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.
Ongoing – Great Hall Art Exhibit: All Our Relations – To Honor the Wampanoag Supreme Sachem Pometacomet on the 350th Anniversary of the Great Falls Massacre
This exhibit in the Great Hall, features work by Deborah Spears Moorehead, Seaconke Pokanoket Wampanoag, and Robert Peters, Mashpee Wampanoag, focusing on pre-colonization, the 350th Anniversary of Metacomet’s (King Philip’s) War and the Great Falls Massacre of 1676. Learn about Indigenous history and their continued presence here and throughout the Northeast. Sponsored by Friends of […]
Enjoy the indoor StoryWalk®, One Earth by Eileen Spinelli, an invitation to celebrate our planet and honor it through stewardship. For ages 4 and up, accompanied by an adult. 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® […]
Ongoing, April 18 – May 12 Enjoy a story, fresh air and exercise! Join us on the Discovery Center’s grounds for a free self-guided StoryWalk® featuring Ruby’s Birds. For ages 3 and up and anyone who loves migratory birds! Co-sponsored by Montague Public Libraries as part of Flight Path bird programming all month long. The […]
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.
Discover how tenements tested every aspect of the town, from sanitation to wages. On this May Day tour, learn about the storekeepers and laborers who made this planned industrial community. Meet DCR staff outside the Great Hall for a 1.5-mile guided walk through downtown Turners Falls. Ages 8 and up.
Ongoing – Great Hall Art Exhibit: All Our Relations – To Honor the Wampanoag Supreme Sachem Pometacomet on the 350th Anniversary of the Great Falls Massacre
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/what-really-happened-at-turners-falls-the-story-of-a-massacre-tickets-1980596687007?aff=oddtdtcreator Overview Captain Turner's forces killed 300 Native people and his monument proclaimed victory. What really happened? Join this deeply informed panel. This monument to Captain William Turner sums up an old and perhaps familiar telling of history. We have a colonial hero, later slain in battle. Small but mighty colonial forces overcome the odds. […]
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.
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.
Join us for the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center's concert series featuring local talent. Lara Herscovitch & The Highway Philosophers offer a rich tapestry of songs with themes that will stay with you. Refreshments available. Sliding scale suggested donations, in support of educational programming at the Center. All ages.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation invites you to the Great Falls Discovery Center to lend a hand during this day of volunteer service to our state parks. Bring your own water and snack. For registration visit mass.gov/info-details/dcr-park-serve-day. For ages 6 and up. Meet at the main entrance.
May 19th marks the 350th anniversary of the massacre at Peskeompskut. Join David Brule, local historian and coordinator of the Battlefield Advisory Committee (a National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP)-funded study), to learn about this attack and its significance within the King Philip's War. This program will take place along the bike path […]
Ongoing – Great Hall Art Exhibit: All Our Relations – To Honor the Wampanoag Supreme Sachem Pometacomet on the 350th Anniversary of the Great Falls Massacre
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.
Enjoy a story, fresh air, and exercise! Join us on the Discovery Center’s grounds for a free self-guided StoryWalk® featuring We All Play by award winning Cree artist Julie Flett. For all ages 0–7 and anyone who loves to play, this story is a beautiful ode to the animals and humans we share our world […]
StoryWalk®: We Are Water Protectors, by Carole Lindstrom Come on inside and Chill Out with DCR! You can find “COOL” activities for kids and families inside, including indoor StoryWalk® all summer long! Meet at the welcome desk. Accessible during open hours. This story honors Indigenous-led movements across the world to protect water. For ages 3–7 […]
Enjoy conversation and coffee with Wampanoag artists Deborah Spears Moorehead and Robert Peters in the Great Hall to view and learn more about their shared exhibit. Sponsored by Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center, the Nolumbeka Project, and funded by the Montague Cultural Council. a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a […]
A commemoration of the Great Falls Massacre, May 19, 1676, and Metacom's Resistance (aka King Philip's War) 350 Years Ago, 1676-2026. Tribal members and non-Tribal public are welcome. Honored presenters include: Eastern Medicine Singers, Strong Eagle Many Feathers' Daly, Liz Coldwind Santana-Kiser, Roger Longtoe Sheehan, Dr. Margaret M. Bruchac, Martín Espada, Deborah Spears Moorehead, Robert […]
Ongoing – Great Hall Art Exhibit: All Our Relations – To Honor the Wampanoag Supreme Sachem Pometacomet on the 350th Anniversary of the Great Falls Massacre
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: there is no walk […]
Join DCR staff for family activities at the Great Falls Farmers Market, located between 6th and 7th streets along Avenue A at Peskeompskut Park. For all ages.
Everyone loves owls! Come see them up close and enjoy a slide presentation and introduction to six live owls including hooting lessons. Learn about field marks, owl pellets, tips on how to protect owls, and the importance of owls and other birds of prey in the ecosystem. For adults, youth, and children ages 5 and […]
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 from tissue paper, pipe cleaners and jute. All art materials are provided but feel welcome to use your own. Meet in the Great Hall at 10:30 a.m. for complete […]
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.Find Us […]
Ongoing – Great Hall Art Exhibit: All Our Relations – To Honor the Wampanoag Supreme Sachem Pometacomet on the 350th Anniversary of the Great Falls Massacre
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.
The walk is scheduled for 7:15 - 9:15 p.m. at the Montague Plains Wildlife Management Area. The restored habitats of Montague Plains offer the perfect place to experience the iconic whip-poor-will call, along with American woodcock peents, firsthand. Birders of all experience levels are welcome. Participants should be prepared for a ~1.5 mile walk and […]
Musica Franklin has all the fun, and we want to join in! Find us at Unity Park on First Street in Turners Falls at our River's Edge investigation station. Fish sustain life throughout our valley, from eagles to otters, even other fish. See how your wingspan compares to that of an eagle's. Learn how you […]