NDGA National Glass Museum

March 10, 2021: Welcome to our Gift Shop.

There is always an exciting new look to the NDGA National Glass Museum Gift Shop with its constantly changing array of items for adding to your collection or for that special gift you’ve been searching for.
The gift shop is stocked with items that are specifically donated for sale in the gift shop, or donated items that duplicate pieces already in the museum collection. Between these two sources, we have an ever changing supply of new merchandise for you to select from.
In the cases and shelves of the gift shop you’ll find great pieces of Early American Pattern Glass, Elegant glass by some of the best American glass manufactures, kitchen glass, Mid Century glass from the 50’s, 60’s 70’s…..oh, and of course some great Adam to Windsor Depression Glass.
Periodically the gift shop features special sales, including our annual Christmas sale when all items are 20% off for the month of December.
The gift shop is open during regular museum hours: Thursday & Friday 11am to 4pm, and Saturday 10am to 2pm

December 12, 2020: Welcome to our library.

If you’ve ever visited our library in the past, or are coming for the first time, you are in for a truly exciting time. Our reference library has been expanded and offers even more information for your use. Whether you are looking to do some serious researching, or just want to browse the vast array of glass produced in this country we think you’ll enjoy your visit.
The library has a large array of books covering EAPG glass, American Brilliant Period Cut glass, Elegant glass, 40’s 50’s 60’s glass, kitchen glass, and Mid Century Modern glass….and even a few on foreign glass. We also have early periodicals such as Glass Collectors Digest, Collecting Glass, Rainbow Review, Glass Review, and The Glass Collector………… as well as NDGA News & Views newsletters, and newsletters from other national organizations.
There are comfy chairs, and a nice big table to spread out on…..and occasionally you may even find a pot of freshly brewed coffee. So come on in and enjoy a journey into the past. And as you get ready to leave don’t forget to check out the reference books for sale……so you can take a little of that history home with you.

July 12, 2020: Museum Status: Open!!!

Please Call First!!!
The National Glass Museum opened for visits and tours on Thursday, May 28. We are open again and want to make your museum experience an exciting, educational, and safe one.
Please call the Museum 620-326-6400 to check availability if you plan to visit and we will let you know if it safe to do so. All of the museum volunteers practice social distancing and we follow all the guidelines to make sure your visit is safe..
Thank you,
NDGA Board of Directors

December 7, 2019: Grand Re-Opening

We have a available of the re-opening available upon request

September 5, 2019: Museum Update

As promised, I would keep everyone informed as to what's happening with the museum. We have found a new location and, believe it or not, only a block away. The new location is 107 N. Washington in Wellington and the building is larger than before. This gives us the opportunity to expand!

Volunteers have been working countless hours packing and moving the glass. I would like to take this time and thank them for all that they have done in making this possible. Even with what has been done, there is still a lot to do. If you can help in anyway, please contact me at 863-397-9093 or Pam Meyer at 972-672-6213. Contributions can be made to NDGA, and specify "MOVE" in the memo field:

NDGA
PO Box 156
Wellington KS 67152

We will continue to keep you apprised of the details via the NDGA website www.ndga.net and Facebook.

Thanks for your patience and support,
Danny Cornelius
Museum Trustee Administrator

July 27, 2019: Disaster at the Museum

Late in the evening of Friday, July 26, 2019 an eerie sound echoed in the streets of downtown Wellington as the facade of the building that houses the NDGA National Glass Museum came crashing down, covering the sidewalk with brick and window glass debris, along with a steel beam.

Because of the late hour, fortunately no one was in the museum or on the sidewalk out front so there were no injuries.

Due to some work that had previously been started on the front of the building all the glass and cases in the display window area had been moved - so at this point there appears to be no damage or loss of glass or cases.

Because of the nature and extent of the work that will be necessary to fix the building, it appears that we might need to find a new location for the museum. The museum will need to be closed for the immediate future as we work out all the necessary details. As we progress on the plans to find a new location or rebuild the current location, we will keep you apprised of the details via the NDGA website www.ndga.net

This won't be a speedy process, and will require a lot of planning, money, and willing hands as all the stages are completed. All of the stages will require many man hours, and willing hands, to accomplish; so please bear with us as we work toward the rebirth of our museum. We will be looking for volunteers for many of the jobs. If you'd like to help, but are unable to physically help, all donations, small and large will be gratefully accepted.

Anyone wishing to help kick off the fundraising for this endeavor, to re-establish the NDGA National Glass Museum, please make checks payable to NDGA and mark "Help the Museum Fund" in the memo section of your check. Checks should be mailed to:

NDGA
PO Box 156
Wellington KS 67152

Thanks for your patience and support,
Danny Cornelius
Museum Trustee Administrator

May 2014 Expansion

We need more room! During May 2014, the museum underwent a slight expansion. We moved a lot of items that were in the back room to an external storage location. This will allow us to expand the display area and include even more items for your viewing.

Your support of our efforts is appreciated!

