Where to Take a Glassblowing Class in New Orleans This Winter

A winter trip to New Orleans brings plenty of the expected, good food, music in the street, and that unmistakable rhythm of the city. But there’s another side to this season. The cooler air, the slower pace, and the quiet between the holidays all create space for something hands-on. For visitors and locals alike, the search for something grounded and creative often leads right to the furnace: a glassblowing class.

If you’ve been curious about taking a glassblowing class in New Orleans, this is a season that fits it well. Whether you're escaping the cold or looking for a gift that means more, stepping into a hot glass studio offers more than warmth. It offers a chance to work with your hands, make something real, and carry the memory home in something solid.

Why Winter Is the Right Time to Try Glassblowing

Cooler temperatures in New Orleans change the feel of the city. When the heat lifts and the holidays slow down, it’s easier to lean into experiences that reward patience and presence. Glass studios feel just right in January, the heat from the furnace becomes part of the comfort, not something to fight.

Winter’s calmer pace gives you the mental space to try something different. When the noise of holiday shopping fades, many people start looking for something quieter, something meaningful to do together or on their own. A focused, hands-on class like glassblowing catches that need exactly.

• The warmth of the studio feels inviting during cooler winter months.

• Wintertime lends itself to thoughtful, slower-paced activities.

• Glassblowing demands attention and presence, something many look for after a busy season.

And while the act of shaping melted glass is short, the time you spend in the studio stays with you. It resets something. In a season built around reflection and small comforts, that matters more than usual.

What to Expect From a Class Experience

If you’re imagining standing back and just watching, let that go. Most glassblowing classes are safely guided, but still deeply hands-on. You’ll handle real tools. You’ll feel the weight and heat of the glass in motion. And you’ll work directly with the material from start to finish.

At GlassblowerBen’s New Orleans studio, each participant receives one-on-one guidance on every step, from gathering the glass to forming and finishing their piece. Projects are designed so that all skill levels can succeed, with instructors tailoring their advice based on ability and comfort.

You don’t need to bring skill, just presence. The instructors guide each person through the rhythm of gathering, shaping, and cooling. Glass cools quickly, so every move counts. You’ll learn to time your actions, stay focused, and make small choices that affect shape and texture.

Most people walk away with:

• A physical object they helped shape, often something to gift or keep

• A clearer sense of the process from raw heat to finished form

• A memory tied to effort, motion, and real materials

It’s work, but it’s joyful work. Watching something take shape under your hands gives the process gravity. When you leave, it’s not just about the item you made. It’s about having made something at all.

Best Types of Glass Projects for First-Time Visitors

You don’t have to start big to make something good. Certain glass projects work especially well for beginners, blending beauty with function. Whiskey glasses, tumblers, and solid ornaments are all excellent starting points, not too complex, and with enough creative space to leave your mark.

Whiskey glasses in particular make for a satisfying first try. They’re weighted in the hand, sensuous on the lip, and useful long past winter. There’s a moment when the form begins settling into its shape, and you realize it’s not just about how it looks, it’s about how it feels. That’s what makes these forms quiet but memorable.

• Tumbler-style glasses offer weight, purpose, and an introduction to function-led design

• Seasonal items like ornaments or paperweights make strong winter keepsakes or gifts

• You might also get to use techniques like stamping while molten (not engraving), which leaves a deep, permanent mark unique to your project

The molten stamp becomes part of the object itself. It’s not an afterthought. That difference, something made rather than decorated, changes how people connect with what they’ve created.

Where to Take a Glassblowing Class in New Orleans

If you’re looking for a glassblowing class in New Orleans this winter, aim for spaces that prioritize hands-on work over show-and-tell. Small studios tend to center on the experience, not the performance. That means you’ll get more time handling the glass and less time standing back.

Glassblower Ben’s studio offers private and small group workshops, keeping classes intentionally small so that each guest has direct access to the tools and the instructor’s expertise. You can find sessions suitable for visitors, friends, families, or out-of-towners looking to make a unique keepsake.

• Look for sessions with small class sizes and direct instruction

• Prioritize studios that focus on handmade work over tourist demos

• Choose a project you would want to hold in your hand long after the trip is over

Taking a class here says something different about your visit. New Orleans is known for its senses, taste, sound, texture, and making glass fits in naturally. It’s not about spectacle. It’s about slowing down and doing something real in a place that gives you room to do just that.

Make Winter Memories in Glass

Walking out of the studio with something you made hits differently than buying a souvenir. You’ve worked for it. You’ve shaped it directly. In a season full of gifting, creating something yourself adds weight and feeling that store-bought gifts can’t quite reach.

