A French/Breton Jam Session
2025-05-18 14:30 - 16:30, 2025-06-29 14:30 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
An informal group of musicians gathers to play the enchanting traditional dance music from France and Brittany, commonly known as bal folk. This is not a performance but rather a coming together of musically-minded friends. The event is free and open to the public to come and go at will. For all ages. Meet in the Great Hall.

Nice & Easy Walk
2025-05-23 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-05-30 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-06-06 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-06-13 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-07-03 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-07-10 10:00 - 11:00 | 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.

Find Us at the Farmers Market!
2025-05-24 10:30 - 13:00, 2025-06-21 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.

Ongoing Great Hall Exhibit — Dam Culture 1995-2025: Skateboarding in Montague, MA
2025-05-31 - 2025-06-29 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Jeremy Latch presents a photographic and video still exhibit of skateboarding in Montague, MA. Dam Culture reveals 30 years of images of people skateboarding in our town’s public spaces and includes recently digitized footage of the 1990’s and 2000’s. The exhibit contains a record of lost spaces: no longer present landscapes and structures. It is a witness to the ongoing changing architecture of Montague. For all ages. Reception on June 21 2 – 4 p.m. in the Great Hall.

The Six Navigational Canals of the Connecticut River
2025-05-31 14:00 - 15:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, 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 Falls, South Hadley Falls, Turner Falls, Bellows Falls, Sumner Falls, and Olcott Falls. Rediscover these former navigational canals. Funded by a state level Massachusetts Cultural Council grant for 2025. Free and for all ages. Meet in the Great Hall.

First Friday: Migratory Fish on 3rd Street
2025-06-06 17:00 - 20:00 | Third Street – Downtown Turners Falls, 24 - 42 Third Street, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Join us on 3rd Street for RiverCulture’s First Friday event and learn all about migratory fish at our investigation station. During the event 3rd Street, from Avenue A to the Brick House, is open to pedestrians only.

Rain or Shine! 18th Annual Free Family Fishing Day
2025-06-07 10:00 - 14:00 | Barton Cove Day Use Area, Barton Cove Road, Gill, MA, United States
Our annual Family Fishing Day, at Barton Cove, with additional activities at the Great Falls Discovery Center. Join us for a day of FREE fishing fun. Adults and children of all ages are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Event is held rain or shine. Parking is free. Free shuttle bus between sites.
At Barton Cove Campground: Barton Cove Road in Gill

Free fishing from 10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m. All ages welcome.
Fishing equipment provided – limited supplies available. Bring your own pole if you have one.
No MA fishing license needed.

At Great Falls Discovery Center: 2 Avenue A

Fly lure tying demonstrations.
Come see a guest fish from the USGS Conte Anadromous Fish Research Lab.
Fish printing – The art of Gyotaku, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 pm.
CATCH THE FISH BUS HERE! Free shuttle bus to and from Barton Cove, as needed, from 10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m.

https://greatfallsdiscoverycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Family-Fishing-Day-2025-2.mp4

Annette Spaulding Talk: Recent Diving Discoveries in the Connecticut River
2025-06-08 15:30 - 17:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, 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. Enjoy a fascinating slideshow presentation showing footage of underwater dives along with a display of items of some of the unusual and interesting things she found in the river. Sponsored by Connecticut River Defenders. Meet in the Great Hall

Great Falls Coffeehouse presents: Off-the-Cuff Trio
2025-06-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Join us for the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center’s concert series featuring local talent. Off-the-Cuff Trio features Dave LeBlanc, Larry LeBlanc & Craig Manning as they perform bluegrass, folk, cajun, zydeco, swing jazz, rock, country, old time and Brazilian choro. “Our music will reflect some or all of these interests, as we pick out our favorite songs and instrumentals and play them for you…off the cuff!” Refreshments available. Sliding scale suggested donations, all in support of educational programming at the Great Falls Discovery Center. For all ages. Meet in the Great Hall.

Fields & Forests—What Do Bees Need?
2025-06-15 10:30 - 12:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Help us kick off 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 and up, including teens and adults! Children must be accompanied by an adult. Designed for families. All are welcome! Meet in the Great Hall.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Turtles
2025-06-20 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.

