I lived near the predecessor of this glass art, craft and factory showroom in Perth which was always one of the pieces of local colour I took visitors by. Since this was the first trip back to the UK since meeting the wife it was time to go again.
Their new place is only about 25 miles from the old one but is far smaller, maybe 1/3 the retail space. Even better though the access to the craftsfolk is no longer behind a wall, glass and almost totally insulated from the sound but occurs a foot or two away from behind the metal railing. If you are missing Phoenix heat at this time you will probably feel right at home:)
There's a restaurant, gift shop and other crafts shops, like jewelry and ceramics nearby so it's easy to spend 1/2 a day here, I suggest spending the next half at that nearby Glen Turret distillery for another kind of glass appreciation:)
There's a video presentation on glass making and the company history, kinda lo-tech. E.G., they have to come start the video :) There are hands on glass painting areas and what turned out to be a lot of fun for the wife the chance to make your own glass paperweight. (They may not be complete the same day so having it mailed on could be necessary )
I love their output and while I am not remotely a serious collector ( seriously don't have the serious money to keep up with it) these beat out any tourist trinket you can take back. read more