The New Bedford Museum of Glass

Our organization was incorporated in 1993 as The Glass Art Center and affiliated with Bradford College in Bradford, MA. Following the closing of the college in 2000 we began our search for a new home. In 2005 New Bedford glass authority Louis. O. St. Aubin, Jr. suggested that the Center relocate to New Bedford, where an extensive glass industry flourished in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. We opened a small development office on North Water Street, changed our name to The New Bedford Museum of Glass and welcomed local residents and collectors from across the country to join our endeavor. The late Kenneth M. Wilson, former curator of The Corning Museum of Glass, served as Vice President. In 2009 the museum was invited to establish its galleries and gift shop in a factory building at 61 Wamsutta Street shared with the New Bedford Antiques Center. Our grand opening celebration took place in September of 2010, and the gift shop is fully stocked with glass both old and new for the summer.