The 30 x 80 foot barge—specially designed for glass blowing—is taking the same route that the Brooklyn Flint Glass Company (now Corning Inc.) took down the Hudson River and Erie Canal in 1868. It will drop anchor and be open for visits in port cities and towns along the Erie Canal, as well as in the Hudson River Valley and Finger Lakes regions.

My three-year-old and I had a chance to board the barge at its first stop, and we caught the main attraction—the live glass demonstration. Every hour on the hour from 11am-6pm, highly skilled glassblowers create handmade pieces of glass art from start to finish, while a narrator talks visitors through the mesmerizing process, answering questions along the way. Young kids love the excitement of seeing the molten glass take shape, and there's plenty of cool science thrown in to interest older kids. During our demo an audience member asked about fiber optics, and glassblowers promptly pulled some hot glass from the oven, stretching it until it was many feet long and just about the width of a strand of hair.

After its first stop at the company’s birthplace near Brooklyn Bridge Park, GlassBarge hits Yonkers from June 1-3, Poughkeepsie from June 8-10, and Kingston from June 15-17. The traveling exhibit then heads to the Albany area, Little Falls, Sylvan Beach, Baldwinsville, Fairport, Lockport, Buffalo, Medina, Brockport, Pittsford, Seneca Falls, and finally Watkins Glen—the nearest port to where the glass company now resides. If you're hoping to hop aboard, you can take a look at the full list of stops and reserve free tickets to demonstrations here.

A ceremonial last leg of the trip will take place by land, concluding in Corning with a community-wide celebration on September 22. Check out the PastPort link to track GlassBarge's journey and learn about points of interest along the route.

Photo by Mommy Poppins

Lucky visitors may catch a demo ending with a raffle of a few pieces of the handmade glass. (Because the barge operates as a non-profit, it can't sell pieces made during demos.) Everyone takes away a memorable learning experience in a unique setting.

The voyage also marks the 200th anniversary of the construction of the Erie Canal and the centennial of the commemoration of the Barge Canal in New York State. To mark this occasion, the Lois McClure—a replica of an 1862 canal barge—will be on site, courtesy of The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Docents posted throughout the ship give guests the low-down on the fascinating life of a canal barge worker in the 19th century. Besides the bowl of free chocolate, my son loved exploring the boat, turning the vessel's gorgeous mahogany wheel, and climbing into the tiny sleeping quarters below deck.

Road tripping to the Finger Lakes region this summer? Don’t miss the The Corning Museum of Glass. The museum houses the world’s most important collection of glass, covering the history of glassmaking through the past 3,500 years. There are daily glassblowing demonstrations and hands-on workshops. A large gift shop features the work of more than 200 emerging and established artists, everyday items for the home, jewelry, accessories, holiday ornaments, and collectibles in a variety of price ranges. The museum is open daily year-round and is free for kids under the age of 18.

The museum is also commemorating the GlassBarge journey and the 150th anniversary of glassmaking coming to Corning with a re-installation of the Crystal City Gallery, which shares the story of how Corning became one of the premier centers for glass cutting in the United States. The gallery is now open at the museum, and new demos have been added this summer, too—one that shows the process of cutting glass by hand, and the other that tells the story of the Crystal City.

GlassBarge was made possible through grants from I LOVE NEW YORK, New York State Council for the Arts, and New York State Canal Corporation through Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council Initiative.

Good to know before you visit:

GlassBarge will be docked at the Yonkers Recreation Pier, located at the foot of Main Street, from June 1-3. Free glassblowing demonstrations are offered daily from 11am to 6pm. All demos are approximately 30 minutes long, and seating is limited. Auditorium style seating makes for good viewing from any seat—even for little ones. Guests are strongly encouraged to register online for specific demonstration locations and times. Registration will be available four to six weeks prior to each stop.

While perfectly fine to visit with very little ones, GlassBarge is probably best suited for ages 4 and up. Strollers are not allowed but can be parked before heading aboard. There is a steep ramp when boarding GlassBarge. The Lois McClure barge is a tight space with very steep steps to get below deck. There are no bathrooms on either barge.

Tours of the Lois McClure are first come, first served and do not require registration.

Photos courtesy of The Corning Museum of Glass unless otherwise noted