Corning Museum of Glass

Founded in 1951 by Corning Glass Works (now Corning Incorporated) as a gift to the nation for the company's 100th anniversary, The Corning Museum of Glass is a not-for-profit museum dedicated to telling the story of a single material: glass.

The concept seems so simple. How much can you say about glass?

Actually, quite a lot. Glass is a versatile, ancient material that is still being explored and understood by artists, scientists, and historians today. The story of glass is a story about art, history, culture, technology, science, craft and design. And we tell that story at The Corning Museum of Glass.

The Corning Museum of Glass cares for and displays the world's best collection of art and historical glass. When you visit, you'll see more than 3,500 years of history displayed in the Glass Collection Galleries, from the glass portrait of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh to contemporary sculpture made in glass.

You can learn about the science and technology behind innovations in glass through hands-on exhibits in our Innovation Center. There, you can explore the concepts behind optics, vessels, and windows, and meet the innovators who have changed our world using glass.

Glass is brought to life through live, narrated glassmaking demonstrations, offered all day, every day. If you can't make it to Corning, watch our live Hot Glass Shows on three Celebrity Cruise ships, or on the road with our traveling hotshop. We also offer a traveling design program, GlassLab, aimed at helping designers explore glass as a material for their work.

Interested in trying glassmaking yourself? We offer daily Make Your Own Glass sessions for beginners. For a more intensive experience, you can take a one-day, weekend, or multiple-week course in our glassmaking school, The Studio, which offers year-round courses in all levels of glassmaking.

The Museum is a center for glass scholarship. It boasts the Rakow Research Library, the world's foremost archive and reference collection on the history of glassmaking. The Museum also regularly publishes journals, educational videos, and scholarly publications - many of which you can access on this website.

The Corning Museum of Glass is a dynamic institution that continues to actively collect, educate, preserve, and share the experience of glass. We hope your experience with the Museum helps you to see glass in a whole new light.

Vision Statement

To be the international leader in the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge about the art, history, science, and technology of glass and glassmaking.

Mission Statement

To Tell the World about Glass by engaging, educating, and inspiring visitors and the community through the art, history, and science of glass.

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