Humans have been making things with glass for over 3,500 years. And, when it comes to glass, there’s nowhere on the planet quite like the world’s largest museum of glass which is part history, part mind-boggling art, part astonishing demonstrations, part chance to make your own glass memento.

From signal lanterns to special glass bulbs that illuminated the world, from the world’s largest telescope to fiberoptic cables which keep us connected to people around the globe (stop by the Innovation Center for exhibits of glass Technology that has changed the world).

Learn about the diverse and unique qualities of this remarkable material by watching master artists pull and snip and spin a molten hot gather of glass into a work of art.

Of course, the best way to get a feel for the multifarious nature of glass is by taking a hands-on workshop and creating your own keepsake. That’s right, when you visit the museum you are invited to stop by The Studio to work with a material as hot as lava and make your own glass souvenir.

Come back for weekend-long workshops. It's like being on your own season of Blown Away.

Hand-On Glass

A hidden gem. Spend some time with the grand dame of glassblowing workshops in Corning and her team for intimate experiences in more of a factory setting

You’ll want to make an appointment at The Studio or at Hands-on Glass ahead of time, as slots are limited. Having a memento of your trip makes the experience last, but making your own makes the experience unforgettable.

Looking to add to that Lego stash you have back home? Empire Bricks sells a variety of lego sets and collectibles. They also “purchase mini-figures, bulk LEGO parts and pieces, new and retired sealed sets, as well as assembled used sets.”

Before you visit Empire Bricks, check out the iCode website to see if any of their fun coding classes, camps, labs or game nights are taking place while you’re in town (they have everything from game development to battle of the bots). Or maybe just rent the iCode facility for your own techtastic party.

Chances are, you have never heard of Glenn Curtiss despite his being one of the first motorcycle manufacturers in the country and one of America’s most significant aviator inventors.

Aeronautics is the science of creating machines that fly. Curtiss didn’t just create the flying machines, his greatest gift was his ability to make exceptional motors which made flight possible. He drew aeronauts, balloonists, and inventors like Alexander Graham Bell to the small town of Hammondsport in the early 1900s making it the “Cradle of Aviation,” for it was there that most of the experimentation and advancements in aviation prior to WWI took place.

The museum is a treasure trove of mechanical treasures. We’re talking massive motors and machines, vintage biplanes and barnstormer aircraft, seaplanes and flying boats. Stop by the Restoration Shop where you might catch volunteers working on one of the latest projects.

Visit in September for the Wings & Wheels event which is part car show, part seaplane competition right on Keuka Lake.

Enjoy gorgeous views of one of New York’s most unusual and scenic lakes. Treat your tastebuds to a delicious meal in a top flight restaurant at one of the region’s most eclectic wineries.

Be sure to save some time to explore the Pop Art Gallery and check out paintings and sketches by a former pilot and official artist for NASA who was commissioned to create art about the space shuttle program.

A mere 20 minutes from Corning, the National Soaring Museum is one place where aerodynamics, thermals, velocity, acceleration, drag, lift, thrust . . . are only the beginning. View vintage gliders from around the world and witness the evolution of glider design over the years.

Learn about local astronaut, Colonel Eileen Collins and her contributions to the aerospace program as NASA’s first female space shuttle pilot. Mathematics, Engineering, Science and Technology are all interwoven when it comes to the field of flight.

NOTE: Between April and October you might even be able to take a breathtaking glider ride over the valley for incomparable views of the valley.

Engineering and Technology certainly play a crucial part in boat building which was an industry that helped the development of the Finger Lakes as a world-class travel destination.

From trout boats, canoes and other fishing vessels to vintage wooden watercraft, the museum displays beautiful examples of the many types of boats that have been made and used in the region.

Learn the story of the many steamboats that used to dot the lakes in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Once a vital and interconnected part of the Erie Canal System, the lakes and the boats on them helped connect this part of the state to the coast.

NOTE: From May to November, enjoy a late morning tour of Keuka Lake aboard the historic Pat II, a wooden boat painstakingly restored over years at the museum.

Learn about the many ways Glass and Aviation relate to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in our special blog post about STEM Travel.

You might be inspired with ideas of your own.