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.
|
Monday
|
Tuesday
|
Wednesday
|
Thursday
|
Friday
|
Saturday
|
Sunday
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 events,
Enjoy a story, fresh air, and exercise! Join us on the Discovery Center’s grounds for a free self-guided Story Walk® featuring Honk! Honk! by Mick Manning. For ages 4–8 and everyone who wished they could fly! The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. […]
Free
Enjoy our indoor StoryWalk, Change is in the Air by Rebecca Donnelly, about the hidden discoveries of Eunice Newton Foote, the first climate scientist. For ages 6 and up and everyone who loves science. The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Story Walk® […] 
Stitched Through the Seven Sisters is a location-specific series about honoring an almost-daily practice of communing with nature as visual artist Kerry St. Laurent stitches herself through her local trail system. Matte hot press photographic prints are layered with matte gouache that nods to mapping and ink and colored pencil stitching that references both woven […]
Free
|
1 event,
-
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 […]
Free
|
2 events,
-
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. 10/2: Fox 10/9: Leaves 10/16: Squirrels 10/23: Night Animals 10/30: Bats
Free
-
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.
Free
|
4 events,
Migrations paintings, curated by GuateMaya Art and Culture Connection, celebrate the human and natural diversity of the upper Connecticut River Valley and the Americas. Colorful works depict scenes integral to village life, Mayan culture, and the history of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. Accessible during open hours. For all ages.
Free
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.
Free
-
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 […]
Free
-
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. […]
Free
|
3 events,
-
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! […]
Free
|
||
3 events,
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, […]
Free
|
4 events,
-
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 […]
Free
|
5 events,
-
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
Free
-
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.
sliding scale donation
|
5 events,
-
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.
Free
-
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 […]
Free
|
|||
5 events,
-
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 […]
Free
-
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. 10/16: Squirrels 10/23: Night Animals 10/30: Bats
Free
|
4 events,
-
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.
Free
|
4 events,
-
Join DCR as we celebrate Archaeology Month! Learn about the cycle of the seasons from the Indigenous perspective, traditional fishing methods along the Kwenitekw (Connecticut) River, help to weave a fishing net, and more! Free and open to all. Presented by the First Peoples, First Stewards Partnership Program and the Office of Cultural Resources. All […]
Free
|
||||
4 events,
-
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. 10/23: Night Animals 10/30: Bats
Free
|
4 events,
-
The Extraordinary Caterpillar documentary follows scientists and community activists in the dazzling world of nature’s tiniest superheroes. From suburbia to exurban meadows, abandoned lots to city parks, this captivating family movie shows that exploring our environment begins not in distant wilderness, but right outside our doors! Filmmaker Jeff McKay’s documentary features Sam Jaffe and the […]
Free
|
5 events,
-
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 scrap paper, denim shoddy, abacá, a sponge, screens and even two tin cans. For adults, teens, and children ages 6 and up. Free. All art materials provided. Meet […]
Free
-
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 […]
Free
|
||||
4 events,
-
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.
Free
|
5 events,
-
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.
Free
-
This illustrated talk for adults explores the natural history of the Montague Plains through four complementary perspectives. Geologist Richard Little explains the glacial lake Hitchcock origins of the Montague plain and why Turners Falls would not exist if not for this delta. Pat Conlin, Habitat Biologist at MassWildlife, describes the agency’s long-term stewardship and restoration […]
Free
|
4 events,
-
Become an animal and show off your wildlife-themed Halloween costume! Enjoy a treat at the welcome desk and at our investigation station, learn all about the many ways that bats are the best! Stop by the Center after the annual Turners Falls Rag Shag Parade which begins at 5:00 pm at Peskeompskut Park on Avenue […]
Free
|