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Over 5,000 pieces showcased at Historical Glass Museum of Redlands

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A Holiday Open House was held Saturday at the Historical Glass Museum of Redlands. The public was invited to explore thousands of pieces on display and shop for holiday gifts.Photo by Kristina Hernandez

By Kristina Hernandez, Redlands Daily Facts

POSTED:12/05/15, 5:36 PM PST

Museum photo
More than 5,000 items were on display at the Historical Glass Museum. The exhibit runs through today.

REDLANDS >> Visitors explored permanent and temporary displays inside the Historical Glass Museum of Redlands Saturday during the site’s Holiday Open House.

More than 5,000 pieces are stored in the museum’s Victorian cottage on Orange Street. It is the only museum of its kind west of the Mississippi, said Joann Tortarolo, museum president.

“We love to share our glass,” she said. “We’re celebrating the fact that the holidays are here and we wanted people to come and see what’s in our collection and in our gift shop because there’s wonderful gifts in there.”

Frances Judy of Highland was one of dozens in attendance. She heard about Saturday’s open house in a local paper and made it a point to attend.

“I’ve been wanting to come for a while but just never did take the time to do so,” she said. “When I saw it in the paper (on Friday) I said, ‘God Darn It, I’m going.’”

Judy said walking through the museum brought back memories of her childhood growing up in Morgantown, West Virginia next to glass factories in the area. Her mother was the owner of several pieces of Carnival glass, which the Highland woman currently has stored away.

“I’m just happily impressed,” she said. “This is a beautiful place and I’m going to have to bring people here now.”

The that’s museum’s hope, too.

“We really have every kind of glass that was made in the United States, which is unusual,” said Tortarolo. “We have it all.”

The Historical Glass Museum is at 1157 N. Orange St. It is open from noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Exhibits showcase glass from the 1800s through today.

To learn more, go to HistoricalGlassMuseum.com.