First Friday: Big Night for Beginners
2025-03-07 16:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Every First Friday of the Month, Turners Falls businesses and organizations stay open late for activities. On a mild, rainy night in early Spring, thousands of frogs, toads, and salamanders move across Massachusetts to reach their vernal pools and start the next generation of amphibians. But the journey across roads and lawns can be deadly. For this drop-in program, come for crafting, a game, and stay for conversations about how you can help a local Big Night Brigade! Take a moment to enjoy hot chocolate too. For all ages. Families welcome! Meet in the Great Hall.

Quabbin Obscura: The Swift River in Black-&-White
2025-03-09 14:00 - 15:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
From farm to canvas to camera, artist Burt V. Brooks (1849-1934) captured the landscapes and daily life in the “drowned towns” before the Quabbin Reservoir (today managed by DCR) was filled. Join DCR staff as we look back on Brooks’ work for answers about who he was and what life in the Swift River Valley was like around the turn of the century. Ages 12 and up. Meet in the Great Hall.

Ongoing: Indoor StoryWalk®-The Salamander Room
2025-03-12 - 2025-03-30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Explore the lives of our favorite mud season amphibians. For ages 3 and up, accompanied by an adult. Meet at the welcome desk.
3/12—3/30: The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer
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.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - When Will it Be Spring?
2025-03-14 10:30 - 11:30 | 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.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Salamanders
2025-03-21 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Nice & Easy Walk
2025-03-21 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-03-28 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-04-04 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-04-11 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-04-18 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-04-25 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-05-02 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-05-09 13:00 - 14:00 and 2 more dates | 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 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.

Reptile Nook: Animal Talk
2025-03-22 13:00 - 14:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
For ages 5-16, accompanied by an adult. Join us to meet four animals up close and dive into learning about a variety of reptile, amphibian, and invertebrate species. Free. Sponsored by the Montague Public Libraries. Meet in the Great Hall.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Frogs
2025-03-28 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Ongoing: Indoor StoryWalk ® — One Earth
2025-04-03 - 2025-04-30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Enjoy the indoor StoryWalk®, One Earth by Eileen Spinelli, which is an open invitation to both celebrate our planet and honor it through stewardship. Count the reasons to love the planet and ways to protect it. For ages 4—8 and anyone who loves the earth, accompanied by an adult. Meet at the welcome desk.
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.

Ongoing: Outdoor StoryWalk® — Spring is Here!
2025-04-10 - 2025-04-30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Enjoy a story, fresh air and exercise! Join us on the Discovery Center’s grounds for a free self-guided StoryWalk® featuring a children’s picture book. Follow the path to book pages posted along the route. Spring is Here! by Heidi Pross Gay is for ages 2—8 and everyone looking for the first signs of spring.
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.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Osprey
2025-04-11 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
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.

Vernal Pool Variety Hour: Secrets to Frog and Salamander Survival
2025-04-12 14:00 - 16:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Why are the still waters and muck of vernal pools the most attractive pieces of real estate for amphibians in the spring? What is a “Big Night”? Join us for this drop-in program exploring the soggy lives of frogs, toads, and salamanders and their dangerous migration journeys. For children ages 7 and up and their families. Includes a game and crafting. Meet in the Great Hall.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Chipmunks
2025-04-18 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Ongoing: Earth Week Investigation Station and Indoor Storywalk® - One Earth
2025-04-19 - 2025-04-27 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Join us at the welcome desk during school vacation week for activities to inspire taking care of where we live. Enjoy indoor and outdoor scavenger hunts, crafts, and activities to honor the Earth, our shared home. Includes the indoor StoryWalk® — One Earth by Eileen Spinelli, which is an invitation to both celebrate our planet and honor it through stewardship. For all ages.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Who Lives in a Tree?
2025-04-25 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Park Serve Day: Give a Day, Make a Difference
2025-04-26 10:00 - 12:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) invites you to the Great Falls Discovery Center to lend a hand during this day of volunteer service to our state parks. Bring your own water and snack. Registration: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/dcr-park-serve-day. For ages 6 and up. Meet at the Main Entrance.

First Friday: Bird Migration Madness
2025-05-02 16:00 - 18:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Birds make incredible journeys each year to find their perfect nesting spot in the North. Come play a bird migration game and see if you survive the many perils along the way. We’ve got a bird and habitat matching game too where you can listen to the sounds of birds common to each habitat. Make your own winged creatures with a craft. All materials provided. For all ages. Meet in the Great Hall.

Slow Birding Walk
2025-05-10 10:00 - 12:00 | Migratory Way at intersection of G and 15th Streets, Migratory Way, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Slow Birding Walk
Start World Migratory Bird Day with local ornithologist and birder Chad Witko during a slow-paced, mindful birding experience along the Turners Falls Power Canal. This guided walk will focus on discovering and learning about newly arrived migrants in a relaxed and reflective setting. The walk takes place on a flat, paved surface and should be accessible to most.
Note: This walk is a precursor to Chad’s presentation, Shared Skies: Celebrating Migratory Birds and the Communities They Connect, held at the Great Falls Discovery Center later the same day at 2:00 PM.
About your guide: Chad works for a major bird conservation organization, serves as an eBird reviewer for Windham County, VT, and is the founder of Birding University.
To register, email Chad Witko at birdinguniversity@gmail.com.
$20 per person. Limited to 15 participants.
Date: Saturday, May 10, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: Turners Falls Power Canal
Park in the small lot on G Street, on the west side of the canal (at the start of Migratory Way).

Shared Skies: Celebrating Migratory Birds and the Communities They Connect
2025-05-10 14:00 - 15:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
On World Migratory Bird Day, join ornithologist Chad Witko (Birding University) for an inspiring exploration of our avian migrants. Celebrate this year’s theme, Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities, highlighting the remarkable journeys of North America’s migratory birds. Through cutting-edge research from across the hemisphere, explore how birds connect people and communities throughout the Americas. A seasoned birder or simply curious about the natural world around you, deepen your appreciation for the birds that pass through our cities and neighborhoods—and what we can do to help them thrive. Meet in the Great Hall.

Ongoing - Outdoor StoryWalk®— We Planted a Tree
2025-05-13 - 2025-06-25 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Ongoing: Outdoor StoryWalk®— We Planted a Tree
Enjoy a story, fresh air and exercise! Join us on the Discovery Center’s grounds for a free self-guided StoryWalk® featuring a children’s picture book. Follow the path to book pages posted along the route. We Planted a Tree by Diane Muldrow is for ages 3 to 7
and everyone who loves trees. 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.

Find Us at the Farmers Market!
2025-05-24 10:30 - 13:00 | Peskeompskut Park, Avenue A between 6th and 7th Streets, Turners Falls, 01376
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 Discovery Center’s Great Hall instead. For all ages.
