My wife and I had been here a few times on dates, and she mentioned that it's cool that they do birthday parties.. SO I called in a reservation and got it going! The person on the phone got it in with a 50$ deposit, you need a min of 8 people which wasn't an issue. Lou was our host and they were very helpful, fun and nice. We got everything a week later and it was all wrapped up beautifully. They always have rotating items which I like. Lots of cute vintage and some creepy, cursed looking things (my fav.) The price covers the piece, supplies, and firing which I think is great. The 420 pieces are especially fun. The pricing can add up (we usually drop $60 when we go there just the two of us) but in THIS economy, and with everything you get in the overall process, it's well well worth it. Staff is always nice, place is always clean, and it's a great local business. read more

The Pottery Place - There it is. - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Albany, New York

Wide variety of pottery and paint colors, clean studio and reasonable pricing. However, the staff seemed overly controlling and particular. Not sure why we have to write down the colors we want for them to put it on our pallets, but then later are able to refill or add new colors if we need? I don't see a difference that makes... It would also be nice to have the painting tips and tricks lesson to be optional. While I never came before this I have taken many pottery classes and made my own pieces. Having to wait for the whole studio to be ready for the lesson took away from the time I had to paint before closing. Not to mention the now extra $10 to bring it back and paint again. I can slightly understand that but all of this together I probably will choose another studio next time. read more

I came into The Pottery Place with three friends. We all arrived at different times and each time, Lou came and greeted the new-comer at the door and walked them through everything they needed to know. They were warm, welcoming, and throughout the experience made us feel so comfortable. They answered all of our questions and gave genuine compliments about our creations. Lou, thank you so much for making our experience truly outstanding. You're a rockstar! Would definitely come back. read more

The people who work there have no idea had to work with older adults or children The explanation of the paints was so fast and not really in a way either group could understand No one offered help or explanation at the tables Obviously these people are burnt out and should get different jobs The expense would be worth it if there was any kind of enthusiasm offered I had the same bag issue but I can live with that My grandkids loved the final product but I would never repeat or recommend this experience read more

Came here with two friends in the morning on a Saturday. Had a wonderful experience! I made the utensil jar and can't wait to see how it turns out. The workers are fantastic and help with anything you need. read more

Incredible experience with yourself or your family! If you want to make Xmas trees, or that special and unique chess set do it here!!!!!

My partner and I had a wonderful time! It was our first time doing something like this and I'm so glad we chose the Pottery Place. We didn't get the name of the person who helped us but they were great. Super friendly and helpful! The price was really fair, too. read more

The guy that works at the Albany, NY location is so extremely rude. He was degrading and belittling. Not just once either the whole time as if I didn't understand what or how to do something. Terrible customer service. I can't believe that people like that are allowed to represent a company. I will never go back and spend money there again. I'm literally angry with myself for staying calm, acting mature and allowing him to embarrass me. Screw you. You should be fired for mistreating customers. read more

When looking for things to do on a lazy Sunday, this place usually comes to mind. Paint your own pottery is the thing to do here and they have quite a selection of pieces to choose from. From teapots to mirrors.. little animal figures and dog bowls. It's basically something for everyone and the pieces can be as simple or complicated as you want them to be. When you get in the staff goes through the "it's an $8.00 studio fee per hour, per person + the price of the pottery you choose" . They then tell you to wash your hands prior to touching.. the soap they provide really dries my hands out and maybe that's how they want it, but I can't stand the way it feels :/ The sink I had to wash my hands in had a basin of brushes in it, so maneuvering around that was kind of tricky. Whatevs. The staff also say they will get your paint for you, which they do. However they hardly give you anything and I had to back and fourth every couple minutes for more paint. Apparently they only get your paint the first time. Eventually I just brought the bottle to my table. If the staff had given me more paint or didn't just sit and watch while I walked back and forth, I'd have given another star. They could have at least told me to just grab the bottle after my fifth time up. My daughter enjoyed herself, my friend got through it and I spent way too much time on a big dog bowl.. but it's a pretty great dog bowl *pats own back* lol ;) My daughter didn't finish her pieces, so we took them home. If you don't finish you can return with your pieces and pay 67cents every five minutes until you finish. Depending on how long it takes, you may just want to do the $8.00 .. or pay what almost $40 per hour? If you do finish them, they at some point put them in the kiln and you can pick your pieces up a week later.. or have them shipped. If you're looking for something creative to do with free time, this place is a nice option :) Just bring some hand lotion for afterward! They also have events for kids every month. I saw all types here this past Sunday, adults on their own, a table of teenagers, and my family table, so anybody would be comfortable here. read more

