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.
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5 events,
Featured
Our Great Hall building here at the center was once a machine shop for the Montague Paper Company. This exhibit examines the critical supporting role that metalworking and machining had in launching industrialization in Turners Falls. High quality newsprint and book paper would not have been made here were it not for the knowledge, skills, […]
Free
Featured
As part of our Food, Farms, and Factories programming, the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association’s exhibit in our hallway gallery explores the history of agriculture in our fertile floodplain valley--from indigenous land use before English settlement to today’s Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) movement. For youth and adults. * Food, Farms, and Factories In 2024, […]
Free
Enjoy a story, and fresh air! Join us on the center’s grounds for a free self-guided StoryWalk® featuring the children’s picture books. Follow the path to book pages posted along the route. November 16—January 4: Thanks to the Animals, by Allen Sockabasin. For young readers ages 6—8 and anyone grateful for wildlife and storytelling. The […]
Free
Sharing space with the First-Class Machine Shop exhibit in the Great Hall, see the top Massachusetts youth entries for the 2024 Junior Duck Stamp competition! This state-wide art contest by students grades K-12 heightens awareness of the importance of preserving wetland habitats and the delights of wildlife. While you’re here, make your own duck stamp!
Free
Come learn about local mammals and their unique winter adaptations at the Welcome Desk. Every animal has special adaptations that enable them to survive in their winter habitats. Explore through touchable artifacts (pelts, replica skulls, and replica tracks), and habitat diorama scavenger hunts. For ages 4 and up.
Free
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6 events,
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Enjoy a leisurely three-mile stroll down the Canalside Rail Trail and get the New Year started off on a Great Falls note! This family-friendly hike follows a gentle route and provides an opportunity to discover the abundant natural, historical, and cultural features that make the Great Falls Discovery Center and Canalside Rail Trail such an […]
Free
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7 events,
Explore the lives of active and resting winter wildlife, in the book, Under the Snow, by Melissa Stewart. For ages 3 and up, accompanied by an adult. Meet at the welcome desk. At the end of the StoryWalk® enjoy reading more books about snow and winter from our collection. The StoryWalk® Project was created by […]
Free
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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.
Free
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Every First Friday of the Month, Turners Falls businesses and organizations stay open late. Join us for a craft night of tin-can papermaking in the Great Hall and see just how creative you have to be to make it in the paper business. Ages 8 and up. Families welcome! Meet in the Great Hall.
Free
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6 events,
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Celebrate the extraordinary life of Christopher Sawyer-Lauçanno (1951-2024) in the form of a fundraiser for the Montague Reporter. Family, friends, fellow poets, artists, collaborators, community members, and colleagues are welcome and encouraged to share stories, thoughts, and dreams at this event. Christoper fostered and edited the Montague Reporter Poetry Page for many years. Donations to […]
Free
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5 events,
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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.
Free
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5 events,
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Make a small booklet, a habitat zine, from a single piece of paper, then fill it with your nature observations for this drop-in program. Cut and draw in it to recreate your favorite river habitats. If you’d like to use paper you made on January 3, for First Friday’s Make Your Own Paper program, bring […]
Free
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5 events,
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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.
Free
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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.
Free
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4 events,
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For ages 3-10, accompanied by an adult. Join us for crafts and activities related to the popular cartoon character, Bluey! This drop-in style event is sponsored by the Montague Public Libraries and hosted by the Great Falls Discovery Center. Meet in the Great Hall.
Free
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4 events,
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What was so grand about the Grand Trunk Hotel in Turners Falls? The hotel, once sited next to today’s Center, was built in 1872 and demolished in 1968. Join DCR staff as we use our imaginations, old photographs, and testimonials, to piece together the story of the grand old days in Turners Falls. For youth […]
Free
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5 events,
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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.
Free
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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.
Free
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4 events,
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Beginning in the 1870s, drawn by the promise of work at the John Russell Cutlery factory, almost 300 Bohemian immigrants left farms in central Europe to start life anew in the industrial village of Turners Falls. This illustrated talk by local historian Jim Bridgman, based on over 35 years of research and his new book, […]
Free
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4 events,
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All ages. 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. Meet in […]
Free
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4 events,
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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.
Free
-
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.
Free
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4 events,
Explore the lives of active and resting winter wildlife through stories. For ages 3 and up, accompanied by an adult. Meet at the welcome desk. At the end of the StoryWalk® enjoy reading more books about snow and winter from our collection. 2/1—2/12: Tracks in the Snow, by Wong Herbert Yee 2/13—2/28: Rabbit’s Snow Dance […]
Free
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How do animals stay snug and warm for winter? Come investigate hidden winter animal homes through stories, crafts, and activities. For ages 3–6+ with a parent or guardian. Friends and siblings welcome! Meet in the Great Hall.
Free
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