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.

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Today

  • Nolumbeka Project Day of Remembrance

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

    Commemorate the 349th Anniversary of the Great Falls Massacre, outdoors weather permitting, or in the Great Hall. Tribal members and non-Tribal public are welcome. Honored guests include: Liz Coldwind Santana Kiser, Elder, Council Woman, and Tribal Historical Preservation Officer for the Chaubunagungamaug Band of Nipmuck Indians and others. For more info visit: www.nolumbekaproject.org. Free and […]

    Free

  • The Six Navigational Canals of the Connecticut River

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

    Robert Comeau of Historical Tours of Greater Holyoke presents this illustrated talk, part of a series called “Canals in the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts.” In the 1800s river transportation of goods on the Connecticut River was once possible from Old Lyme, Connecticut, to Barnet, Vermont, through the aid of six navigational canals - Enfield […]

    Free

  • Annette Spaulding Talk: Recent Diving Discoveries in the Connecticut River

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

    Join us for a talk by Annette Spaulding, an experienced master scuba diver, whose favorite place in the whole world to dive is in the Connecticut River, one of only 14 rivers in the United States that are designated heritage rivers. Annette is the first person to identify short-nosed sturgeon above dams in the river. […]

    Free

  • JAMB-O-Ree: A Jurassic Armored Mud Ball Unveiling and Celebration

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

    Join us in celebration of the arrival of an ancient boulder full of Jurassic Armored Mud Balls! Enjoy refreshments, a multi-media presentation by Professor of Geology, Richard Little, and meet our new favorite geologic sedimentary structure right here on the grounds of the Center. Learn about our Friends Group in a brief annual meeting, the […]

    Free

  • DINO TRAIL WEEK TALK: Climate Cycles and Volcanic Singularities During the Dawn of the Age of Dinosaurs

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

    Join us for a dynamic presentation on climate, volcanos, and dinosaurs by Dr. Paul Olsen. The ancient Connecticut Valley rift basin is filled with spectacular, fossil-bearing alternations of deep and shallow water lake sediments that provide a timeline for the beginning of dinosaur dominance 200 million years ago. A huge volcanic event then set off […]

    Free

  • Great Hall Artist Talk and Reception: Ways of My Ancestors — We Are Still Here  

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

    Starting at 2 p.m. Native American photographer Scott Strong Hawk Foster presents a talk about his exhibit, Ways of My Ancestors—We Are Still Here, which captures his travels throughout the ancestral homelands of the Native American Peoples of New England. Come early to see the photography and stay for the talk and refreshments. All ages. […]

    Free

  • Presentation and Walk: Wildlife out Your Window

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

    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 […]

    Free

  • National Public Lands Day Celebration

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

    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 […]

    Free

  • First Friday: Planned Industrial Community Walk

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

    What makes this mill village unique? Get an introduction to downtown Turners Falls as we walk its historic streets and answer why the village was designed this way. Meet outside the main entrance for a 1.5-mile walk over flat, paved terrain. For ages 8 and up.

    Free

  • Wings Without Borders: A Bird Migration Talk

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

    Birds are among nature’s most remarkable travelers, carrying stories across continents with every wingbeat. This talk explores migration as a biological wonder and a source of human inspiration, weaving connections between landscapes. Together we discover how the movements of birds echoes themes of resilience, belonging, and change. Join ornithologist Chad Witko (Birding University) for a […]

    Free

  • The Nolumbeka Project Presents: Full Beaver Moon Gathering

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

    The Nolumbeka Project presents the annual Full Beaver Moon Gathering with guest speaker Willow Greene, Abenaki elder and award-winning storyteller. Raffle drawing. Free admission and all ages are welcome. For more information about the event visit nolumbekaproject.org. Meet in the Great Hall.

    Free

  • Wildflowers in Winter

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

    Embrace the identification challenge of matching summer wildflowers with their winter attire with naturalist Dawn Marvin Ward. Learn how through photographs, clues, and hands-on exploration to expand your knowledge of the winter landscape. Discover the amazing variety of shapes, forms and textures, learn lore and legend of our local plants, and gain an appreciation of […]

    Free