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Penny wise and Pound foolish. I took my son and nieces here last week. I know it's expensive but it was a special occasion. They all painted very cute items and I painted one as well. I am not disputing the $142 I spent on 4 items. The issue came when I went to pick up the items. Since the items were going to two different places I asked for a 2nd bag. I was told they have a one bag policy. I said 'I spent $142 and you're not going to give me a second bag?' The man had no reply. I did not ask for FOUR separate bags, I asked for ONE extra bag as half the items were going to a different location. There are other pottery places in the capital district I can go to and will in the future. You've lost a customer that spent $142 for 2 hours in your studio over a 5 cent bag. That is the very definition of penny wise and pound foolish. read more

I have found the pottery place to be entertaining for all ages young and old. The staff at the PP are always very nice and helpful. My granddaughter and I took the opportunity to paint during one of our recent rainy afternoons. Price of the piece includes your paint. (Studio time is extra.) That being said, I've painted several pieces of pottery over the past few years. I am happy with my painting and the resulting fired pieces picked up the following week. read more

Me and my friend were looking for something fun to do and this place was awesome! Super friendly staff and so many options to chose from

Cute rainy-day activity. You pick a piece and some paint and then they fire the piece for you. There's many different pieces to choose from, including useful pieces like soap dishes and serving platters. read more

For the holidays this year I decided to give my wife gifts with a coffee theme. While watching television, I saw an advertisement for the Pottery Place and decided this would be an absolutely ridiculous present. I had to go do it. Even better, I decided to put my hand prints on a coffee mug; completely ridiculous! I arrived on a Saturday morning and the staff walked me through everything. I was worried the standard mug would be too small, so I went with the beer mug. It did not look too big. I wish I knew her name, because the woman who helped me was simply amazing. I know they are probably trained to praise everyone's efforts. They could very easily slip into patronizing but they made me feel great about the whole process. The woman helped me get my hand prints on the mug and explained how well the printed ended up coming out. Then I painted my design and was done in less than an hour. By the time I was done, I was excited. Yes, this was completely ridiculous. It looked like something I might have done in elementary school, but I knew the moment I was done my wife was going to love it. But I had to wait a week! I went to pick it up the next week and the piece was shown and it was better than I could have predicted. What I thought would end up faint and dull was really bright and stood out just like I wanted. The hand prints came out perfectly, just as I was told it would. My awkward hand writing over the front was so lopsided it was perfect. I couldn't wait to give it to DeAnna! Which posed the next problem, we were still a week away from the first night of Hannukah. I had no idea how I was going to sneak this mug into the house without her noticing. I decided I had to give it to her the moment I saw her. This mug, in all of its ridiculous glory, receive perhaps the second greatest reaction of any gift I have ever given. Second only to the engagement ring. Now, I have to admit, I'll end up going back to paint another mug soon. DeAnna dropped the mug the next morning and it shattered into a hundred pieces. I tried to go the week before Christmas, but the place was just plain packed. As much fun as it was and as much as DeAnna was upset, I was not about to ask a child to wait to make their presents for their parents. So I expect I'll be back there in a few weeks and start painting another. I just don't know how I will be able to top the first. read more

