Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Spiders
2025-08-29 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, 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 welcome. Meet in the Great Hall.

Find Us at the Farmers Market!
2025-08-30 10:30 - 13:00, 2025-09-20 10:30 - 13:00, 2025-10-04 10:30 - 13:00
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 center instead. For all ages.

Watershed History Station: Women Who Made Franklin County
2025-08-31 15:00 - 17:30
This Labor Day Weekend, experience Franklin County through the maps, stories, photos and lives of four women who worked here. Stop by our table for a few minutes or longer to explore and relive history. Meet outside the center. In case of inclement weather, find us inside the center. For all ages.

Ongoing: Outdoor StoryWalk® — Mole Music
2025-09-02 - 2025-10-28
Enjoy a story, fresh air and exercise! Join us on the Discovery Center’s grounds for a free self-guided StoryWalk® featuring Mole Music by David McPhail. For ages 4 to 7 and anyone who appreciates moles and the power of music to help us connect! 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.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Butterflies
2025-09-05 10:30 - 11:30
Learn 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.

First Friday: Investigation Station — From Fiber into Yarn
2025-09-05 15:00 - 17:30
Spinning fiber into yarn was once a skill that everyone needed to get by. Whether you spun for yourself or were among the one-in-five Bay Staters who spun fiber for work, everyone recognized a spindle. Stop by our table outside the center for five minutes or longer and learn about fiber arts along the Connecticut River. All ages. Meet at the main entrance.

Presentation and Walk: Wildlife out Your Window
2025-09-06 10:30 - 12:30
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 around us. We’ll start inside with a short presentation that will open your eyes to wildlife in ways you never imagined! Then we’ll take a leisurely stroll up the bike path along the Connecticut River and keep our eyes and ears peeled for all sorts of wildlife as we walk. All ages are welcome and encouraged to join. Meet in the Great Hall.

Nice and Easy Walks
2025-09-11 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-10-02 10:00 - 11:00
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.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Skunks
2025-09-12 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.

Great Falls Coffeehouse Presents: Harry Remer
2025-09-12 19:00 - 21:00
Join us for the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center’s concert series featuring local talent. Harry Remer performs original songs with American roots. 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.

Nice and Easy Walk
2025-09-18 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-09-25 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-10-09 10:00 - 11:00

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Snakes
2025-09-19 10:30 - 11:30

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - River Otters
2025-09-26 10:30 - 11:30

Source to Sea Cleanup
2025-09-27 10:00 - 12:00
Hard work, real fun, true impact: the annual fall trash cleanup of the Connecticut River and its tributaries. Join DCR staff to clean up the Canalside Rail Trail. To register, visit SourcetoSeaCleanup.org/event/Canalside-rail-trail, or contact DCR staff at 413-863-3221 for more information. Meet at the main entrance. For ages 8 and up.

National Public Lands Day Celebration
2025-09-27 10:00 - 16:30
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 England. Expect fun, food, music, and an opportunity to deepen your knowledge about New England public lands. RSVP and see the full agenda at: actionnetwork.org/forms/save-the-date-national-public-lands-day-celebration. Sponsors include Sierra Club Massachusetts, Climate Action Now Western Mass, Atowi, Standing Trees, and more.
For Source to Sea Cleanup, meet outside the main entrance.
For National Public Lands Day Celebration afternoon events, meet in the Great Hall.

Montague Community Fair - Mammal Investigation Station
2025-09-27 14:00 - 17:00
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 mammal neighbors at our activity table with mammal pelts and crafting. The fair has light refreshments, music, and fun activities for all ages, in collaboration with Montague Public Libraries. Unity Park is located at 56 First Street in Turners Falls.

A French/Breton Jam Session
2025-09-28 14:30 - 16:30
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.

Rain Date: Canal Draw Down History Stroll
2025-10-02 10:00 - 11:30
Check out the annual draining of the Turners Falls canal, take a stroll along the Canalside Rail Trail, and absorb local history with Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center staff and DCR staff. Meet at the main entrance of the Center for this free two mile walk on flat terrain. For youth and adults.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Leaves
2025-10-03 10:30 - 11:30

First Friday: Planned Industrial Community Walk
2025-10-03 16:30 - 18:00
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.

Fall Foliage Investigation Station
2025-10-10 - 2025-10-13
Where are the best colors? When is peak foliage? Why does this happen? Stop by for guidance at our welcome desk on your leaf peeping journey and find out what makes for spectacular fall foliage in the Connecticut River watershed. For all ages. Stay for five minutes or an hour. Meet at the welcome desk.

Kidleidoscope Story Hour - Squirrels
2025-10-10 10:30 - 11:30

Great Falls Coffeehouse Presents: Ben Tousley
2025-10-10 19:00 - 21:00
Join us for the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center’s concert series featuring local talent. Ben Tousley is a singer-songwriter of folk songs, ballads and lyrical love songs. 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.

Ongoing - Great Hall Exhibit: Day of the Dead Altar
2025-10-11 - 2025-11-02
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.

Art Naturally: Leaf Prints for Leaf Peepers
2025-10-12 10:30 - 12:00
Discover nature through story, poetry and art! Create an art piece inspired by autumn using paint, paper, gel and even leaves, with instruction and techniques. For adults, teens, and children ages 6 and up (accompanied by an adult). Free. All materials provided. Meet in the Great Hall at 10:30 a.m. for complete instructions.
