Friends of The Great Falls Discovery Center

Ongoing - Great Hall Art Exhibit: Junior Duck Stamps
2024-12-06 - 2025-01-16 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Sharing space with the First-Class Machine Shop exhibit in the Great Hall, see the top Massachusetts youth entries for the 2024 Junior Duck Stamp competition! This state-wide art contest by students grades K-12 heightens awareness of the importance of preserving wetland habitats and the delights of wildlife. While you’re here, make your own duck stamp!

Make Your Own Junior Duck Stamp!
2024-12-07 - 2024-12-08
In celebration of our Junior Duck Stamp exhibit in the Great Hall, have some hot chocolate And make your own Junior Duck stamp too! All ages. Meet in the Great Hall.

Nice & Easy Walk
2024-12-13 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
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 outside the main entrance.

It’s a Wonderful Night in Turners Falls … for the Birds!
2024-12-13 16:00 - 20:00
Craft bird feeders for our winter friends as part of It’s a Wonderful Night in Turners Falls —a town-wide RiverCulture event on December 13. Which birds show up at your feeder? What do they eat? Bird feeder making continues Saturday, Dec. 14, 10:00 a.m.—12:30 p.m. For all ages. Free! Meet in the Great Hall.

It’s a Wonderful Day in Turners Falls … for the Birds!
2024-12-14 10:00 - 12:30
Craft bird feeders for our winter friends as part of It’s a Wonderful Night in Turners Falls —a town-wide RiverCulture event. Which birds show up at your feeder? What do they eat? For all ages. Free! Meet in the Great Hall.

Ongoing - School Vacation Week: Mammal Adaptation Investigation Station
2024-12-21 - 2025-01-01
Come learn about local mammals and their unique winter adaptations at the Welcome Desk. Every animal has special adaptations that enable them to survive in their winter habitats. Explore through touchable artifacts (pelts, replica skulls, and replica tracks), and habitat diorama scavenger hunts. For ages 4 and up.

First Day Hike
2025-01-01 13:00 - 15:00
Enjoy a leisurely three-mile stroll down the Canalside Rail Trail and get the New Year started off on a Great Falls note! This family-friendly hike follows a gentle route and provides an opportunity to discover the abundant natural, historical, and cultural features that make the Great Falls Discovery Center and Canalside Rail Trail such an amazing State Park! Be prepared for cold weather: dress in layers and wear winter boots. Dogs are welcome on-leash. Co-sponsored by the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center. Meet in the Great Hall. Hike begins at 1:15 p.m.

Ongoing: Indoor StoryWalk® — Under the Snow
2025-01-03 - 2025-01-26
Explore the lives of active and resting winter wildlife, in the book, Under the Snow, by Melissa Stewart. For ages 3 and up, accompanied by an adult. Meet at the welcome desk. At the end of the StoryWalk® enjoy reading more books about snow and winter from our collection. 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.

Nice & Easy Walks
2025-01-03 13:00 - 14:00
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.

Nice & Easy Walk
2025-01-10 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-01-24 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-01-31 13:00 - 14:00

Zine on the River
2025-01-12 14:00 - 16:00
Make a small booklet, a habitat zine, from a single piece of paper, then fill it with your nature observations for this drop-in program. Cut and draw in it to recreate your favorite river habitats. If you’d like to use paper you made on January 3, for First Friday’s Make Your Own Paper program, bring it! For all ages. Meet in the Great Hall.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Rabbits
2025-01-17 10:30 - 11:30
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 - Winter Insects
2025-01-24 10:30 - 11:30

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Groundhogs
2025-01-31 10:30 - 11:30

Where Are All the Animals Hiding?
2025-02-01 10:30 - 11:30
How do animals stay snug and warm for winter? Come investigate hidden winter animal homes through stories, crafts, and activities. For ages 3–6+ with a parent or guardian. Friends and siblings welcome! Meet in the Great Hall.

Investigation Station: Amphibians and Reptiles in Winter
2025-02-15 - 2025-02-23
What are amphibians and reptiles up to during the winter? Join us at our investigation station by the Welcome Desk to find out. Explore through touchable artifacts and habitat diorama scavenger hunts. For ages 4 and up.

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

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Salamanders
2025-03-21 10:30 - 11:30

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Frogs
2025-03-28 10:30 - 11:30

Ongoing: Indoor StoryWalk ® — One Earth
2025-04-03 - 2025-04-30
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.

Vernal Pool Variety Hour: Secrets to Frog and Salamander Survival
2025-04-12 14:00 - 16:00
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
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.

Ongoing: Earth Week Investigation Station and Indoor Storywalk® - One Earth
2025-04-19 - 2025-04-27
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

Park Serve Day: Give a Day, Make a Difference
2025-04-26 10:00 - 12:00
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
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.

Shared Skies: Celebrating Migratory Birds and the Communities They Connect
2025-05-10 14:00 - 15:00
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
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.