This place is SO expensive -- we took our kids there and a niece (total of 5 people) -- three of us made very small pieces and two of us made medium size pieces. Just to be in there for 90 minutes it cost us $300. Since we live in California, we had them ship the pieces to us -- they said it would be a one time $5 fee for packing all of the pieces -- and then ground shipping through UPS. And they said we would have the pieces in CA on or before two weeks from the day we made them (a week for firing them) and a week for shipping. Well - we still haven't received the pieces and ups says it will take another 8 days until our items to get here (2 weeks was this past Saturday). We were charged $82 for shipping. Apparently they boxed all of the pieces in separate boxes... We love this type of experience for our kids - and the pieces that they have to choose from are really great, but man was it too pricey. So for $400.00 we'll have our 5 pieces someday soon... read more

I give a 2 Star rating. they lost their customer relations behavior & prices increased considerably. Point: Rude, unreasonable scrutiny and expensive. Annually, since 2009,my grand kids, son & I ,to create a personalized ceremic, always enjoyed , previously rated , 5 star, The Pottery Place on Western Ave, annual earnings rated at 456,000.00 per year. I shared my recent Bad experience' w/my family & with their comments, I decided to write a negative review. Last week, I noticed As customers completed the glazing, one of the staff was using a tool to clear the Holes in the Christmas trees to accommodate the lights. I was impressed, thought it was a good idea as I painted a tree last year and Holes were clogged. I asked staff, if I Could bring my last years tree in to have these clogged holes cleared. She checked with another staff, who came over, said yes, but encouraged me to call Ahead. I called ahead. First to find out when our pieces were ready for pkup, as well as to ask about a time to clear the holes in the tree. She reported back the pieces will be ready on Friday & said yes but to encourage to call ahead to find out the best time. On Friday am, day to pick up the other items, I called the shop to learn the best time. The girl again put me on hold, checked and informed me to head over between 4-6pm. After an especially long day, this was to be one of my last stops. At the door, staff, who met me at the door was aware and guided me to the pick up counter. After checking my name, went to alert the staff who was to do the hole clearing while she retrieved the items we completed the week prior. As it turned out,the staff person,'who greeted us at the door last week who spoke to us as if we were in a Tobacco auction, spelled out the rules in a split second, escorted us to our table, name, logged in time , etc. Was the same to clear the holes. Last week, We learned upon leaving 2 hrs each person x 4 people @$8.00 = $64.00 along w/ price of the items and tax was added. Of course, it is important to pay for materials, staff time. But, thought she was not clear on her points embedded in that quick overview., but, let theBuyer be Aware. The tree from last year was still wrapped in paper and in The Pottery Place Bag, all original paper, receipts, etc in the bag. This person, began pulling the tree out of the bag and began saying w/a disturbing voice, this tree did not look one of theirs. ? & asked where did I get this one. I turned the bag around & pointed to the label on their own product brown bag. While pulling out the paper wrap, She continued to say it didn't look like their product. For all she knew, Maybe I picked it up at Walmart & want them to repair other companies products. She asked me again where did I get this product. Soo Rude and unnecessary scruitney. At the same time, the owner Amy stepped up and informed me I was rude and they have folks all the time asking them to fix 'other places' mistakes and they do Not repair. She was vehement in her staunch support of her staff's scruitny and told me I was rude again. I informed Amy I had called and saw the staff clearing the holes . That process was not done last year. As she contined w/a strong voice. I told her I thought she was veing rude. Amy indicated she was the owner, in Charge, also added they are barely breaking even, etc. Point: rude, poor customer relations, expensive. Other point: if several times, folks come in to have repairs, Amy may wish to add this feature to improve her barely breaking even business. My grand daughter found another place something Sparkle Pottery Place in Saratoga we can go on a day off from school. She knows we'll never Spend time or money at The Pottery Place again. In my concern of this incident, I asked the family who were with me last year and this year, was the holiday tree of a different design, etc. No memere's, they replied. This year's model is the same.!! And, of course, I stored it after the holiday in all the same wrappings, receipt, etc Goodness ... read more

