PA Museums

Exploring the Duncan & Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA

Collage of four photos from the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA featuring decorative glassware displays, colorful glass swan bowls, intricate vintage pieces, and a museum banner highlighting visitor information and tour details.

Visiting the Duncan & Miller Glass Museum in Washington County is like stepping back into the golden age of American glassmaking.

Wall of illuminated display cases at the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA showcasing an extensive collection of clear and colored glassware, including vases, bowls, pitchers, and decorative pieces highlighting the artistry of the historic glass company.

The museum tells the story of the Duncan & Miller Glass Company, which began in 1865 in Pittsburgh before relocating to Washington, PA after a devastating fire in 1892.

Close-up view of decorative glass dishware at the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA, featuring intricately patterned plates, cups, and bowls in vibrant shades of gold, red, and clear glass.

Known for its artistry and craftsmanship, the company produced some of the finest American tableware for nearly a century until it closed in 1955.

Close-up view of vintage glass pieces at the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA, including a yellow etched vase, a white frosted vase with gold floral design, and a deep red patterned bowl with a decorative metal handle.

Directions | Hours | Admission Fees

The Duncan & Miller Glass Museum is located at 100 Ridge Avenue, Washington, PA 15301.

The museum is open Thursday-Sunday, 11 am – 4 pm.

Entrance sign for the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA, displaying the museum’s name, address, phone number, and open hours against a sunny backdrop.

Admission fees are: Adults – $10 | Senior 65+, Retired Military & Dependents – $8 | Active duty military – FREE | Children 12-18 Accompanied by an Adult – $5 | Children 1-12 Accompanied by an Adult – FREE.

Display case at the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA filled with vibrant colored glass pieces including vases, bowls, and decorative items showcasing the artistry and craftsmanship of the historic glass company.

What You’ll See at the Duncan & MIller Glass Museum

Inside the museum, visitors are greeted by gleaming display cases filled with colorful vases, bowls, and intricate tableware that once graced family dining tables across America.

Glass display cases at the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA filled with colorful vases, bowls, and decorative glassware showcasing the artistry and craftsmanship of the historic glass company.

In the era before television or radio, dinner was the evening’s entertainment, and the hostess proudly displayed the best tableware she could afford.

Display of elegant decorative glassware at the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA, featuring white and gold-trimmed pitchers, plates, goblets, and bowls with intricate patterns and vintage craftsmanship.

The Duncan & Miller Glass Company reflected these traditions, with patterns and styles evolving from the formality of Victorian dining to the casual elegance of the mid-twentieth century.

Display of vintage tableware at the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA, featuring clear patterned glass creamers, sugar bowls, butter dishes, candlesticks, and porcelain teapots with floral designs.

Some cases feature the company’s famous “vaseline glass,” a yellow-green glass that glows brilliantly under ultraviolet light thanks to the trace amounts of uranium dioxide in its formula.

Display of vintage vaseline glass at the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA, featuring a lidded jar and matching candlesticks with a distinctive yellow-green glow and intricate detailing.

Another display highlights the company’s contributions to the war effort during World War II, including the production of glass clay pigeons for military target practice.

Display at the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA featuring World War II-era clay pigeons produced by the glass company alongside a vintage advertisement highlighting the shift from elegant glassware to wartime manufacturing needs.

Visitors will also find exhibits on how the glass was made, with tools, molds, and vintage photographs illustrating each step of the process.

Exhibit at the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA featuring historic photos, glassmaking tools, interpretive panels, and display cases filled with intricate glassware that illustrate the artistry and craftsmanship of the former glass company.

Cases of intricately patterned stemware and elaborate serving pieces showcase the artistry that set Duncan & Miller apart from mass-produced glassware of the era.

Illuminated display cases at the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA showcasing an extensive collection of intricately crafted glassware, including vases, pitchers, bowls, and decorative pieces in clear and colored designs.

Informational panels describe how style, color, and variety changed through the decades, keeping pace with dining customs and home entertaining trends.

Informational display at the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA describing Early American Pattern Glass from 1850-1910, highlighting technological innovations such as the glass press and soda-lime formula that made glassware more affordable and accessible to the middle class.

A World War II exhibit explains how women entered the workforce at the factory while men served overseas, helping to keep production running at full capacity.

Exhibit at the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA detailing the company’s contributions during wartime, featuring text about increased production, the role of women in the glass industry, and wartime manufacturing efforts alongside a vintage “We Can Do It!” poster.

Delicate etched glassware with military insignias recalls the patriotic spirit of the time.

Display of military-themed glassware at the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA, featuring etched insignias for the Army, Navy, Air Corps, Marines, and Coast Guard on glasses, trays, and ashtrays produced during World War II.

In other areas, visitors see how changing tastes led to the vibrant colors and modern designs of later decades.

Display of Maltese pattern glassware from 1886 at the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA, featuring intricately designed yellow, green, and clear glass baskets and vases with ornate detailing and elegant craftsmanship.

Together, these displays offer a vivid look at both the company’s history and its role in American life.

Diorama at the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA depicting a vintage kitchen scene with a wooden hutch, checkered floor, mannequin in an apron, and a table set with green Duncan and Miller glassware and an oil lamp.

Final Thoughts

By the end of the visit, guests come away with a deeper appreciation for the skill, artistry, and innovation that defined Duncan & Miller glass.

Table display at the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA featuring colorful glass swan bowls in shades of yellow, red, green, and blue, surrounded by cases filled with additional glassware in the background.

The museum not only preserves this legacy but also celebrates the workers and designers who made it possible.

Glass display cases filled with intricately crafted pieces at the Duncan and Miller Glass Museum in Washington, PA, alongside a banner highlighting the museum’s history, guided tours, and visitor information.

The Dorflinger Factory Museum in Wayne County showcases exquisite historic glassware and the legacy of master glassmaker Christian Dorflinger within the confines of his original glass factory.

Collage of four photos from the Dorflinger Factory Museum in Wayne County, PA, featuring the main glassware exhibit hall, the museum entrance, a display of amber and green cut glass pieces, and a presidential table setting with glassware designed for Abraham Lincoln.

The Dorflinger Glass Museum in Wayne County, housed in Christian Dorflinger’s former home, displays over 1,000 pieces of brilliant-cut glass just a mile from the Dorflinger Factory Museum.

Collage of four scenes from the Dorflinger Glass Museum in Wayne County, PA, featuring ornate glass display cases, intricate cut-glass pieces, a green cut-to-clear punch bowl set, and the exterior of the museum building.

Nearby Attractions

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington County showcases historic streetcars with exhibits, a display building, and scenic rides on vintage trolleys.

Collage of four images from the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington County, Pennsylvania, showing vintage trolleys inside the Trolley Display Building, a Steelers-themed trolley at the boarding platform, a motorman operating a trolley during an excursion, and the entrance to the museum’s Trolley Display Building.

Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village in Washington County lets visitors explore 19,000 years of history and rural life.

Collage of four photos at Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village in Washington County, PA, featuring the stone entrance sign, the hillside stairway leading to the enclosed rockshelter, an archaeologist excavating inside the site, and a museum display of prehistoric artifacts with interpretive artwork of early inhabitants.

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