| Name | Corning & the Finger Lakes of New York |
| Address | 1 West Market Street, Corning's Historic Market StSuite 301Corning, NY 14830 |
| Brief Description | Pristine lakes, historic villages, wineries galore. |
| Type | Information |
| Category | Visitor Bureau |
| Description | The region that encompasses Corning (NY) and the Finger Lakes is filled with interesting nooks and crannies for the curious traveler. Of course, we have the requisite gorgeous scenery (glacially-formed gorges and spectacular waterfalls; hillside vineyards; the lakes) but we also have experience trails, world-class museums, and opportunities for hands-on fun and experiential learning. Visitors come here to learn how to bake, cook, plant, harvest, sculpt, navigate, fly-fish, quilt, blow glass, and dance. For example:
1. The Corning Museum of Glass should be the first stop on any family’s list. Besides their collection of glass art and artifacts (the largest in the world), they also have an Innovation Center where visitors can bend light, bend glass, create their own works of art, and learn about scientific breakthroughs that have changed the world. Visitors can also design and make their own hand-blown glass ornaments or other pieces, browse the exquisite jewelry in the museum’s Glass Market, and watch the masters as they blow glass. The museum takes almost a full day to tour, with all the exhibits, activities and events going on. Children under 19 are always admitted free (not 12, 19!). They are open 7 days a week.
2. Then move on to the Hands-On Glass Studio in Corning where Rodi Rovner, the woman who pioneered the hands-on movement in the U.S., shows visitors how to blow their own glass ornaments. The industrial setting and actual glass furnace setup are fascinating to visitors, and the opportunity to blow glass and watch it form into actual pieces of art is not to be missed. Children as young as 2 can participate, making it a great family activity.
3. Families can learn about apple pressing and cider and other products at the E. H. Lain Cider Mill. They can tour the pressing room featuring old-fashioned donuts, cider fried cakes, apple pie, farm-fresh apples and Lain's fresh sweet cider. There is also a mill pond where feeding the swans is encouraged.
4. Corning Community College welcomes everyone to the Corning Planetarium and the Eileen M. Collins Observatory. Families can learn about the spectacular night sky in the planetarium, then walk through the nature preserve to the observatory where they can look through huge telescopes and identify the constellations.
5. For wine fans, a tour of one or more of the Finger Lakes wineries can be very educational. In particular, the Pleasant Valley Wine Company has an extensive historical collection and very interesting tour.
6. The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport is an eclectic museum dedicated to the father of naval aviation and the man who invented the flying boat. But it also offers historical collections of everything from motorcycles and dollhouses to cameras and antique wooden boats.
7. Outdoor classes for adventurous families can be taken through Ranger Outfitters or the Conhocton River Fly Shop. Outdoor skills such as land navigation with a compass, the techniques of fly fishing, and terrain association and topography bring outdoor lovers to a whole new level. Kids love this stuff!
8. For something soothing and less frenetic, people can opt to take health and wellness classes at Healing Spirits Herb Farm and Education Center. Visitors can learn the practical ins and outs of planting, weeding, harvesting and drying medicinal herbs. Or learn how to use herbs to make teas, face creams, salves and more.
And briefly:
• Workshops on stamping, card making and other crafts at The Crafting Cottage, Corning.
• Individual and small group instruction on the potter’s wheel at Somerville Pottery, Pulteney.
• Make pillows, table runners, placements and more at evening or Saturday classes at Lake Country Patchwork, Hammondsport.
• Letting creativ |
| Phone 1 | (607) 936-6544 |
| Phone 2 | (866) 946-3386 |
| Email | info@corningfingerlakes.com |
| Handicapped Accessible | Yes |
| Website | www.corningfingerlakes.com |
| Social Links |   |
| Request Brochure | Hot Glass! Cool Lakes! Superb Wine! |
| Last Updated | 6/28/2011 |
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