The museum is a lovely place to visit in Tacoma. There is parking under the museum for reasonable price, or street parking. It is on the smaller side, I took about 2 hours to look at everything.The day i visited, it was not too busy, so it was great being able to explore at your own pace and not bumping into others.The glass blowing studio is a must stop! Also the gift shop was worth checking out they are expensive but unique gifts and souvenirs.
Larry S.
If you love blown glass and always wanted to see it up close, this is the place. There are classes to take and do some cools things and the museum is full of awesome art displays. The gift shop can be pricey but "HEY" it's professional art and worth it. If you go I suggest becoming members as it's well worth it. There are daily activities to see and weekends are worth a visit or two or more a month. Go, see and enjoy!
Eric W.
Overall enjoyed this museum, but it didn't seem to have as much as the nearby Tacoma Art Museum and this costs more. We did enjoy the unusual benches at one of the centerpieces and watching the glassblowing demonstration. Make sure to see the children's glasswork near the bathrooms.
Paris T.
First time visiting the Museum of Glass and it was very enjoyable. I must add that my admission was free on the day I visited and I would definitely take advantage of going on a free day if you're skeptical or just want to enjoy a free activity. The first place I checked out was the glass blowing studio and you're able to see how they make the glass pieces. The exhibits are very beautiful and after viewing the glass blowing studio it really makes you appreciate the work even more. My kids (6 and under) were with me and there's a small kids area they enjoyed a lot. Don't forget to go outside to check out the Chihuly Bridge of Glass too - it's awesome.
Marie L.
People who give low ratings clearly are unable to appreciate glass art!!! This place is awesome! Such a diverse collection! I drove six hours out of my way and was not disappointed! If you love and appreciate glass art this is among the top five destinations in the world. My only negative critique is that the narrator for the hot shop artists (hilltop) did not have his heart into it, barely spoke and mumbled. Last time I came ten+ years ago the narrator made the hot shop so fun.
Jacqueline F.
I had a grand time when I came here. The museum is a bit small, but they have a beautiful exhibit. I didn't know that glass art could have so many expressions. The biggest exhibit featured neon structures created by a variety of women, some of whom were international. I'm not sure if black women were represented, though. That would have been nice.But the main thing was the exhibit where the team was making something. It's possible that I entered in the middle of the project and had no idea what was happening. It's similar to a movie, I have a hard time dropping into a movie with out knowing what it's about, who's in it, etc. For context. When I entered the people were on the floor doing something and I think the woman who was hosting was talking to a small group of people and seemed to forget that she was hosting an audience. I do know that she only said one more sentence before I lost interest. I found the photo exhibit documenting the designing and building of the museum was much more interesting so I went up there. Thanks to the kid who gave me the idea.But a script for those who come in mid-demo "Welcome to the Museum of Glass, Tacoma. What we have here is a demonstration where they are creating a glass. The glass bowl has been created and put into a chamber to keep it warm. Now, they are working on the stem. Once it's completed they will join the bowl to the stem so that we have a completed glass. Any questions?"Another option would be to introduce the people and provide a brief bio of them. There were some closeups, but there were better angles (to me) and I didn't know until they were shown later. But all in all, I may not feel the need to go back to this one. But, I'm glad that I came this one time.Also, their gift shop is amazing and beautiful, so if you want to save some money and get a sampling of what they do, you could do that. Also, the gift shop should have a discount for current day ticket holders - 10%-15% off. That seems fair.
Jose T.
A superb museum. Great architecture, very nice glass exhibits that are not overwhelmed by chihuly. But the highlight was the glassblowing demonstration. They do this in wonderful space where you can watch from auditorium seats or can go behind and above the artists on boardwalk. I have seen many glassblowing demos, in Murano and in the chihuly in seatle. Those have all been good but this one goes over and above. They are working on a complex piece that took over 2 hours to build. They have a gentleman that describes the action and answers all questions. I can say I learned more about glass blowing in the time I was there than at any other time . Make sure you allow time for this as it's well worth it. The second highlight is they have children come up with designs for glass and then they make two pieces one for the child/designer and one for the museum. The gallery with these works is amazing. Today they were making a unicorn avocado a 9 yr old designed.
Amanda O.
This is a must-see for anyone interested in glass art exhibitions. The exhibitions on display are truly exceptional, highlighting the distinct beauty and versatility of glass as a medium. It was a blast from the moment I walked in, and I was especially impressed by the artists' skill and creativity. The museum has a modern and spacious layout that makes it easy to explore, and the exhibitions are truly exceptional in terms of detail. It is inarguably worth a visit. I personally recommend it!
Sophia S.
