Photo Gallery: The Bellows Falls Fish Ladder and Visitor Center's Grand Re-Opening

The Nature Museum in partnership with Great River Hydro celebrated our reopening for the summer season at the Bellows Falls Fish Ladder & Visitors Center on Saturday, June 23rd.  Over 100 people streamed in meet master diver Annette Spaulding, who has been diving in the Connecticut River for over 30 years.

Annette shared fascinating stories and showed artifacts she has found on her dives as she told about her life as a diver.  She told about a plane wreck lost in Canada underwater for over 50 years that she lead a team of divers to discover.  Annette’s training as a search-and-rescue diver has had a tremendously positive impact in our local rescue community.  She talked about how in the fall of 2015, she discovered Native American petroglyphs near the junction of the West River and the Connecticut River- a discovery she’d been working towards for decades.

The Nature Museum's Jay DeGregorio, a popular naturalist and environmental educator, was on hand to answer any questions and deliver free, environmental program about owls last Saturday. Our summer intern Farrin Sofield will present family programs each Friday and Saturday from 10am-11am. The family programs are recommended for children ages 4 and up. Admission and programs at the Visitor Center are always free.

This nature education center is open each weekend Friday and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through September 1st. The Visitor Center is home to a series of hands-on environmental programs and exhibits for local families and passing tourists. The Visitor Center is located at 17 Bridge Street in downtown Bellows Falls, next to the Post Office building. 

Visitors are encouraged to learn more about the Connecticut River watershed, the salmon and other fish that use the fish ladder, and the river's many plants and animals. 

The health of the Connecticut River is vital to the health of our region. The Visitor Center seeks to inspire stewardship of the Connecticut River and all Vermont’s local waterways. The Nature Museum operates the Visitor Center on behalf of Great River Hydro, owner of the fish ladder as well as the hydroelectric facility in Bellows Falls.