Go BIG or Go Home
What Happens When A Small-Town Family Visits The "World's Largest"... Whatever!

World’s Largest Collection of Glass, Corning, NY

Corning Museum of GlassThis is purely coincidental, but look how nice! Another glass-themed post!

Where we went, and who was coerced into going:

On our way up to Rochester for our weather-weary trip to see the Lilac Festival last month, we stopped in the adorable town of Corning, home to the Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG), and the world’s largest collection of glass.

WHY did you go there, exactly?

This pick was all mine…made with little consideration for the kids!  I’ve wanted to go there since first learning about it at a travel show over 10 years ago.

Luckily, it was still a surprisingly kid-friendly choice. First and foremost, admission is free for all kids under 19!  The gallery pieces were behind glass, and many of the exhibits, particularly in the Innovations center, were hands-on. The only exception was the gift shop. There were some very exposed tables of beautiful and breakable vases, so we clutched The Girl’s hand and began our rhythmic chant, “Don’t touch anythiiiiiing…don’t touch anythiiiiiiing….”

Okay, what was so cool about it?

When you go, you should first check the show schedule on your map. There are live, narrated glassblowing demonstrations at the hot glass show all day, as well as flameworking, glassbreaking and optical fiber demonstrations. The popular hot glass show is offered most frequently. We missed the glassbreaking show, but the fiber optic show intrigued The Boy, who has an interest in science. Not so much The Girl. Luckily, the theater was in the middle of the Glass Innovation Center, so Matt was able to take her around to some exhibits while we watched.

Periscope

"I can see my house from here!"

The Innovation Center was our favorite section of the museum, and the most hands-on. The science and technology exhibits are located in three “floating” pavilions connected by a 300-ft bridge. The kids looked at their reflections in a flight simulator mirror, then looked at a view of downtown Corning through a periscope reaching up through the ceiling. They both tried their hand at bending glass, peered through magnifying glasses, and steered clear of the glass floor which gave a view of two stories below.

Magnifying glass

"Does this glass make my nose look big?"

Make a point to participate in a “Make your own Glass” workshop (for an additional fee). Both kids and I got a chance to work with glass, and this was by far the highlight of our visit. Kids as young as four can make a small fused glass project, like a sun catcher or nightlight, by assembling colorful glass scraps in patterns.

The Boy got to blow a glass sculpture which was turned by an experienced glassworker. He also picked the colors for his creation. These glass specks were melted into the molten glass, and turned to become bright swirls.

I decided to make a flower, not realizing how involved the experience would be. I was outfitted from head to toe in protective heat-resistant gear, from goggles to foot coverings (I had sandals on). While the glassworker does get the glass out of the furnace and brings it over, I was turning it and pulling at it with the tweezer-like tool to make the petals.

The glass comes out of the 2100-degree furnace glowing red, and the consistency of honey, so you have to keep rolling so it doesn’t droop. It becomes clear as it cools, but loses its malleability quickly, so you have to work fast.

I pinched and pulled at half-inch intervals around the mouth of the flower, which was then re-heated. The next step was to pull harder and extend it to make the stem. It was thrilling to see the final shape, even though the pink and lime colors I had chosen didn’t show true until it cooled.

Regardless of the project you choose, the pieces are fired and cooled overnight, so you either have to return to pick them up, or pay to have them shipped home.

Also good for families—museum audio tours with a family friendly option, and gallery activity sheets which send kids on a scavenger hunt of sorts looking for themes in glass, like gardens.

A little background info about the place:

Now celebrating its 60th anniversary, the CMOG is home to more than 45,000 works in glass. The collection includes works from around the globe, representing more than 3,500 years of human ingenuity.

How it rated on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = snoozefest, 10 = add to your bucket list): [rating=10]

With the glass making workshop as part of your visit, this experience is a solid 10! My only regret is not having the time to visit the gift shop. I got quick glimpses of $5.00 baking dishes and 99¢ glasses. Oh, who am I kidding? Even with enough time, I still had the kids with me!

Hey YOU! Go BIG:

Corning Museum of Glass

One Museum Way, Corning, NY 14830

800-732-6845

nightlight

"Look what I made!" The Girl's nightlight, after it was mailed to our home

Disclaimer: The Corning Museum of Glass hosted our visit.

 

Corning Things To Do on raveable

10 comments

  1. Fiona said,
    June 16, 2011 @ 7:42 am

    This looks so interesting, maybe a girlfriends road trip is in order!

  2. Terry said,
    June 16, 2011 @ 8:18 am

    What a wonderful hHands-on”museum for both adults and children. One of the best teaching tools, I think, is actually getting involved both mentally and physically. The Corning Museum should be a summer stop for anyone in the upstate NY area and beyond.

  3. Stephanie said,
    June 16, 2011 @ 9:02 am

    Thank you so much for visiting! We’re so happy that you enjoyed your visit! The Girl’s nightlight is fantastic…great job!

  4. Mike said,
    June 16, 2011 @ 3:43 pm

    The “Make your own Glass” workshop sounds awesome. This stop may have to be added to our list as well.

  5. Margaret Mortz said,
    June 16, 2011 @ 6:18 pm

    This needs to go on our “to visit” list when we make it up your way, Trace, one of these days!

  6. Dorothy Butler said,
    June 17, 2011 @ 10:23 am

    Hi Trace, It’s so neat seeing you & Matt & the kidlets & on a video even!! God knows yr mom never has any fotos to show me. Love, D

  7. June 18, 2011 @ 1:54 am

    Slowly working my way through the Delicious Baby family travel list, and I have to say how much I *love* your concept!! Planning lots of road trips in future years (when our 2-year-old is a bit better suited for car travel), and I look forward to discovering lots of fun destinations in future posts.

    • Traci Suppa said,
      June 19, 2011 @ 10:04 pm

      Thanks for checking us out, Tara! I actually preferred car travel when mine were that age, so we could stop as often as we needed, and not worry about mid-air meltdowns!

  8. Coach Tours said,
    July 19, 2011 @ 4:02 pm

    CMOG is a great place to check out on any trip of Western New York. Corning, of course, is extremely famous for its glass works–Steuben, the fine crystal maker, still operates there, as does Corning, which produces high quality telecommunications fiber. Any large group thinking of taking a motorcoach tours of the region should definitely consider CMOG!

  9. Lisa said,
    August 24, 2011 @ 2:15 pm

    We just returned from a cruise on the Celebrity Equinox and the Corning Museum conducts glass-blowing shows on the ship. It was fascinating to watch! I hadn’t heard of the Corning Museum of Glass before then but it’s now definitely on my list of places that I would like to go.