World of Glass

The World of Glass is a museum and visitor centre in St Helens, Merseyside, set beside the Pilkington glassworks and the St Helens Canal. Its purpose-built building stands next to the restored Grade II*-listed Pilkington’s Jubilee Cone, a brick cone built in 1887 to house the first continuous glass furnace. The centre opened in 2000, merging the Pilkington Glass Museum and the St Helens Borough Council’s local history collection. It was named England’s Best Small Visitor Attraction in 2006. Funding came from the National Heritage Lottery Fund, European grants and other sources, totalling over £14 million. The museum holds more than 7,000 artefacts across two main galleries. The Glass Roots Gallery traces glass from Ancient Egypt to modern uses, while the Earth into Light Gallery shows how St Helens grew into a world leader in glassmaking. Daily live glassblowing demonstrations bring the craft to life, and visitors can try courses in glassblowing. The Victorian furnace and underground tunnels of the first regenerative glass furnace, built in 1887, can be explored. A café overlooks the canal stretch known locally as the Hotties. A striking feature is the Manchester Airport chandelier, restored by David Malik & Son, with 1,300 lead glass droplets weighing two tons. The World of Glass also houses the Clare Island Lighthouse optic, made in 1913 by Chance Brothers and moved here after the lighthouse closed in 1965. Since 2020 a new lending library occupies space on the ground floor and mezzanine, offering over 18,000 books for all ages.