Whether you walk in with a partner, a parent, or even solo, the act itself becomes the memory. Later, when someone uses that whiskey glass or pulls out that hand-shaped ornament, it carries your presence, not just your name.

• The glass becomes a way to remember time spent, not just money spent

• Even mistakes in form or slight bends in symmetry turn into charm and meaning

• If you choose to personalize with a stamped design, that mark lives in the glass forever

In a city full of music and flavor, it makes sense to bring your hands into it, too. Glass doesn’t ask you to be perfect. It asks you to be present. That alone makes taking a glassblowing class in New Orleans this winter something worth doing. You leave warmer, fuller, and with something that holds the moment.

At GlassblowerBen, we invite you to spend meaningful time this winter in our New Orleans studio with a hands-on class guided by real technique, no experience required. A few hours in the warmth of the studio can turn into the most memorable part of your visit. Discover why our glassblowing class New Orleans guests often call it the highlight of their season. Contact us to reserve your spot today.

Visiting New Orleans When It Rains: Try Glassblowing

Rain moves through New Orleans in bursts and drizzles, sometimes lasting long enough to change your plans. When puddles collect along the curbs and the streets soften to a hush, the city shifts. The usual stops—tours, patios, parks—fade from the list of options. If you’re visiting and asking what’s left to do, you’re closer to finding the thoughtful side of the city. Many reach for the easy answers, spending the afternoon in bars or museums. Still, there are hands-on things to do in New Orleans when it rains that leave you with more than a memory or a picture.

Glassblowing stands out. It’s warm and bright, the energy of flame and breath close by. It’s never hurried. You’re not just passing time—you’re making it last. Instead of a souvenir, you bring home something solid, touched by your own hand. It’s a chance to notice detail, weigh heat, and be part of a different kind of story.

Why Rain Makes the Experience Better

Glass studios thrive on heat, with their steady hum and steady temperature. On a rainy day, the outside chill makes the warmth inside even sharper. The rain taps on windows, the workshop glows, and steam rises as droplets flash on hot metal. Each sense feels heightened.

You’ll hear the hum of the furnace merged with rain on the roof, and the space grows softer and more focused. Rain slows the usual quick pace of a day out. Here, that slow feeling is a bonus. Watching glass change form isn’t a quick process. The rhythm of small turns and steady hands lines up with the slower hours outside.

The warmth inside the workshop is a comfort when the city feels wet and gray, so people can settle in and pay attention to what’s just in front of them—hot glass, glowing at the end of a blowpipe, shaped by skill and patience. Steam swirling when glass returns to the furnace glows more in the gray light, the contrast making every movement easier to see and appreciate.

What It’s Like to Take a Glassblowing Class

When you walk in for a glassblowing class, the day changes pace. It begins with a brief orientation—where you’ll stand, how to pick up the tools, what parts of the workspace stay off-limits. Safety is first, but before long you’re gathering hot glass and turning it gently in your own hands.

Each person learns how to pull, stretch, and shape the glowing material as it slowly cools. The experience is hands-on, guided but direct. You’ll feel the weight at the end of the metal rod, notice the shine shifting as you work, and sense when it’s time to move it back to the heat. That responsibility settles your attention, pulling focus away from everything outside.

Learning glassblowing takes time. You might not come away with a perfect piece, but what people do take with them is a story. Some create a small orb, a cup, or a paperweight—each finished with the studio’s signature punty mark on the bottom. Every object carries its own memory, made specific to that rainy afternoon.

Many guests are surprised that a piece they finish in a single class can last for years. Each finished piece cools overnight, then is ready for pick-up or shipping, often with the option to add a custom mark or initial while the glass is still molten.

Make Something That Lasts (Instead of Just Passing Time)

So many rainy-day activities are only designed to help you wait out the weather. But here, the experience leaves you with something permanent. You walk away with an object—not just any object, but one you shaped, felt in your hand, and watched cool on the bench.

Some visitors shape small bowls or orbs, while others choose to personalize their keepsake. The studio offers American-made whiskey glasses stamped while molten, not engraved after the fact. This stamp is pressed directly into the glowing glass, making the detail part of its core. Such pieces have been chosen for birthdays, wedding parties, and anniversaries.

This attention to the process sets the studio apart. The mark is not just a name or letter on the surface, but evidence that it was there from the start. It grounds the memory and the glass itself. Guests often say the best part is the way the piece feels—weighted in the hand, sensuous on the lip, and balanced perfectly for use long after the vacation ends.