Summer Solstice Nice & Easy Walk
2025-06-20 13:00 - 14:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Let’s kick off the summer season! 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 Main Entrance.

Exhibit Reception: Dam Culture 1995—2025: Skateboarding in Montague, MA
2025-06-21 14:00 - 16:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Meet exhibit creator Jeremy Latch and enjoy a photographic and video still exhibit of skateboarding in Montague. Light refreshments. Meet in the Great Hall.

Nice & Easy Walk
2025-06-26 10:00 - 11:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
We’re beating the heat by moving Nice & Easy Walks to Thursdays at 10 a.m. during the summer months of June, July, and August. Join us for an 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.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Fish
2025-06-27 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States

Pride Hike: Canalside Stonewall Stroll
2025-06-28 10:00 - 12:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Celebrate Pride and 56 years since Stonewall by hiking along the Canalside Rail Trail! Be in community with nature and each other as we walk and talk beside a historic canal. This hike is a 2.6-mile round trip hike on a flat, paved trail. Dress for the weather with sturdy footwear and bring water. For ages 10 and up. Meet outside the main entrance.

JAMB-O-Ree: A Jurassic Armored Mud Ball Unveiling and Celebration
2025-06-28 14:00 - 15:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, 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 very group that organized the mud ball move to be enshrined on the Center’s grounds! Meet in the Great Hall.

Ongoing - Dino Trail Week Program: Indoor StoryWalk®—Daring to Dig: Adventures of Women in American Paleontology
2025-07-01 - 2025-07-31 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Enjoy the story Daring to Dig by Beth Strickler. For young readers ages 8—12, and everyone who appreciates women in science. Includes the stories of Mary Anning, the unsung hero of fossil discovery, and of Mignon Talbot and the discovery of Podokesaurus. 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.
* Dino Trail Week:
Dino Trail Week is a celebratory week of performances, films, talks, exhibits, and activities inspired by dinosaur footprints in the Connecticut River Valley. Look for events from all of our partners during Dino Trail Week: Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center, the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Piti Theatre, the Beneski Museum, the Trustees of Reservations, Springfield Science Museum, Wistariahurst, and the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. Learn more at: dinotrail.org.

Ongoing: Outdoor StoryWalk® — Agua, Agüita: Water, Little Water
2025-07-01 - 2025-08-26 | 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 Agua, Agüita: Water, Little Water by Jorge Tetl Argueta. For ages 4 to 7 and anyone who appreciates the water cycle! Follow the path to book pages posted along the route.
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 - Great Hall Exhibit: Ways of My Ancestors — We Are Still Here
2025-07-03 - 2025-07-29 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Scott Strong Hawk Foster is a Native American photographer whose proud roots include Hassanamisco Nipmuc, Mohegan, and Cherokee lineage. His exhibit captures travels throughout the ancestral homelands of the Native American Peoples of New England. While attending powwows, cultural events, workshops, and Indigenous practices that span millennia, Scott’s passion highlights the rich, resilient, diverse cultures and history of the Indigenous peoples that are still here and living amongst us. Scott’s tagline, Capture the Moment…Share the Experience ©, expresses his philosophy that life is filled with unique and fleeting moments that must be captured and imprinted or they could be lost forever.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Eagles
2025-07-04 10:30 - 11:30 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Yes, we are open on the holiday, ready with a story for you! 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.

First Friday: Eagle Day!
2025-07-04 15:00 - 18:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Yes, we are open today! All ages. Enjoy Independence Day by celebrating the eagle, our national bird. Join us at our eagle investigation station outside the center on our grounds. We’ll have artifacts and crafts as we imagine the freedom of flight. In case of rain, join us inside the center.

Needle-Felting for Teens and Tweens
2025-07-10 15:00 - 17:00 | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
For ages 11-19, Learn tips and tricks for needle felting while making a 2D monarch butterfly. Visit montaguepubliclibraries.org to sign up or call 413-863-3214. Sponsored by the Montague Public Libraries. This program is supported by grant funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. Meet in the Great Hall.
