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.

Stewardship

Events

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Today

  • Find Us at the Farmers Market!

    Peskeompskut Park Avenue A between 6th and 7th Streets, Turners Falls

    Join DCR staff for family activities at the Great Falls Farmers Market, located between 6th and 7th streets along Avenue A at Peskeompskut Park. For all ages.

    Free

  • Art Naturally: Fields & Forests — What Do Bees Need?

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

    In honor of Pollinator Week, make your own native bee habitat by “painting” with yarn, fleece, pre-felt shapes and water. Will your bees live in a tree trunk or holes in the ground, in a nest made of mud or leaves? Learn how important native bees are, especially for growing food. For ages 4 & […]

    Free

  • Celebrate Smokey Bear’s Birthday!

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

    Free and for all ages. Join Wildland Firefighters from the DCR Bureau of Fire Control & Forestry to hear a reading of The Smokey Bear Story and learn about campfire safety. Tour a Wildland Fire Engine and a Turners Falls Fire Department fire truck, try a scavenger hunt, and meet Smokey Bear himself who is […]

    Free

  • Tom Ricardi: Birds of Prey

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

    Come see the raptors up close and personal! Meet in the Great Hall for a free program for all ages. See birds of prey presented by Tom Ricardi, a licensed rehabilitator and wildlife biologist. Tom provides an educational presentation on their lives and habitats as well as conservation. You may see a variety of raptors […]

    Free

  • Geology Talk: Amazing “Deep Time” Mysteries of Turners Falls and Vicinity

    Great Falls Discovery Center 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 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 […]

    Free

  • Art Naturally: Source to Sea Mosaics

    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 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 September. For adults, teens, and children ages 6 and up (accompanied by […]

    Free

  • Nice and Easy Walk

    Great Falls Discovery Center 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 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. 

    Free

  • It’s Weird Duck Season: Waterfowl of the Connecticut River

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

    Join Chad Witko, ornithologist and founder of Birding University, for an engaging introduction to North America’s waterfowl. As fall migration reaches the Connecticut River Valley, discover how to identify ducks, geese, and swans, explore their remarkable migrations, and learn why the Connecticut River is such an important stopover and wintering habitat throughout their annual cycle. […]

    Free

  • Constitution Banner Program

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

    Help us create a “We the People” banner together inspired by the United States Constitution. Pick out core statements, phrases or meaningful words from our Constitution and place them on the banner. You are also invited to place your handprint on the banner (non- toxic washable paints). Come learn about the Constitution, how our government […]

    Free

  • Nice and Easy Walk

    Great Falls Discovery Center 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 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. 

    Free

  • Infestation to Restoration: Managing for Invasive Species Habitat Walk

    Herman Covey Wildlife Management Area, Belchertown Belchertown, United States

    Location: Herman Covey Wildlife Management Area, Belchertown. Saturday, September 19, 2026, 9:30 – 11 a.m. Join MassWildlife experts for a walk to explore the surprising world of invasive species. Learn how to identify the spotted lanternfly, tree of heaven, and other invasives while discovering the impacts they have on local ecosystems. Along the way, you'll […]

    Free

  • 30th Anniversary Source to Sea Cleanup

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

    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/dcr-canalside-rail-trail-cleanup-group/, or contact DCR staff at (413) 863-3221 for more information. Meet at the main entrance. For ages 8 and up.

    Free