I really loved this place!!! It's such a fun and relaxing thing to do... And it's great for all ages!!! Kids love it and adults do too!! Pricing isn't bad either!! My piece came out great and I hope to go back soon!! read more

Clean, airy, nice choices. But prepare to pay $30+ a kid for the most basic statue with a few colors. Took some 5 year olds and it was an expensive hour. Maybe better suited to slightly older kids. Also - saw a young toddler/baby literally covered in glaze including her face and was a little put off that management did not educate the parents. While the glazes are non toxic when fired, they don't belong in anyone's mouth. read more

The studio is pretty nice, and they have a good selection of pieces, but this is a very expensive activity. Between the cost of the piece and the charge based on the amount of time spent painting (which is a lot for someone as anal as I am), plan on spending at least $15 for a basic piece like a small mug (that takes 30-60 minutes to paint), and $25 or more for anything very detailed (and you could spend much more). Additionally, as the other reviewer mentioned, the staff basically sit back and don't even offer to help unless you ask for their help; even then, they give it quite grudgingly. This is a very fun activity, but because it is so pricey, it is not something my friends or I can afford to do very often. Their staff could be friendlier and more helpful as well. read more

Great place. Super happy with my piece. The staff were extremely helpful and cute. They explain the steps and help you out with anything you need. The pottery and glaze are high quality and i love how my piece turned out. This place is a super nice date spot and great for kids. Fair pricing as well! read more

I brought my daughter here for a pottery experience, which was fine. However, when I went to pick up my pieces, there had been a power outage. Let me explain that I drove two hours round trip to make the pottery, and it took me two hours round trip to go back to pick up the pottery. When I arrived in the BROAD DAYLIGHT to pick the pieces up, I was told I couldn't because of no power. Even when I explained that it took an hour each way to get there, and asked if we could get a flashlight to use to just find my already finished piece, I was rudely and dismissively told no. TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!! I will have to drive another two hours round trip to pick up the three pieces that I already paid almost $100 for, but I will NEVER come here again!!! read more

I am surprised that there are only 3 star ratings. I just went for the first time last week with my 6 year old daughter. Yes, it can be pricey, but the prices are listed on the website so it shouldn't be a surprise. We used a livingsocial deal to try it out. The price is $8/hr per painter. Since my daughter is a perfectionist I decided it would be better to "help" her instead of getting my own piece to paint, although I would've liked too (there is a huge selection!) We were only charged for her being a painter. I was pleasantly surprised and that will bring us back. She selected a piece that was $22 and it took an hour. The staff was awesome, very helpful, knowledgable and patient. You could tell that they truly liked kids and their jobs. I can't wait to go back! Maybe they should have a frequent painter club or punchcard? Anything that'll save a few bucks even if it's after 5 or 10 pieces :) OH and my daughter absolutely LOVED it (most important!!!) read more

My first, and what will now be my ONLY experience with The Pottery Place: Went in to order a platter for a co-worker who is retiring. Wanted to have kids stamp their painted fingerprints on to the edge of it. Manager was very helpful in giving tips for the paint, fingerprints, etc. Platter was ridiculously expensive, but I was thankful for the help and had hopes it would be a thoughtful keepsake. Brought it in to be fired and picked it up a week later. Upon examination of it, I noticed a big ding in the middle of the platter that was not there before. Also, there were some random paint flecks all along the platter. I asked what these things were, and the sales associate did not know. Long story short-"they could refire", which I had no time wait for, and tried to slide me a coupon for further "studio time"....Umm, no thanks, I will not be coming in to buy any more of your crap, which is a shame for them, since my daughter accompanied me when I picked out the platter, and wanted to return to paint. After several attempts made by the employee to "see what she could do"-I wanted partial refund-there was nothing else offered. It's just bad business. I asked if this kind of shoddy quality was acceptable to all of their other customers, because it certainly is not acceptable to me. Don't waste your money or your time supporting a business that clearly does not care about customer satisfaction. Here are some other places to try instead: Piece d'Occasion, Albany Art Room, Art & Glass, Ceramic Decor and More. read more