School is almost back in session. We found the perfect adventure for the whole family, one last summer day trip, that's worth checking out before school starts.

Sure, you could do this on a random weekend while school is going on, but we figured this is something nice the whole family can enjoy together. Plus, it's a fun learning experience, so maybe it will help the young ones get back into the studying, brain-using, mood.

We're talking about the Corning Museum of Glass. It's a little bit of a drive from the Utica/Rome area, but it's not too bad. It's about a 3-hour ride (a little less, but pretty close). It's worth the drive, though.

There's so much to take in at the Corning Museum of Glass. You can view their glass collection, which includes 35 centuries of glass artwork and pieces. 35 centuries! They also have their hands-on "Innovation Center." So what's it like in the Innovation Center? According to the Corning Museum of Glass,

A 300-foot bridge connects three floating pavilions. A huge glass egg suspended from the ceiling is a bulb-like theater where the development of electric light and the TV picture tube radiates from the "filament." Casserole dishes are the building blocks of a tower that encloses the story of the lucky accident that made casserole dishes possible...

And that's just a small piece of the Innovation Center, which is just a small piece of their facilities. Their biggest draw is probably the "Make Your Own Glass" class. You can create anything from beads to picture frames, even Christmas ornaments. This is definitely something you want to call ahead and book a spot (you could guess that it fills up pretty fast). But the cool thing is these classes are offered every single day. And it's family-friendly, so even the little ones can create their own glass artwork. Each class runs between 20 and 40 minutes, depending on what's being created. Unfortunately, it takes time for the glass to set, so you can't take your project home... BUT you can pick up your project the next day, OR if that's not possible, they'll mail it to you. How cool is that?? Make sure you check out the Corning Museum of Glass website to plan your trip accordingly, and to be able to get a spot (and more details) on the "Make Your Own Glass" workshops.

The museum also offers live demos every day on a variety of subjects, from Hot Glass Demos to Glassbreaking Demos. They definitely have a lot to see and do at the museum, so it would be a good idea to do a little research before your visit. That way you can fit in as much as you possibly can for the day.

If you haven't been to the Corning Museum of Glass yet, you should definitely plan a trip. Why not wrap up summer break with a family-fun adventure like this? We're telling ya, you won't be disappointed.

 

 


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