My fiancé and I decided to get out the house this weekend with our baby and we decided on the MOG. Paid $5 for parking + $17 for admission for each adult, baby was free. Small museum, when we entered the gallery we were looking for about 10 minutes. We accidentally stepped a little too close to one of the pieces and some guy came running to us to "watch it". There was tape on the floor that kinda blended in so we didn't notice it. Then, he followed us the rest of our time there, even towards the bathroom. We decided to end our outing + will not be returning. I will be contacting them tomorrow to get a refund on our tickets, as we spent maybe 40ish minutes there, maybe less.
Dorothy W.
Such an asset to Tacoma. The staff is helpful, the volunteer Docents are very interesting and knowledgeable and the exhibits are always amazing. My favorite activity is to watch the head gaffers, Gabe and Ben, in the hot shop. They're amazing to watch. They also have world class visiting artists throughout the year. I've met people from all over the world visiting. It's free on the third Thursday of the month after 5pm
Went here with my friend for the first time. Entrance fee seemed so high and parking was a big challenge. We heard so many things about it and thought it would be a nice way to spend the weekend. Big mistake! We ended up spending the whole day here instead of the planned three hours and none of us was sorry. From just walking into the lobby and seeing all the flags made of glass hanging over head to seeing the film by Dale Chihuly giving his story, to watching glass blowers at the kilns trying to make glass tumblers in under ten minutes. Seeing all the incredibly detailed sculptures by native American artists is an explosion of kaleidoscopic colors so vibrant you just can't help but get immersed in the background stories. We enjoyed watching the glass blowing and the Glass Bridge, they were amazing. I didn't know what to expect but it was a great example of art in the community. I would recommend it so highly to all my friends and everyone from within and without.
Deirdra Nelson
The aroma of this cafe is so intoxicating that while we waited for our delayed party here, we couldn't refuse. Plus they satisfied our picky eater's tummy.
Matthew Nelson
Great tasty food!
Cyndy V.
My son and I are still finding things in the area. The Museum of Glass was BEAUTIFUL! We took the fusion class and highly recommended even to those from out of town. Worth every penny. And the cafe was the best cafe I've ever been to.
Anthony A.
The museum is okay. Do not plan a full day for the event because it will not take you long to walk through the exhibits. I would say about 2 to 3 hours. There are some cool unknown artist and some cool pieces, however there isn't enough to make super exciting. There's a Chihuly collection, but having this so close to Chihuly's location doesn't make it seem special. The pic below was one of the pieces I liked and would have loved more information about the artist and details about the method of making and why it was made. This data is missing on a lot of pieces. The museum is worth a quick walk through.
The museum is a lovely place to visit in Tacoma. There is parking under the museum for reasonable price, or street parking. It is on the smaller side, I took about 2 hours to look at everything.The day i visited, it was not too busy, so it was great being able to explore at your own pace and not bumping into others.The glass blowing studio is a must stop! Also the gift shop was worth checking out they are expensive but unique gifts and souvenirs.
If you love blown glass and always wanted to see it up close, this is the place. There are classes to take and do some cools things and the museum is full of awesome art displays. The gift shop can be pricey but "HEY" it's professional art and worth it. If you go I suggest becoming members as it's well worth it. There are daily activities to see and weekends are worth a visit or two or more a month. Go, see and enjoy!
Overall enjoyed this museum, but it didn't seem to have as much as the nearby Tacoma Art Museum and this costs more. We did enjoy the unusual benches at one of the centerpieces and watching the glassblowing demonstration. Make sure to see the children's glasswork near the bathrooms.
First time visiting the Museum of Glass and it was very enjoyable. I must add that my admission was free on the day I visited and I would definitely take advantage of going on a free day if you're skeptical or just want to enjoy a free activity. The first place I checked out was the glass blowing studio and you're able to see how they make the glass pieces. The exhibits are very beautiful and after viewing the glass blowing studio it really makes you appreciate the work even more. My kids (6 and under) were with me and there's a small kids area they enjoyed a lot. Don't forget to go outside to check out the Chihuly Bridge of Glass too - it's awesome.
People who give low ratings clearly are unable to appreciate glass art!!! This place is awesome! Such a diverse collection! I drove six hours out of my way and was not disappointed! If you love and appreciate glass art this is among the top five destinations in the world. My only negative critique is that the narrator for the hot shop artists (hilltop) did not have his heart into it, barely spoke and mumbled. Last time I came ten+ years ago the narrator made the hot shop so fun.
