New York’s Finger Lakes region has so much to offer. From burgeoning wine and beer industries that have begun to make a name for themselves on an international stage to a deep link to the region’s history to a simply stunning outdoor scene, #FLX has something for everyone. About 30 minutes south of Watkins Glen and Seneca Lake, you’ll find Corning, NY. This glass town, centered around its simultaneously sweet and hip gaffer district and its renowned glass museum, will give your eyes, your brain, your stomach, and your sense of adventure all something to do. On a recent trip up to the Finger Lakes, we had the privilege of stopping in Corning for a second time, and we got to revisit some of our favorite things to do in Corning NY on a day trip. Travel along with us below!
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Visit the Corning Museum of Glass
Though we think of glass as fragile, it’s strong and pervasive enough to form the backbone of industry of an entire town. And if you’re looking for things to do in Corning, NY, you absolutely have to visit their stunning museum of glass – hello, CORNINGware! While Corningware brings to mind images of my mom’s favorite cookware, we discovered how much more there truly is to glass.
We had to good luck to spend several days perusing the museum when they graciously hosted TBEX 2018, and definitely found a few favorite parts of our experience.
Perhaps my favorite exhibit in the entire museum sits on the second floor: “35 Centuries of Glass.” When you walk in, you get thrown into a time vortex that takes you past ancient Persian, Islamic, Roman, and Asian glassware, all the way up through more modern European and American glass work. Seeing that glass artisans have always done a skillful job of marrying form and function helps bridge the gap between all these centuries, in a way. And, above all, this whole exhibit is an absolutely smorgasboard for the eyes!
Boyfriend Perspective: Per usual, I’m not a big museum guy. I’d rather be on a beach with a cocktail somewhere. But I actually really liked looking through the gift shop. DON’T JUDGE ME. It’s really cool, because anything you can make from glass, they have. And a ton of it is made my local artists, and called out super clearly, so you can support local business, if you feel strongly about it. Plus, literally everything is shiny.
Practical information for your visit to the Corning Museum of Glass
- Address: 1 Museum Way, Corning NY 14830
- Parking: Free onsite
- Hours: 9 am – 5 pm (September 4, 2018 – May 23, 2019); 9 am – 8 pm (May 24 – September 2, 2019) Closed only four days a year: January 1, Thanksgiving Day, December 24, December 25.
- Admission: $20 per adult (discounts offered for children, military, etc.)
- Accessibility: elevators and ramps are present
- Website: https://www.cmog.org
Try a glass-making experience at the Corning Museum of Glass
If you’re less of a perusing person and more of a doing person, head over to the studio at CMoG to sign up for a glass-making experience. Depending on the season, they’ll offer the time to make different things. In winter, you can make snowmen. In fall, glass pumpkins. And in spring and summer, you get to make glass flowers.
Boyfriend Perspective: Meagan was crazy stoked for the flower experience, so I decided to make her a glass bead. I kind of regret this, because she basically got a blow torch and I got a bunsen burner. The Meghan who taught me was really cool and knowledgeable, though. And the irony was not lost on me. Of course.
Yeah, I did get to look kind of badass, BUT I absolutely love my glass bead, too 🙂
The flower experience is perhaps the most iconic at CMoG. First, you get paired with a glass-blowing expert, who helps you pick colors for your flower. I got paired up with Chris, a super cool glassmaker who thought (or pretended to think 😉 ) my choices of light purple and dark purple would make a pretty neat flower. He then sat me down at a bench in front of one of the furnaces and introduced me to all the tools and the part I’d play in this flower’s creation. Then, once he thought I had it under control, we got underway. I have never felt cooler and sweatier in my life.
Boyfriend Perspective: SO JELLY. But I support you.
Practical information for your visit to the CMoG glass-making studio
- Address: 1 Museum Way, Corning NY 14830
- Parking: Free onsite
- Hours: 9 am – 5 pm (September 4, 2018 – May 23, 2019); 9 am – 8 pm (May 24 – September 2, 2019). Must pre-book experience time.
- Admission: experiences starting at $13 and increasing based on what you want to make
- Accessibility: ramps are present
- Website (for pre-booking tickets): https://www.cmog.org/visit/make-your-own-glass
Walk the streets of downtown Corning’s Gaffer District (and find all the Corning NY murals!)
Boyfriend Perspective: Just know that the Passenger Tax in Corning is HIGH.
Not wrong. If you drive through Corning, any photo-inclined passengers will make it a very slow drive! (And if you visit in winter and get to see the snow… you’ll be a minute!)
Like most small towns in the Finger Lakes and on up into upstate New York, Corning’s Gaffer District has a lot of visual appeal. Sweet old buildings converted into new restaurants and storefronts, preserved vintage architecture, and even a clock tower in the center of town – Corning has just about everything.
If you haven’t had too much museum-ing for one day, you can stop in to the Rockwell Museum to take in some iconic American art. Or, you can pause at downtown Corning’s stunning post office (yes, post office), built in the 1910s in an elaborate Classical Revival style. And if you just want to spend awhile in the fresh air, find your way to the town center and enjoy the lovely landscaping and benches near the Corning clock tower. Bonus points if you can spot the Art Deco clocks located on some of the buildings! On the way, take full Instagram advantage of downtown Corning’s many unique murals. We LOVE cities that take urban art seriously, especially since our hometown in Richmond, VA is covered stem to stern in stunning art.
Practical information for your visit to downtown Corning
- Address: Center Way, Corning, NY 14830
- Parking: Free on-street parking
- Accessibility: brick and cobbles are present, but most curbs do have ramps
- Website: https://www.corningfingerlakes.com/explore-the-area/our-communities/corning/
Enjoy dinner at The Cellar, our favorite place to eat in Corning NY
Finally, wrap up your excellent day in Corning with an affordably decadent tapas dinner at The Cellar. Also located in downtown Corning – not far from the clock tower – this mood-lit restaurant is a little bit hipster with its aged wood bar area, and a little bit luxe with its elegant dining area.
When the hostess seated us, she handed us both dinner menus, and handed me an iPad. This tablet contains their full wine menu, with reviews, ratings, and glances at most of the labels so you can judge for yourself which wine you might like without having to whip out the Google. Neither of us could wait to order because it meant we got to play with the iPad! (Yes, we’re children sometimes.)
The menu changes seasonally and focuses on ingredients from local sources – a lovely trend that seems to have taken over the area. We split each of the tapas we ordered so we could both get to taste as much as possible. And, though choosing a favorite tapa feels like choosing a favorite child, the pad thai took the cake for me, while the brussels and walnuts had Luke wishing for more.
Practical information for your visit to The Cellar
- Address: 21 West Market Street, Corning, NY 14830
- Parking: Free onsite
- Hours: opens at 4pm daily. 5pm-9pm kitchen open (Monday – Thursday); 5pm-10pm dinner and tapas served until 11pm (Friday-Saturday); select Sunday dates available on the website.
- Accessibility: accessibility isn’t openly advertised, and we do know there are a lot of stairs getting to and from the aero car, so please reach out to the provider to see what accommodations they may be able to offer
- Menu: https://www.corningwinebar.com/menu/
- Note: If you plan to visit on the weekend, definitely make reservations.
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