Corning, NY – Home of Corning Glassware
In mid-September, 2018, as guests of the Finger Lakes Tourism Board, I visited a few towns/places in Upstate New York, Seneca Falls, Letchworth State Park and also the town of Corning, NY.
This was my first time to Corning although, I’ve heard many cool things about it, the large of which is that its home to The Corning Museum of Glass and its where pyrex comes from. Plus two of my very good friends are from this town/area.
Corning is just like most Upstate New York town; charming, small and beautiful.
Let’s take a look at why you should pay this town a visit the next time you’re in New York state.
Where is Corning, New York?
Corning, New York is located south of Rochester, NY and Syracuse, NY. It’s just west of Elmira, NY and south of Watkins Glen, NY. It is in the upper part of the state, very close to the Pennsylvania border.
How To Get Here
There are many ways to to get to Corning, NY, let’s take a look:
By Air
The closest airport is the Elmira Regional Airport (ELM). The airport is served by the following airlines: Allegiant Air (G4), Delta Air Lines (DL) and United Airlines (UA).
Another airport in the region is the Syracuse International Airport (SYR). The airport is served by the following scheduled service airlines: Allegiant Air (G4), American Airlines (AA), Delta Air Lines (DL), Frontier Airlines (F9), JetBlue Airways (B6) and United Airlines (UA).
The largest airport in the region is the Rochester International Airport (ROC). The airport is served by the following scheduled service airlines: Air Canada (AC), Allegiant Air (G4), American Airlines (AA), Delta Air Lines (DL), JetBlue Airways (B6), Southwest Airlines (WN) and United Airlines (UA).
Alternately, you can fly into Ithaca (ITH) on American Airlines (AA), Delta Air Lines (DL) or United Airlines (UA).
By Car
Corning, NY is easily accessible by car. Use a mapping software such as Google Maps for directions.
By Train
You can take Amtrak to the Rochester or Syracuse stations, then you would need to rent a car to get to Corning , NY. Or you can take the bus to Corning. You can buy it all as one ticket on Amtrak. The stop is the Corning Bus Station.
By Bus
Greyhound bus has service Corning. The bus departs and leave from the Corning Transportation Center.
Things To Do
The biggest attraction here is The Corning Museum of Glass. It is however, not the only thing to see or do here. Here we go:
Corning Museum of Glass
This is the largest attraction in Corning and what Corning is known for primarily. It’s an amazing museum and sadly, I only saw a very small part of it. You can find more information about the cost of admission, what they have to offer and also the opening times at https://www.cmog.org/. They have lots of activities including glass blowing classes, which is pretty amazing to take and see. Also, amazing is the amount things that they make from glass and also that the glass on your phones is made by Corning Glass; Gorilla glass and was around long before mobile phones :-).

Corning, NY – Corning Museum of Glass – Glass Lamp. I grew up with a kerosene lamp so I was very fascinated by this. As a child I was always worried about braking the glass lamp shade.
Rockwell Museum
This is a great place to see American Art. It also gives you a great view of the city from its balcony.
Southside Historic District
Corning has a district that has some homes dating back to 1847! They are amazingly beautiful and I suggest taking some time to walk through the neighborhood and check them out. You can find more details at http://corningsna.org/SNA/Home.html.
The Town
Corning is a very quiet quaint town. Here are some of the sights around the town.
Watkins Glen International
And just outside of Corning (about 30 minutes north) is Watkins Glen International Race Track if you’d like to race your own car. When I visited, we got special permission to make a lap in our Tour Bus; it was quite special. Then I got a chance to ride in one of the cars around the track; it was insane fun!
Where To Stay
I stayed at the Radisson, but there are many places to stay in Corning. You have the following hotels to choose from and of course shared housing: Comfort Inn, Staybridge Suites, Fairfield Inn, Budget Inn, Nel’s Place and Hilton Garden Inn, If you can’t find a place in Corning, you can stay in the next town over called Painted Post, which I think is a very cute name for a town.
You may also check the search box below to determine.
Where To Eat
There is no shortage of places to eat in Corning. A walk down main street will certainly let you know that. A few coffee shops too.
I’m a big ice cream fan, so I was able to stop by Dippity Do Dahs Homemade Ice Cream for a sugar cone, so I highly recommend the same.
Have you been to Corning? Please leave a comment below if you have or if you have any comments.