Planning a Rainy Day in New Orleans? Try a Glassblowing Class

When the skies open up in New Orleans, most people look for shelter, coffee shops, bookstores, anything with a roof and a warm drink. But rainy days here do not have to mean staying still. If you are visiting the city or stuck inside during a local downpour, there is a better way to spend an afternoon.

Glassblowing might not be the first thing that comes to mind, but if you are searching for things to do in New Orleans when it rains, consider this: heat, rhythm, work with your hands, and a piece you get to take with you. You are not just waiting out the storm. You are shaping something real, one breath and press at a time.

Why Glassblowing Works on a Rainy Day

Some indoor activities give you a place to sit and pass time. Glassblowing does the opposite. It wakes you up. It is hot work, steady and present, and it requires your whole attention. The moment you step into the studio, the sound of rain fades behind the tap of tools and the low roar of a furnace.

• The space stays warm, even in February, with the furnace glowing like a small sun in the center of it all.

• Glass moves fast when it is hot. Your motions slow down to match it, to listen, to work with, not against, it.

• The rhythm is quiet and focused, not hectic. It matches the way rain softens light and slows the day.

It is a good counterbalance. The weather might be moody and unpredictable, but inside a glass studio, the structure and calm repetition let you settle into something solid.

What You Can Expect from a Glassblowing Class

You do not need to know anything about the craft before you walk in. Most visitors do not. That is actually part of what makes the experience feel fresh. You are starting from scratch, watching clear lava-like glass gather on the end of a pipe before being shaped into something you can keep.

A typical class introduces the basic steps with clear guidance through each one.

• You will watch how glass is gathered from the furnace, then have a chance to try it with help.

• Tools like wooden blocks and paddles shape the form. Timing and breath are part of the process, too.

• There is a chance to personalize the piece, choosing a shape or adding marks that mean something to you.

Our classes at Glassblower Ben in New Orleans are designed for total beginners and move at a relaxed pace, focusing on a hands-on experience that lets you work directly with the molten glass. Each participant creates at least one finished object, such as a tumbler, dish, or ornament, under direct guidance from our instructors.

You are not making something generic. You are building a keepsake, whether it is a small dish, a whiskey glass, or another simple form that holds memory in its function.

Personalization in the Process: Making Gifts with Story

On a rainy afternoon, there is something satisfying about creating something physical, warm, and purposeful. With glassblowing, that moment can become something you share, too.

Say you are traveling with a partner, or planning a surprise for someone. Personalizing a piece while the glass is still molten locks your moment into the glass itself. A stamped date in the base or initials pressed with care carry forward as much as the object does.

• Make an American-made whiskey glass for an anniversary or birthday that feels bigger than a store-bought gift.

• Press a short phrase you both know into the base and let that speak later when the glass is lifted years down the road.

• Craft something small and honest, a dish, a tumbler, a glass, and give it with warmth. That showing up matters.

Every finished product in our experience can be stamped during its creation, giving you a one-of-a-kind souvenir or gift that will always bring you back to your rainy day in New Orleans.

A gift made like this does not just mark the rain. It marks how you spent time when it could have been wasted, how you shaped something with your hands and left intention in the form.

Beyond the French Quarter: Quiet, Real New Orleans

Most tourists who find themselves caught in wet weather lean on comforts close to Bourbon Street, bars, bands, big flavors in even bigger crowds. But there is quiet in New Orleans if you know where to look.

Rain tends to slow the city a touch, and when it does, you get to see more of its shape. The deeper alleys, the smaller neighborhoods, the makers and workshops tucked into corners not made for show.

• Our workspace is not near the noise. It sits in a slower part of the city, still close but breathing easier.

• The pace of the day here matches the feeling of the rain, steady, grounded, aware.

• You are not lost in a crowd. You are part of a process, part of a place.

If you are looking for things to do in New Orleans when it rains, and you want something that lives in your memory after the clouds clear, this is the kind of quiet worth finding.

Turn Rain into Memory

February in New Orleans can feel like a pause. Carnival season is near, but the air is thick and cool, and storms come often enough to keep you guessing. That is exactly when it can help to reach for something that grounds your day.

Glassblowing does not rush you through the hours. It holds you in them. You shape heat into form, press a mark one time only, and look up to find the rain has not taken anything from the day. If anything, it gave it shape. That is the part we hold onto.

Rainy days in New Orleans do not need to dampen your spirit or plans. Embrace the opportunity to craft something memorable with glassblowing in New Orleans, where you can transform your day into a creative adventure. At Glassblower Ben, you'll learn to shape molten glass into a keepsake that captures the essence of your experience and the city's unique charm. Don't miss out on this chance to create lasting memories while the rain pours outside.