Friends of The Great Falls Discovery Center
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.
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.
View a Day of the Dead Altar built by local families with support from the Heartwing Center. Learn about the tradition of leaving messages of love to honor and commemorate loved ones. For all ages. Accessible during open hours.
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 […]
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. […]
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! […]
Enjoy a story, fresh air, and exercise! Join us on the Discovery Center’s grounds for a free self-guided Story Walk® featuring Mole Music by David McPhail, about the power of music to bring peace. For ages 4–7 and everyone who loves moles playing violins! The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, […]
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 […]
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
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.
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.
French Canadians played a key role in building Turners Falls, arriving in the late 19th to dig the canal and work in the local mills. They joined Irish, German, Polish, and Bohemian immigrants to shape the village’s working-class and immigrant heritage. For this jam session, an informal group of musicians gather to honor this rich […]
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 […]