Corning Museum of Glass

Description

Checklist

Attraction Type:  museum, kid-friendly
Number of accessible spaces:  8
Location of accessible spaces:  in lot close to Museum
Surface of lot:  paved
Distance to venue:  close
Transportation to venue offered:  na
Terrain:  flat
Places to rest:  benches throughout, also in courtyard just outside of entrance
Paths and walkways:  brick and concrete
Location of accessible entrance:  entrance from parking lot
Doors:  street-level, with push-button assist
Number of floors:  3
Elevators:  yes - to all floors
Ramps:  several throughout the museum
Steps and staircases:  in various locations
Width of aisles:  ample space throughout
Places to sit:  benches in some galleries, - also portable chairs can be borrowed from West Bridge area
Location of restrooms:  Welcome Area, Museum Foyer, Contemporary Art & Design Galleries, Studios and Library
Type of restroom:  all have accessible restrooms
Ease of entry and exit:  good
Available food services:  The Cafe has a variety of food choices and snacks
Friendliness of staff:  extremely friendly and helpful
Notes:  The Corning Museum is dedicated to accessibility with assistive listening devices, color blind glasses, wheelchairs, sensory backpacks, sign language interpretation, accessible tours, closed captioning, family restrooms, and gender-neutral restrooms, plus portable seats to borrow.
Baby changing station:  yes
Point of Contact:  ROBERTA ROSENBERG

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I love glass – blown glass, stained glass, Tiffany Glass, to name a few. After listening to my niece describe her family’s visit to the Corning Museum of Glass, my better half and I decided we wanted to see it for ourselves.  Since it is a more than five hour ride from our house, we decided to combine it with a visit to Niagara Falls, a mere three more hours from Corning. 

What a great idea!  The Museum is magnificent! It was established in 1951, with its mission dedicated to the art, history and science of glass.  With more than 50,000 objects in its collection, it is the world’s most comprehensive collection of glass. It has been expanded several times, and is now a light-filled glass and metal structure, whose architecture and design  allow you to see different parts of the building, everywhere you look.  As I stood in one gallery I could see a bit of another and knew I wanted to go there next.  I found it addictive.  I returned to see items more than once and each time saw them in a somewhat different way.  I found everything incredibly interesting.

Parking was easy in the large lot. There are eight dedicated, accessible spaces close to the entrance on one side of the building.  There are several sets of street-level doors, with push button assist to enter. Between the parking lot and the entrance there is a lovely courtyard, with tables and chairs for relaxing.

This entrance brought us directly into the “shop.”  It is one of the largest museum shops I have ever seen, with an amazing array of glass gifts, from small items and jewelry to fine works of glass art.  This area is a museum in itself. On this lower level you will also find the Cafe.  There is a wide variety of items. We tried a wrap and salad, which turned out to be delicious.  There is both indoor and outdoor seating. Since it was raining, I’m sure you can guess what we chose.

Now on to the main event – the exhibits and demonstrations. The various galleries offer a feast for the eyes, as well as history lessons. Some of the objects go back 3,500 years. The galleries themselves are incredible, with benches in many of them. I forgot to mention that there are portable seats that one can borrow on the West Bridge and return at the end of your visit. So nice!  

The live demonstrations are amazing as well. Hot Glass, Flameworking, and Glass Breaking were each amazing in their own right.  There are special Exhibitions and Displays, and interactive displays as well. 

We loved everything about this venue, especially its attention to accessibility.  From assistive listening devices, to color blind glasses, sensory backpacks, accessible tours, and closed captioning, the Museum is doing everything it can to accommodate those with disabilities.

Accessible restrooms are located in the welcome center, Museum Foyer area, Contemporary Galleries, and library. They have anticipated their visitors’ needs and tried to accommodate them. We think they have done a great job! w

The Corning Museum of Glass is an incredible experience that we would recommend to all.  We think it’s really worth the trip. 

As always, we at Destination Accessible, advise you to visit a venue’s website, www.home.cmog.org, when planning a visit, to learn more about it. 

Location

Nearby