NEW YORK: In Corning, its OK to play with glass

BY MICHELE C. HOLLOW | Special to Newsday

October 8, 2006

As we walked into the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, N.Y., we overheard a concerned mom tell her children, "Don't touch anything." Actually, children are encouraged to play with and, in one case, even break glass here.

This family-friendly museum with more than 45,000 objects offers walk-in workshops for children ages 5 and older, glass-making demonstrations, a magic show where children can break glass, interactive exhibits and a large assortment of glass art objects displayed in cases.

Children can make glass picture frames and mirrors by gluing colorful pieces of glass onto a frame; teenagers and adults can make flowers, holiday ornaments or vases. Professional glassblowers help every step of the way. Workshop fees are less than $25. Museum admission is $12.50, free for those 17 and younger. For more information, visit cmog.org or call 800-732-6845.

COWBOYS AND THE WEST

The Rockwell Museum of Western Art (no relation to Norman Rockwell) in downtown Corning makes going to art museums fun. At check-in, children are given a backpack with various themes to choose from. Our son chose cowboys. Inside the backpack was a small book with a handful of pictures from the museum. Our son's mission was to scout out the pictures, giving my husband and me time to look over the Remingtons and other great American art. The collection is quite impressive.

On the third floor is a play area. Children can dress up as cowboys and cowgirls and make a pretend campfire by a large teepee. Admission is $6.50; free for 17 and younger. For more information, 607-937-5386 rockwellmuseum.org.

MARKET STREET

Market Street, the center of Corning's downtown, is lined with quaint shops and restaurants. In the center is a public square and park. Bands often gather on weekend evenings to entertain small crowds of locals and tourists. The Old World Cafe & Ice Cream (607-936- 1953) on the square serves kid-friendly meals and great desserts in a turn-of-the-century building.

Locals can be found at Sorge's (607-937-5422, sorges .com) enjoying a pasta dinner or breakfast buffet. For upscale fare, there is London Underground (607-962-2345). It, too, serves kid-friendly meals. Reservations are suggested.

WATER ADVENTURES

Although there is much to see and do in Corning, many of the locals recommended a side trip to the gorge at Watkins Glen State Park. It is about a 20-minute ride from Corning. The glen descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along its course. The gorge path winds over and under waterfalls. Admission is $7 a car. For more information, log on to watkinsglen.com.

Venturing another 20 minutes north is Hammondsport, home to Keuka Lake. The lake brought us here because our 5-year-old wanted to pilot a boat. I thought they had a fake wheel to steer the ship. Not so. Once the Keuka Maid Dinner Boat left the docks, children were allowed to steer this three-deck, 500-passenger-capacity vessel.

With the captain standing close by, our son avoided smaller boats in the lake. He received a Junior Pilot Certificate from the captain.

The cruise is two hours, and brunch costs $26 a person. For more information, call 607-569- 2628 or see keukamaid.com.

FLYING HIGH

Right up the road from the Keuka Maid Dinner Boat is the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum. You can't miss it because of the large airplane in front. Inside is a large collection of airplanes, motorcycles, cars and boats from the early 1900s. Curtiss developed the first flying boat and is recognized as the Father of Naval Aviation. For more information, visit glennhcurtissmuseum.org.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY INNS

In Corning, we stayed at the Staybridge Suites by Holiday Inn (607-936-7800). It is a three- to four-block walk to the Corning Museum of Glass and the downtown area.

In Hammondsport, the Vinehurst Inn is just down the road from everything. The outside looks a bit funky, but inside, the rooms are cozy and newly refurbished. Call 607-569-2300 or see vinehurstinn.com.

For more information on Corning and its neighboring towns, contact the Steuben County Conference & Visitors Bureau at 866-946-3386 or corningsteuben.com.

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Related topic galleries: Norman Rockwell, Vehicles

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