West Virginia is famous for it's artists.  A visit to Tamarack will show you a wide variety of handmade treasures, but if you're looking for handmade glass, the place you've got to see is Blenko in Milton, West Virginia.

The Visitor's Center is a treat to visit.  The colors in the showroom are a feast for the eyes.  Everywhere you look you'll see sparkling works of art, in any color you can imagine. 

Upstairs you'll find a little museum of handmade glass.  The walls feature stained glass made by leading American studios using glass made at Blenko.  The American Music Award trophies are made by Blenko Glass. 

A walk down the hallway puts you in front of the artists themselves.  You can watch the entire process from a special viewing platform.  It's fascinating to see a glowing "glob" being manipulated into a beautiful piece of art glass.  The craftsmen at Blenko work for many years learning their craft. 

The artists at Blenko are always coming up with something new.  To celebrate West Virginia's birthday on June 20th, each year a new collectible piece is made.  The race to buy these limited edition prizes always makes the news!  They are also offering a new collegiate line featuring Marshall University and West Virginia University.  Seasonally you'll find little treasures such as bunnies at Easter or Halloween pumpkins.

If you'd like to see more from Blenko, please view the tour below and also visit Heart of Glass, a blog dedicated to the beauty of Blenko.  You can visit Blenko's website to order or visit them in Milton -- just follow the signs from Route 60 straight to them.