I had a grand time when I came here. The museum is a bit small, but they have a beautiful exhibit. I didn't know that glass art could have so many expressions. The biggest exhibit featured neon structures created by a variety of women, some of whom were international. I'm not sure if black women were represented, though. That would have been nice.But the main thing was the exhibit where the team was making something. It's possible that I entered in the middle of the project and had no idea what was happening. It's similar to a movie, I have a hard time dropping into a movie with out knowing what it's about, who's in it, etc. For context. When I entered the people were on the floor doing something and I think the woman who was hosting was talking to a small group of people and seemed to forget that she was hosting an audience. I do know that she only said one more sentence before I lost interest. I found the photo exhibit documenting the designing and building of the museum was much more interesting so I went up there. Thanks to the kid who gave me the idea.But a script for those who come in mid-demo "Welcome to the Museum of Glass, Tacoma. What we have here is a demonstration where they are creating a glass. The glass bowl has been created and put into a chamber to keep it warm. Now, they are working on the stem. Once it's completed they will join the bowl to the stem so that we have a completed glass. Any questions?"Another option would be to introduce the people and provide a brief bio of them. There were some closeups, but there were better angles (to me) and I didn't know until they were shown later. But all in all, I may not feel the need to go back to this one. But, I'm glad that I came this one time.Also, their gift shop is amazing and beautiful, so if you want to save some money and get a sampling of what they do, you could do that. Also, the gift shop should have a discount for current day ticket holders - 10%-15% off. That seems fair.
A superb museum. Great architecture, very nice glass exhibits that are not overwhelmed by chihuly. But the highlight was the glassblowing demonstration. They do this in wonderful space where you can watch from auditorium seats or can go behind and above the artists on boardwalk. I have seen many glassblowing demos, in Murano and in the chihuly in seatle. Those have all been good but this one goes over and above. They are working on a complex piece that took over 2 hours to build. They have a gentleman that describes the action and answers all questions. I can say I learned more about glass blowing in the time I was there than at any other time . Make sure you allow time for this as it's well worth it. The second highlight is they have children come up with designs for glass and then they make two pieces one for the child/designer and one for the museum. The gallery with these works is amazing. Today they were making a unicorn avocado a 9 yr old designed.
This is a must-see for anyone interested in glass art exhibitions. The exhibitions on display are truly exceptional, highlighting the distinct beauty and versatility of glass as a medium. It was a blast from the moment I walked in, and I was especially impressed by the artists' skill and creativity. The museum has a modern and spacious layout that makes it easy to explore, and the exhibitions are truly exceptional in terms of detail. It is inarguably worth a visit. I personally recommend it!
My fiancé and I decided to get out the house this weekend with our baby and we decided on the MOG. Paid $5 for parking + $17 for admission for each adult, baby was free. Small museum, when we entered the gallery we were looking for about 10 minutes. We accidentally stepped a little too close to one of the pieces and some guy came running to us to "watch it". There was tape on the floor that kinda blended in so we didn't notice it. Then, he followed us the rest of our time there, even towards the bathroom. We decided to end our outing + will not be returning. I will be contacting them tomorrow to get a refund on our tickets, as we spent maybe 40ish minutes there, maybe less.
Such an asset to Tacoma. The staff is helpful, the volunteer Docents are very interesting and knowledgeable and the exhibits are always amazing. My favorite activity is to watch the head gaffers, Gabe and Ben, in the hot shop. They're amazing to watch. They also have world class visiting artists throughout the year. I've met people from all over the world visiting. It's free on the third Thursday of the month after 5pm
Restaurantji Recommends
Went here with my friend for the first time. Entrance fee seemed so high and parking was a big challenge. We heard so many things about it and thought it would be a nice way to spend the weekend. Big mistake! We ended up spending the whole day here instead of the planned three hours and none of us was sorry. From just walking into the lobby and seeing all the flags made of glass hanging over head to seeing the film by Dale Chihuly giving his story, to watching glass blowers at the kilns trying to make glass tumblers in under ten minutes. Seeing all the incredibly detailed sculptures by native American artists is an explosion of kaleidoscopic colors so vibrant you just can't help but get immersed in the background stories. We enjoyed watching the glass blowing and the Glass Bridge, they were amazing. I didn't know what to expect but it was a great example of art in the community. I would recommend it so highly to all my friends and everyone from within and without.
The aroma of this cafe is so intoxicating that while we waited for our delayed party here, we couldn't refuse. Plus they satisfied our picky eater's tummy.
Great tasty food!
My son and I are still finding things in the area. The Museum of Glass was BEAUTIFUL! We took the fusion class and highly recommended even to those from out of town. Worth every penny. And the cafe was the best cafe I've ever been to.
The museum is okay. Do not plan a full day for the event because it will not take you long to walk through the exhibits. I would say about 2 to 3 hours. There are some cool unknown artist and some cool pieces, however there isn't enough to make super exciting. There's a Chihuly collection, but having this so close to Chihuly's location doesn't make it seem special. The pic below was one of the pieces I liked and would have loved more information about the artist and details about the method of making and why it was made. This data is missing on a lot of pieces. The museum is worth a quick walk through.