A one-day Bath to Corning itinerary: things to do in Corning NY

Start your day at the museum that best fits your plans, then leave time to walk the central district. The Corning Museum of Glass is at 1 Museum Way, just off Exit 46 on I-86.

Its galleries span more than 35 centuries of glass artistry, and the museum also has a hands-on science and technology area and live glass demonstrations every day of the week.

If you choose the glass museum, note that admission tickets are valid for two consecutive days. That gives you the option of splitting the visit, although a one-day itinerary can continue with the walk toward Historic Market Street and the Rockwell Museum.

The Rockwell Museum is at 111 Cedar Street in Old City Hall, steps from Historic Market Street. The walk from the Corning Museum of Glass campus to the Rockwell and Market Street is approximately a half-mile across a pedestrian bridge.

Choose the Corning Museum of Glass for glass-focused collections and live demonstrations, or the Rockwell Museum for art in a historic downtown building.

Corning Museum of Glass

Admission is $25 for adults and $22 for college students, visitors age 62 and older, and military visitors; members and visitors age 17 and under enter free. The museum provides free parking in its main visitor lot, but overnight parking is not permitted.

Public guided tours follow a seasonal schedule: January through March on Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; April through June on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at those times; daily from July through Labor Day; and Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from September through December. The museum’s glass demonstrations take place every day of the week.

For a closer look at planning this museum visit from Bath, the Corning Museum of Glass guide covers the attraction in more detail.

Rockwell Museum

The Rockwell Museum is in Old City Hall, steps from Historic Market Street. Admission is $14 for adults ages 18–61, $12 for visitors age 62 and older and military visitors, $7 for college students with ID and local residents with ID, and free for visitors under 17.

A combination ticket for both museums costs $35 for adults, $31.50 for visitors age 62 and older and military visitors, $27 for college students, $18.50 for local residents, and is free for visitors under 17. For background on a visit to the Rockwell, see this guide to the Rockwell Museum from Bath.

Historic Market Street is a useful focus for a walk through Corning’s central district, with the Rockwell Museum just steps away. From the Corning Museum of Glass, you can reach Market Street and the Rockwell on foot via a pedestrian bridge; the walk is approximately a half-mile.

From mid-May through October 31, the seasonal Spurrier Community Shuttle connects the Corning Museum of Glass Welcome Center parking, the museum, the Rockwell Museum, and Historic Market Street. If you drive to the Rockwell and Market Street, metered street parking and a paid parking garage are available.

Corning is a road-trip destination from Bath, and the Corning Museum of Glass is just off Exit 46 on I-86. Its main visitor lot offers free parking. From the museum, continue on foot across the pedestrian bridge to Historic Market Street and the Rockwell Museum, or use the seasonal shuttle when it is operating.

There is no passenger rail service to Corning. The Corning Transportation Center at 85 Denison Parkway serves as the OurBus pickup and drop-off point.

The Corning Museum of Glass is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from April through December. From January through March, it is closed Wednesdays and open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays through Sundays. It is also closed January 1, Thanksgiving Day, December 24, and December 25.

The Rockwell Museum’s listed hours are daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with closures on January 1, Thanksgiving Day, December 24, and December 25. Hours, admission prices, and seasonal services can change, so check the official site before you go.