Yesterday, in my post “The Monster Next Door,” I mentioned that we’d stopped by the New Bedford Antique Center on our way home from Boston. What I didn’t mention that we also got a full tour of the attached New Bedford Museum of Glass. The NBMOG is on the smaller side, but it is beautifully laid out and their collection is incredible. Our lovely tour guide, Bob Burford, did a really wonderful job of explaining what we were looking at and describing the process by which each type of glass was made. There is something really special about getting a tour of a museum by someone both knowledgeable and passionate about their topic. As spectacular as this museum is, our tour guide was at least half of the reason we so enjoyed ourselves, and the reason we will be back!

It was especially interesting to do the museum first, then make our way through the 250-stall Antique Center. Thanks to the tour, we were able to identify many more types of glass than before (and because they were all for sale, we also got to put our paws on them!). And no, I didn’t break anything, if you can imagine.

Here’s a short PSA about the museum. If you are able to go, get the tour, and ask if you can be shown into the library to view the museum’s jaw-dropping collection of paperweights. You’ll be glad you did.