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.

Great Falls Coffeehouse Presents: JCA Klezmer Band

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. Enjoy traditional Eastern European Jewish folk music with the JCA Klezmer Band. Refreshments available. Sliding scale suggested donations, all in support of educational programming at the Center. Meet in the Great Hall.

sliding scale donation

Migration Week: Bird Walks with Zeke – Migratory Way

Migratory Way at intersection of G and 15th Streets Migratory Way, Turners Falls, MA, United States

Sign up for a one-hour program at either: 6:00 a.m., 7:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., or 4:00 p.m. Many birds you see during fall migration are flying south to Panama! Join ornithologist Zeke Jakub of Conservación Panamá for one or more FREE hour-long birdwatching adventures. These […]

Free

7th Annual Migrations Festival

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

  Saturday, October 14, 1:00—5:00 p.m. The FREE Migrations Festival celebrates the human and natural diversity of the upper Connecticut River Valley and the Americas. Colorful artworks, from the GuateMaya Art and Culture Connection, in the Migrations exhibit depict scenes integral to village life, Mayan culture, and the history of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. Come […]

Free

Migration Week: Bird Walks with Zeke – Barton Cove

Barton Cove Day Use Area Barton Cove Road, Gill, MA, United States

Sign up for a one-hour program at either: 6:00 a.m., 7:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., or 4:00 p.m. Many birds you see during fall migration are flying south to Panama! Join ornithologist Zeke Jakub of Conservación Panamá for one or more FREE hour-long birdwatching adventures. These […]

Free

Kidleidoscope Story Hour  – Squirrels

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 who share our home. Program includes a story, activities, and a craft. Activities are indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. Siblings and friends welcome. Meet in the Great Hall.

Free

Nice & Easy Walk

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

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 ages. Join others seeking fresh air and exercise. A DCR Park Interpreter highlights natural and local history along the way. Wear appropriate clothing for the weather and sturdy footwear and bring water. […]

Free

Falls Fest Update – Indoor activities only

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

Update: Outdoor activities for this year's Falls Fest have been postponed to next autumn. However, we'll still have indoor crafting activities at the Discovery Center at the Welcome Desk. Other venues around town may continue with indoor activities too! The Original Plan: This year’s downtown Falls Festival celebrates our neighbors and local businesses with family […]

Free

At Sword’s Point: Oral History project

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

Postponed to Sunday, October 22, 2-3:30 p.m. Did you or someone you know work in the local machine tool industry? Your stories can help enrich this research. If you are interested in sharing your memories please introduce yourself at the At Sword’s Point event or contact the presenter at tom.goldscheider@gmail.com. Learn more about the project […]

Free

At Sword’s Point: A History of Trade Unions in the Machine Tool Industry in Franklin County

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

Public historian Tom Goldscheider discusses Franklin County precision steel tool manufacturing, where it was a world leader for generations. Workers organized with a democratic trade union that was targeted in a national political campaign aimed against it. This led to a peaceful confrontation in Greenfield and surrounding towns that surprised onlookers near and far. Meet […]

Free

Kidleidoscope Story Hour  – Bats

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 who share our home. Program includes a story, activities, and a craft. Activities are indoors and outdoors, weather permitting. Siblings and friends welcome. Meet in the Great Hall.

Free

Nice & Easy Walk

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

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 ages. Join others seeking fresh air and exercise. A DCR Park Interpreter highlights natural and local history along the way. Wear appropriate clothing for the weather and sturdy footwear and bring water. […]

Free

StoryWalk® Series – From Apple Trees to Cider, Please!

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

Enjoy a story, and fresh air! Join us on the center’s grounds for a free self-guided StoryWalk®  featuring children’s picture books. Follow the path to book pages posted along the route. October 28—November 7:  From Apple Trees to Cider, Please! by Felicia Sanzari Cherneskey. For young readers ages 4—8, and everyone who loves the harvest […]

Free