Description
National Glass Centre are you looking for an educational and highly entertaining day out that the whole family can enjoy? The National Glass Centre in Sunderland is an excellent choice, standing as one of the best things to do with kids in Tyne and Wear. This unique indoor attraction brings the city's rich history to life through interactive displays, creative workshops, and live artisan craft sessions right before your eyes.
Visiting this wonderful cultural venue will not break the bank. Admission to the museum and all of its main galleries is completely free for both adults and children, meaning you can experience a premium cultural day out without any entry fees.
If you are looking for the best place for a day out with family and kids, this riverside destination delivers incredible value. Children can marvel at the heat of the furnaces, watch molten material transform into art, and even walk across a massive clear roof structure high above the ground. It is an ideal mix of science, history, and creative fun that keeps young minds thoroughly engaged.
Features
- Free
- Host birthday parties: Yes
Features
What Makes the National Glass Centre Unique?
- Sensory Play and Learning: Children can experience the dramatic heat, sounds, and bright glows of a real working industrial forge environment.
- Interactive Exhibits: The main gallery features hands-on touchscreens, historical games, and material samples that teach kids the science behind melting sand.
- Educational Day Out: The displays trace over 1,300 years of local history, matching perfectly with school curriculum topics on regional industries and technology.
Top 5 Highlights
- Live Glassblowing Demonstrations: Watch highly skilled local artists turn glowing, molten material straight out of a 1,200-degree furnace into beautiful sculptures. A live narrator explains the science and technique in clear terms, making it easy for young kids to follow the step-by-step process.
- The Glass Roof Walk: Take the kids up to the building's massive roof structure where they can safely walk across the clear panels. It gives children a thrilling view of the exhibition spaces directly beneath their feet while providing great views over the river.
- Stories of Glass in Sunderland Exhibition: This permanent museum space features interactive learning games designed specifically for younger visitors. Children can discover how European craftsmen first brought these skills to the local area all the way back in the year 674.
- The Hot Glass Studio Furnaces: Get a close-up view of the heavy industrial machinery, long blowing irons, and glowing kilns used by the artists. Seeing the sheer power and heat of the production equipment leaves a strong impression on children interested in engineering.
- Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art: Located inside the same building, this space features rotating modern art and photography displays. The large, colorful installations change regularly throughout the year, keeping the experience fresh for repeat visits.
Detailed Inventory
Core Museum Collections & Glass Art
- The Historical Stained Glass Fragment: An ancient, preserved fragment of glass dating back to the 7th century, representing the very earliest window glass made in Britain.
- The Hartley Wood Archive: A specialized collection of vibrant, hand-blown antique sheet glass samples showcasing historical vibrant colors and production methods.
- The Architectural Glass Model: A highly detailed architectural scale model of the innovative National Glass Centre building, showing how the sloping glass roof supports vehicle weights.
- The Glass Symphony Sculpture: A large-scale contemporary glass art installation featuring delicate, twisted glass tubes that mimic the fluid motion of water.
Live Exhibits & Studio Equipment
- The 1,200-Degree Main Melting Furnace: A massive, gas-fired industrial furnace used to melt raw sand into molten glass continuously throughout the day.
- The Glassblowing Glory Holes: A row of specialized reheat furnaces used by artisan glassmakers to keep pieces malleable while shaping them.
- The Annealing Kilns: A battery of computer-controlled cooling ovens designed to slowly lower the temperature of hot glass items over 24 hours to prevent cracking.
- The Master Craftsman Blowing Irons: An inventory of traditional long steel pipes, jacks, shears, and wooden cherrywood blocks used daily during the public demonstrations.
Interactive & Educational Assets
- The Sand Melting Touchscreens: A row of four interactive digital monitors that let children mix ingredients like sand, soda ash, and limestone to virtually "melt" glass.
- The Glass Roof Clear Panels: A structural grid of heavy, multi-layered clear glass walking panels designed for children to look down directly into the working galleries below.
- The Industrial Soundscapes Station: A physical push-button audio display that allows visitors to listen to the roaring sounds of historic local factories and glassblowing shops.
Beyond the Main Attraction
- Riverside Walking Trails: The building sits directly on the banks of the River Wear, offering a scenic riverside path that is perfect for a family walk before or after your visit.
- St Peter’s Church Monkwearmouth: Located just a short walk away, this historic 7th-century church is the exact site where European glasiers first introduced the art of stained glass making to Britain.
- Sculpture Trail: Families can spot various outdoor art installations along the marina and riverside paths immediately surrounding the main campus grounds.
New for 2026
- The Graduates Exhibition: Running until the venue closes its doors at this location on 31 July 2026, this grand finale exhibition showcases the very best work from emerging designers and university students.
- Vibrant Modern Displays: The new displays feature highly visual, colorful modern glass pieces that provide fantastic creative inspiration for artistic children.
- Enhanced Commemorative Activities: The museum has refreshed its interactive elements for its final months on Liberty Way, allowing families to explore the deep timeline of the building's 28-year history.
Events: For more upcoming events please visit here.
1.14 miles
