I generally just take the time to write hotel reviews, but the Corning Museum of Glass was such an incredible experience that I have to make an exception and add yet another well-deserved 5-star review for this attraction. My 8-year-old and I have just returned from a pilgrimage to CMOG (she's always been fascinated by glassblowing), and it was absolutely worth the 6-hour drive. We spent two full days, from open to close, at CMOG and still could have happily spent several more days there.
There are two things that particularly contributed to my love for CMOG. The first is the incredible variety of exhibits. There are perfectly curated galleries featuring everything from striking modern art to a mind-boggling collection of historical artifacts (I seriously can't even fathom what the acquisition, curation, organization, and captioning process for the massive 3500 Years of Glass gallery alone must have entailed!). There are stunningly unique technical pieces, and there are extraordinarily well explained exhibits exploring the evolution of commercial glass applications. And all of these various objects are so thoughtfully organized and captioned, whether it's a glass weight used thousands of years ago to assess the value of gold coinage, a piece of art that utilized a challenging murrine technique, or a tiny fiber optic strand that has enabled our current telecommunications systems.
The other particular strength of CMOG is the array of demonstrations. During our visit, the runner-up (and rightful winner, in my opinion) of Netflix's Blown Away, Janusz Pozniak, was completing a residency. We spent nearly an entire day watching Janusz work in a gorgeous amphitheater constructed to offer outstanding views from pretty much any spot and with screens broadcasting close-up shots of the work, even when it was IN the furnaces. CMOG experts narrated his process throughout, and Janusz answered every single question posed to him. It was a treat for such top-notch professionals to be so accessible. On our second day, we watched numerous other impressive demonstrations in the amphitheater, as well as in other demonstration locations around the museum. All were so well explained, and in such a way that those who previously knew nothing about glassblowing could learn lots but that those who already had exposure could also learn many more nuanced details. Demonstrations were not only of high quality, but also ran very frequently - at any given moment, we had multiple ones to choose from. There were involved glassblowing pieces taking an hour or more to complete, shorter duration pieces for those wanting to see something like a pitcher or bowl materialize in a mere 15 minutes, flameworking demos for smaller pieces, a fiber optics talk to understand how glass enables the transmission of data, and even a glassbreaking demonstration offering insight regarding the various types of glass and applications. And the presenters at every single demonstration were incredibly engaging, informative, and eager to answer questions.
More generally, the spaces were inviting, and even the cafe food was good (and reasonably priced). The gift shop looked impressive at first, but it turned out that much was just junk (aside from the section devoted to actual artists). Many exhibits had interactive components, such as visual distortions, a periscope, a faux gaffer's bench with a pipe to try rolling, glass flexing devices, and a piece of glass from the moon that guests could actually touch. There were multiple scavenger hunts, both paper and digital format, to engage any kids who might not be as motivated to appreciate the museum. Every single staff member with whom we interacted was infallibly kind, enthusiastic, and helpful.
The only real disappointment we experienced pertained to the Make Your Own Glass program. If you sign up for any of the "glassblowing" options that don't have a minimum age of at least 14, it's really not worth it. My daughter was permitted to sit on a bench and blow into the pipe once. That was it. She's done various MYO glass programs at different locations over the years, all of which allowed FAR more participation in the process. Even as a 4-year-old, she'd been helping an adult hold the pipe as glass was gathered and heated, rolling the glass in colored frit, and using the shaping tools (wearing an arm guard and with an adult's hands right beside her, of course). Yet at CMOG, even the adults signed up for ornaments and snowmen weren't permitted to do more than briefly blow in the pipe. It's a lot more time- and cost-effective to simply buy a piece you like in the gift shop, and the minimal participation nature of these "make your own" experiences (on the glassblowing side anyway; there are also fusion, sandblasting, and flameworking options with which I'm not familiar) should really be made more clear up front.
But this was just a minor blip in an otherwise stellar visit. We're already planning our return visit and would highly recommend CMOG to anyone, no matter how little baseline glass knowledge you have or even how far you have to drive!