World of Glass
ENTRY
Free
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
Saint Helens
What it’s like
Free walk through a Victorian glass street, hands-on light and lens exhibits, and live glass blowing you can watch for a few pounds extra.
You wander through a rebuilt Victorian street first, past a kitchen, a shop and a pub, all done out in glass and old fittings. From there it's onto the interactive stuff: stations on natural glass, lenses and fibre optics that kids can actually get their hands on, plus a room called Properties of Glass where they play with light and crystals rather than just looking at labels.
The bit that sticks is the live glass blowing. It's not included in the free entry, they ask £5 for adults and £3.50 for kids to watch, and it's fair enough given it's a charity keeping a furnace running. They try to put one on around midday and another around 2pm, but they're upfront that numbers or a commission job can knock a session off the schedule, so don't build your whole visit around a guaranteed slot if you're coming from a distance.
Everything else is free, which is rare for a museum this hands-on, and there's a little play area if you've got a younger one who needs a break from reading exhibit panels. The café does coffee and food if you want to make a morning of it, and parking's cheap for a short stop, £1 an hour, £5 for the full 12, with the first 10 minutes free while you work out if you're staying.
It's open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, same hours on bank holidays and the days after Christmas. It shuts on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, then picks back up on the 2nd.
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- £1 for 1 hour, up to £5 for 12 hours
- Food
- On-site café with coffee and food
- General entry is free, you only pay to watch the glass blowing.
- Demonstration times aren't fixed, call ahead if you're travelling specifically for one.
- Parking has a free 10-minute window before charges kick in.
- There's a small play area if the exhibits don't hold everyone's attention.
Plan your visit
Is it free to get in?
Yes, general entry is free. The only thing you pay for is watching a glass blowing demonstration.
How much are the glass blowing demonstrations?
£5 for adults, £3.50 for children. It's how the charity keeps the furnace and the museum going.
What time are the demonstrations?
They aim for one around midday and another around 2pm, more if it's busy. They can get cancelled if numbers are low or a commission piece needs finishing, so ring ahead if you're travelling far for it.
What are the opening hours?
Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, and the same on bank holidays and 27-28 December.
Is it open over Christmas?
Closed 25 and 26 December and 1 January, back to normal hours from 2 January.
Is there parking?
£1 for the first hour up to £5 for 12 hours, with 10 minutes free if you're just popping in.
Is there anywhere to eat?
There's an on-site café doing coffee and food.
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