afternoon of free family activities and learn about local community organizations. Join DCR staff at the fair to learn all about our mammal neighbors at our activity table with mammal pelts and crafting. The fair has light refreshments, music, and fun activities for all ages, in collaboration with Montague Public Libraries. Unity Park is located at 56 First Street in Turners Falls.

Rain Date: Canal Draw Down History Stroll
2025-10-02 10:00 - 11:30
Check out the annual draining of the Turners Falls canal, take a stroll along the Canalside Rail Trail, and absorb local history with Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center staff and DCR staff. Meet at the main entrance of the Center for this free two mile walk on flat terrain. For youth and adults.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Leaves
2025-10-03 10:30 - 11:30

Fall Foliage Investigation Station
2025-10-10 - 2025-10-13
Where are the best colors? When is peak foliage? Why does this happen? Stop by for guidance at our welcome desk on your leaf peeping journey and find out what makes for spectacular fall foliage in the Connecticut River watershed. For all ages. Stay for five minutes or an hour. Meet at the welcome desk.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Squirrels
2025-10-10 10:30 - 11:30

Art Naturally: Leaf Prints for Leaf Peepers
2025-10-12 10:30 - 12:00
Discover nature through story, poetry and art! Create an art piece inspired by autumn using paint, paper, gel and even leaves, with instruction and techniques. For adults, teens, and children ages 6 and up (accompanied by an adult). Free. All materials provided. Meet in the Great Hall at 10:30 a.m. for complete instructions.