It’s not only about having something to carry home. Making and giving a personalized glass turns a rainy afternoon into a moment that stays fresh and personal.

Close to the French Quarter, Far from the Tourist Track

The studio sits downriver from the French Quarter in the artistic Marigny Bywater Neighborhood—close, but removed from crowds and flashing lights. The mood is different. There’s no music leaking out from every doorway and no noise competing for attention. Here, the only sounds are the quiet voices of people at work and the regular rush of flame and blower.

Walls hold rich colors, evidence left by years of practice and pattern. No two pieces are truly the same. Every shape and stamp is decided by a pair of hands that have worked together for over a decade. This husband and wife team specialize in mouth-blown glass, custom stamps, and a process that depends on timing and touch.

Visitors see firsthand what makes the process feel special:

- The hum of the torch and furnace, always alive

- Tools hanging close by, shaped for real use, not just display

- A workbench where nothing looks identical and perfection shows up as balance, not sameness

- The subtle language between two people shaping and stamping each piece, right in front of the guest

This is where tradition and personal connection meet. On a rainy day, that blend helps people slow down, notice the small things, and shape something to keep.

Rainy Days Worth Remembering

Glassblowing offers more than a shelter from the rain. It invites sound, light, and heat to work together, turning idle hours into lived story. It’s an experience that lets you be present, shape something new, and go home carrying more than you came with.

What surprises most people isn’t just the skill on display, but the quiet, steady energy of a husband and wife building something together. Out of all the things to do in New Orleans when it rains, glassblowing is the one that hands you back a physical memory—it’s warmth you can carry, meaning you can see, and a day you will always remember.

Rainy days deserve something memorable. At Glassblower Ben, we guide guests through the full hands-on experience of shaping molten glass—gathering, turning, and finishing each piece with care. For anyone searching for quietly meaningful things to do in New Orleans when it rains, this offers both a warm indoor break and a personal keepsake to take home.

Meet the Maker Event Coming to GlassblowerBen!

Here at GlassblowerBen, we are thrilled to announce an exciting event happening soon right here at our very own studio. GlassblowerBen’s Ben Dombey has been selected as a featured “Maker” by Maker’s Mark. This recognition comes after years of hard work and a mastery of his craft. Maker’s Mark has scoured the country to find influential artists and artisans who create inspirational pieces. They have partnered with GlassblowerBen to throw an invitation-only event that highlights both their delicious cocktails and the beautiful glassware in which they are served.

On November 29th, a select number of people will be able to join us at the next Maker’s Mark “Meet the Maker.” Featuring crafty cocktails and delicious food, the highlight of the evening will be a glassblowing demonstration by Ben Dombey, finishing off with a Maker’s Mark tasting tour led by Maker’s Mark Diplomat Frank Krockenberger.

Agenda

Meet & Drink

The event starts at 5:00 P.M., where guests can grab a drink and meet with some of the team members at the studio’s main entrance.

Glassblowing & Whiskey Tasting

After this, there will be a glass blowing demonstration by Ben at 6:00pm, followed up by a Maker’s Mark portfolio tasting with Frank.

Cocktails, Snacks & Networking

The night will cap off with premium Maker’s Mark cocktails and snacks while networking with Ben and the Maker’s Mark team.

About Ben

Glass came into Ben Dombey’s life in 2003. It was like a release, a calling, a passion, and an addiction all rolled into one beautiful muscular fire-dance. Ben has devoted his life to this calling ever since.

Ben majored in glassblowing at Tulane University in New Orleans and received his Bachelors of Fine Arts in 2008. After two more years of working in the New Orleans glass world, it was time to head to grad school at the Rochester Institute of Technology.  He received a Master's of Fine Arts in 2012.

A versatile and accomplished artist, Dombey has traveled around the world to work with the best of the best.  He currently lives in New Orleans and continues to make glass full time.

About Frank

Frank started his career with Beam Suntory in October of 2015. He has what may be called the best job out there, educating and selling the Maker’s Mark portfolio of Bourbon. When Frank isn’t building relationships at one of the many great New Orleans bars and restaurants, he is at home with his wife Leslie and their two daughters, Delaney and Leighton. They travel as often as possible to draw on different experiences and indulge in their love of seeing new places.​

Custom Glassblowing with GlassblowerBen

We hope to see you at our upcoming event, but you don’t have to wait until the end of November to come check us out! Contact GlassblowerBen today and see all the amazing glassware we can craft just for you!