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EODA Award

Winner of the
Eastern Ohio
Development Alliance's
2008 Excellence Award
for Tourism

Glass Pass®

Glass Pass logo

The National Museum of Cambridge Glass is proud to be a participating member of the Glass Pass program. This is a program introduced in 2002, which allows one to receive discounts on admission at (currently) eleven attractions in the Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia area. Among the local attractions are the Cambridge, Heisey and Imperial museums. Check out the Glass Pass page for more details.

The National Museum of Cambridge Glass

Museum

On April 3, 2002, the National Cambridge Collectors, Inc. proudly opened a premier glass museum in downtown Cambridge, Ohio. It houses a superb collection of Cambridge glassware produced by The Cambridge Glass Company from 1902 to 1958.
The museum is located at 136 South Ninth Street, one block south of the main street of Cambridge, and is open April through October, on Tuesdays through Sundays. The year 2002 marked the 100th anniversary of the making of the first piece of Cambridge Glass. The Museum Grand Opening celebration took during NCC Convention week on June 27, 2002. We're easy to find - here's a Yahoo® map to the NCC Museum.

Museum displays for 2009

For 2009, there are a number of new displays for visitors to experience. Here is the press release for the opening on April 1. One of the featured exhibits is a display of Rosepoint, entitled "Step back in time to 1939". Follow the link and you will be led through the original process of ordering your Rosepoint glassware by the exhibit's owner, Larry Everett. View all of the displays in the slide show below.

Slide Shows
A number of displays in the Museum are changed every year, during the November to March period during which the Museum is closed. Here are some "Slide Shows" which let you see some of the displays from past years.

History of the Museum

It is important to note that this new Museum replaces the original National Museum of Cambridge Glass that had been built years earlier by the efforts of NCC members. The first Museum was badly damaged by floods in 1998. In fact, the flooding resulted in the 1998 Annual Convention being shut down a day early, in order to allow the participants to "get out of town" before the floods got worse. The decision was made to replace the original Museum, and find a location on higher ground, out of the floodplain. This turned out to be a very wise decision, as 2004 saw another flood at the old Museum site.

In only two years, members came together to locate another suitable building, owned by the American Electric Power Company (AEP) and located near downtown Cambridge, high above the floodplain. By June of 2000, the building had been purchased, and was available for inspection by NCC members during the Convention that year. Here are some photos of the AEP building from that summer. The new National Museum of Cambridge Glass can also be considered a memorial to the hard work of earlier members of the NCC in constructing that first Museum.

Contents of the Museum

In the early 1900s, Guernsey County, and particularly Cambridge, became known worldwide for its production of quality glass, mainly from The Cambridge Glass Company. Today, Cambridge glass is a much sought-after collectible. The company produced thousands of designs and color combinations, considered one of the finest quality glassware lines in the world.

The National Museum of Cambridge Glass display area is made up of 1250 lineal feet of 16" shelving, where visitors are able to experience a wide variety of examples of this admired glass. It is an awesome beauty of well-lit, sparkling glass and warm oak display cases.

The History of Glassmaking is represented using mannequins in 1100 square feet of exhibits with a mock furnace, tools, molds, and other items involved in the manufacturing process of fine handmade glassware. Within this area, visitors can see an etching table, a decorating area, and an engraving/cutting area.

Included in the museum is a 100 square foot Dining Room display. Using period furniture as its backdrop, the room is appointed in examples of a finely set table in the early 1900s.

The Sample Room played a very important part in the sales of The Cambridge Glass Company. Another 100 square foot room has been created to represent a Sample Room. This room uses original sample room furniture and shelving. The door itself is the original Sample Room door from The Cambridge Glass Company facility.

In addition to original Cambridge glassware, an area has been created to display reproductions. With the advent of reproductions, it is important that collectors learn to distinguish between original and reproduction items. This display will help to make these distinctions crystal clear.

Museum Gift Shop

The museum has a gift shop where visitors may purchase small glass items and select from a library of books that are for sale. Also available for purchase and viewing is the video "The Crystal Lady," which was an original Cambridge advertisement for glassware. In the future, the museum will offer a research room full of an outstanding collection of reference materials.

The museum is located at 136 South Ninth Street. It is handicaped accessible with plenty of parking available. It is open April through October: Tuesday - Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Closed Easter and July 4. Phone 740 432-4245. Tour groups are accepted during additional hours by calling 740-432-4245 in advance.

  • NCC Members admitted free
  • $4.00 General Admission
  • $3.00 AAA Discounted Admission
  • $3.00 Senior Citizen Admission
  • Children under 12 admitted free
Excellence Award
On April 18, 2008, over 260 community and business leaders from the region gathered in Walnut Creek, OH, where the National Museum of Cambridge Glass was presented with the Eastern Ohio Development Alliance "Excellence in Tourism Award." The plaque is now on display at the museum as a testament to the hard work and dedication of the membership of the National Cambridge Collectors, Inc.