November 2012

During the last week of November 2012, the museum underwent a face lift in the front of the building and a small change in the back along the south wall. We would like to thank the following individuals for working last week; Lisa Allton, Janis McDonald, Carol McEwen, Linda Bredengerd, Crockett & Cathie Richardson, Fred & Pam Meyer, Don Jones and Danny Cornelius. Please give Crockett & Cathie a large Thank You when you see them for transporting the cases to Wellington.

The new glass cases were placed across the front of the building allowing us to secure glass displays for the future. Three of the new cases were placed on the south wall next to the existing cases and one case was placed on the north wall at the front. We also placed another cases back by the furnace by turning two cases back to back after you go past the furnace.

We also took three cases that were just purchased and split them in half and placed them back to back to enlarge the gift shop. The expanded gift shop was the finishing touch to enhance the front of the museum.

More Pictures from the Grand Opening

The picture on the top left shows the official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. The one on the lower right shows glassware that was presented to officials from the City of Wellington.

Donations gratefully accepted

Donations for the build-out and maintenance of the museum will be greatly appreciated. The NDGA is a 501(c)(3) organization and gifts to support the Museum are generally allowed as a tax deduction under Section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code. Contact your tax advisor for your individual situation.

Here's the form for you to use to send in a cash donation for the Museum Support Fund. The form allows you to supply a dedication and determine how your money will be used. Print out the form, fill it out, send it in with your check, and a copy will be acknowledged by an NDGA representative and sent back to you.

Background

Museum front window The NDGA as an organization has been around for a long time. It was founded in 1974, and an annual Convention and Sale has been held every year since 1975. All along, one of the goals of the organization was to open a museum to showcase American-made glassware from the years of the "Great Depression."

Over the years, members pressed for a museum, but for many years, virtually nothing was done in the way of realizing that objective. Finally, at the 1999 Convention in Little Rock, Arkansas, Mr. Kent Washburn, the newly elected President of the NDGA, proposed a National Glass Collection, and offered the first piece of glass that he ever purchased as the initial donation. By the time the Board of Directors met on Sunday, the idea had not only gained widespread acceptance, but the Board was prepared to unanimously approve the proposal. By the end of the Show on Sunday afternoon, twenty-five pieces of glass had been donated towards the start of the National Glass Collection.

Some members have wondered why we are accumulating a glass collection when we have no place to display it? What is the purpose of adding to the collection? The answer is that the ultimate objective of the NDGA is to establish a permanent musuem for the preservation of American-made glass, and to educate the public about this very important industry which once flourished in this country. Mr. Washburn understood that Fund-raising programs and Grants are available for museums, but not for empty buildings. You must first have something to put in the building, thus the need for and the continuing growth of the National Glass Collection.

A Golden Opportunity

In recent years, the National Glass Collection has grown significantly. This in turn has resulted in significant costs to provide secure storage for the collection. Small parts of the collection have been on display at glass shows around the country, and now and then in a cooperating museum, but the time has come to put the collection in a museum for the public to enjoy.

Our Board of Directors has been scouring the country to find a suitable place to open a museum. Originally, we considered purchasing a building, but realized that to do so would require President signing contract significantly more money than we have, and the risks of committing the organization to raise the necessary funds caused us to modify our approach.

Thanks to the work of Board Member Fred Meyer and his wife, Pam, the Board was made aware of a suitable building for rent that was available and affordable. It is located in Wellington, Kansas. The town of Wellington is the county seat of Sumner County, KS. It is 30 minutes south of Wichita, 1½ hours north of Oklahoma City and 2 hours from Tulsa. I-35 is three miles east of town. Wellington is a town of approximately 8,000. The picture shown to the right is from a meeting between Tom McAlister, McAlister Group LLC and NDGA President Danny Cornelius, where a contract was signed.

Museum Building description

The Board of Directors, during its October 2011 conference call, unanimously approved a motion authorizing President Danny Cornelius to negotiate, on behalf of the NDGA, a lease for the building located on the main street of Wellington for the museum. The resulting lease is for a period of three years with the option to renew for additional years. For the entire lease period, the rent is fixed and cannot be raised.

The building itself is about 24 ft wide and approximately 130 ft long (roughly 2900 sq ft). It has glass windows on the front, facing the main street. There's plenty of space in the window area to house a seasonal display (Hoosier Cabinet, Dining table, Bedroom suite) which can be changed out periodically to highlight different parts of the National Collection. A section of the building in the rear will be partitioned off and used to store the portion of the Collection that is not currently on display. By utilizing the building for storage, we save New case the (current) expense of renting a storage facility, and the committee that administers the collection can work in an air-conditioned/heated environment (the storage facility was not so equipped).

Additional background material on the Preservation Effort by Kent Washburn, Aug 2014.

Community Involvement

The City of Wellington has already provided us with plenty of support, including reduced Utility rates for the museum. There are two other museums in town, and we anticipate working with them in the area of advertising and cross-promotion. We are looking into a billboard along I-35 advertising the three museums. Rest assured, we are wanted by this community and that's important considering the somewhat out-of-the-way location.

National Depression Glass Association

Preserving America's Glass Manufacturing Heritage

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