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.

  • Montague Community Fair at Unity Park

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

    Discover us at Unity Park (at 56 First Street)! Celebrate “Good Neighbor Day” with an afternoon of free family activities and learn about local community organizations. Join DCR staff at the fair to learn all about our animal neighbors at our activity table with crafting. The fair has light refreshments, music, and fun activities for […]

    Free
  • Art Naturally: Paper Marbling and Mini Books

    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. Inspired by the Montague Paper Company’s history of making book paper, we’ll celebrate the book arts—right here in the building that was once the company’s machine shop. With instruction and technique, you create an art piece to take home using Suminagashi […]

    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. Note that there is no […]

    Free
  • Kidleidoscope Story Hour – Fox

    Great Falls Discovery Center 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 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 are welcome. Meet in the Great Hall. 10/2: Fox 10/9: Leaves 10/16: Squirrels 10/23: Night Animals 10/30: Bats

    Free
  • First Friday: Immigrant Institutions Tour

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

    How long does it take to become a community? Who gets to be from a mill town? Take a tour of downtown Turners Falls through the institutions that immigrants built in the 19th and 20th centuries. Meet DCR staff outside the Great Hall for this 1.1-mile guided walk. Ages 8 and up.

    Free
  • Caterpillar Lab: A Live Insect Drop-in Exhibit

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

    Get up close to the incredible world of caterpillars and visit the Caterpillar Lab’s drop-in live caterpillar exhibits in the Great Hall. Explore and view these amazing insects under a microscope, and learn what they eat, how they transform into butterflies and moths, and the fascinating ways they survive in the wild. You’ll even discover which […]

    Free
  • Caterpillar Lab Walk

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

    Join the Caterpillar Lab for a guided walk through downtown Turners Falls, and portions of the Canalside Rail Trail, in search of native caterpillars and the plants they depend on. Discover these remarkable insects in their natural habitat while learning about their life cycles, host plants, and the important role they play in healthy ecosystems. […]

    Free
  • Art Naturally: Painting with Inks from the Garden

    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. Do you grow red cabbage? Are squirrels leaving acorn caps all over your yard? Do you like to cook with onions? You can make ink with these natural ingredients! […]

    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. Note that there is no […]

    Free
  • Kidleidoscope Story Hour – Leaves

    Great Falls Discovery Center 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 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 are welcome. Meet in the Great Hall. 10/9: Leaves 10/16: Squirrels 10/23: Night Animals 10/30: Bats

    Free
  • Great Falls Coffeehouse: A Touch of Class

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

    Join us for the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center’s concert series featuring local talent. A Touch of Class offers jazz tunes from the Great American Songbook. Refreshments available. Sliding scale suggested donations, in support of educational programming at the Center. All ages. Meet in the Great Hall.

    sliding scale donation
  • Leaf Peeping Walk

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

    What makes a New England fall different from others? Can we ever experience the same fall twice? Join DCR staff outside the Great Hall for this 0.8-mile, accessible guided walk. Ages 6 and up.

    Free