The Blenko Glass Factory is one of the last handmade colored glass tableware factories anywhere in the world. You’re undoubtedly familiar with our brightly-colored, modern and stylishly designed glass, but have you ever stopped by to see how it’s made? The good news is that we’re not so far away – a good day trip, or a relaxing overnighter – and you’ll see our history, our legacy, and our ongoing evolution all in one day! Schedule a trip for a weekday, and see our glassblowers in action from our free Observation Deck, or book a tour to get behind the scenes!
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Our historic factory in Milton, WV is a sight to behold – and our Visitor Center Museum and Gift Shop the only place where you’ll see so much of our glass in one place. Wander through our Museum or our Garden of Glass and marvel at our rich design history! Weave in and around our gift shop tables and find just the right one-of-a-kind piece to bring home.
The Road from Morgantown Is Not So Long!
Golly, you’re basically just down the road from us! We asked our Creative Director to put together a roadtrip itinerary with some cool stops between Columbus and Milton!
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Go South! Hop on I-79 this autumn and take a roadtrip through the backbone of Appalachia – no better time than during the fall colors to span the state and check out our handmade glass in Milton, WV! Lucky for you, we’ve mapped out a couple of places to pull off the road between Morgantown and Milton, and made easy some of the calculus for you!
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The Museum of American Glass
Pull off the I-79 a spell and stop by the Museum of American Glass in West Virginia in Weston, WV! This large museum shows a terrific range of American factory glass production from all over the US - but with a special emphasis on the 480 or so glass factories that used to be in West Virginia. They have some spectacular eye candy, and a couple of cabinets of Blenko treasures – and a little gift shop on premises with some really cool reprints of old glass catalogs and a small selection of glass treasures for sale!
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The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
If you’ve never been, go. Before they commit you. :) This historical mental health facility is a cavernous stone mansion across the river from downtown Weston, West Virginia. It is, by repute, one of the most haunted locations in West Virginia – and there are outfits there that give guided and special experience tours. Even if you don’t go all in for a tour, it’s a marvelous piece of architecture and worth a look around!
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The Flatwoods Monster Museum
Sutton, WV, is one of the cutest little towns in the heart of the State, and also home to the Flatwoods Monster Museum - a storefront in this small downtown that collects and preserves all of the stories, lore, and imagery associated with one of WV’s most out-of-this-world visitors. Fill yourself in on the cryptid lore and enjoy some cryptid love!
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The Fiestaware Outlet
West Virginia is home to The Most Colorful Name in Glass - and also one of the most colorful names in ceramic tableware. The FiestaWare outlet in Sutton, WV, is a great place for factory seconds (and firsts!) in the wide range of rich colors that the company is known for. We love pairing Blenko with Fiestaware – it’s a stellar match!
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South Charleston Antique Mall
South Charleston is home to a quaint midcentury downtown area anchored, in no small part, by this epic three-story antique mall. The folks who work here are invariably friendly and helpful, and the stock turns over pretty pretty quickly! We know there are a few Blenko collectors with booths in the space, so it’s worth checking out on your way in or out of Blenko to augment the pieces you buy in Milton!
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Vintage & Vines
Right next door to South Charleston Antique Mall is a new two-story antique mall called Vintage & Vines with a tighter focus on midcentury aesthetics and antiques. There’s an unparalleled collection of MCM brass trinkets, and also a great warren of booths upstairs with a fair share of MCM glass to be had!
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Eclectic Goods Market
It may not seem like much from the outside, but this antique mall is huge – it goes on and on, and it has more than a few really awesome and perpetually updating dealers that have cool antique and vintage stock. The owners are die-hard Blenko fans, and the love is mutual!
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