More than 6,000 glass objects, many of which made by the defunct Boston and Sandwich Glass Company, make up the museum’s collection. In the 19th century, the company’s glass pieces were famous for their bright color and excellent quality. A movie explaining the history of glassmaking in Sandwich provides visitors with detailed information about the company and its products. There are both antique and modern glass objects on display, including press and cut glass lamps, candlesticks and vases, and exquisite perfume bottles, tableware, and trinkets.
Children and adults can watch skilled artisans making glass by hand in the workshop, where the furnace burns at 2,200°F (1,204°C). Visitors often stop at the museum while on a visit to Cape Cod, or as part of a day-trip sightseeing tour from Boston.
Entry to the museum is via paid ticket.
Discounted tickets are available for children; those under 5 go free.
The museum is wheelchair accessible.
There is free parking on-site.
Glassblowing demonstrations take place every hour, on the hour.
A selection of glass objects is available for purchase in the on-site shop.
The museum is at 129 Main Street in Sandwich, Massachusetts, facing Old Town Hall. From Provincetown or other points east, take Route 6 (Mid-Cape Highway) and use exit 2 for Sandwich. From Boston, take Route 3 across the Sagamore Bridge, where it becomes Route 6, and take the exit for Sandwich. Public buses run from Sagamore to Hyannis Port via Sandwich—connections can be made in Hyannis for buses to Boston, Providence, and New York.
The Sandwich Glass Museum is open in February and March, Wednesday through Sunday, from 9:30am–4pm and every day from April 1 to December 30 from 9:30am–5pm. The museum is closed in January, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve. Most people spend at least 90 minutes here.
When theMayflower landed in 1620 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, it changed the course of history forever. Home of the first colony established by theMayflower Pilgrims and where the first ever Thanksgiving feast was served, a visit to the town of Plymouth gives you the chance to immerse yourself in the history of the American people.