My husband and I took a bowl-making glassblowing class at Ignite, and it was such a fun and memorable experience! From the start, the instructors were welcoming and did a great job walking us through each step of the process so we felt comfortable, even as total beginners. We loved getting to pick our colors (the selection wasn't huge, but there were still some really pretty options), and then actually working with the molten glass was so cool. The process of dipping the rod into the furnace, gathering the glass, shaping it, and then blowing it into a bowl was fascinating and surprisingly hands-on. The instructors guided us through each step, helping with timing and technique while still letting us feel involved in creating our piece. It made for such a unique and fun date night, and we both left feeling like we learned something new. One of the best parts is that you end up with a beautiful, functional bowl that you can actually use at home, which makes the experience even more special. The only small surprise was that you have to wait about 5 days to pick up your finished piece while it cools properly, but that's understandable given the process. Overall, we had an amazing time and would highly recommend this class to anyone looking for a fun, creative experience! read more

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I came with a large group to make wine stoppers. The venue was absolutely beautiful and well suited for large groups (we had 50). The staff was very welcoming, kind, and prepared for our event. Everyone in our party complimented the instructors on their patience, kindness, and ability to teach. Highly recommend coming here for a party or just trying out one of their classes. Everyone's stoppers came out beautifully. read more

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Such a fun, creative, enjoyable experience! We were fortunate to have Eleanor as our instructor as she expertly balanced teaching, letting us take the reins, and then ensuring our pieces would actually turn out well by taking over when needed. read more

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Super kind and cool staff. This place is underrated because the talent and skill it takes to make the pieces is crazy and these ppl know what theyre doing. The Friday shows are great and I've taken friends there to hangout multiple times. I honestly havent bought any pieces yet but everything is really well made and beautiful. read more

First time at this place; have been wanting to attend a first Friday's glassblowing demonstration (Free event!) for sometime. It's a very cool set up with indoor and outdoor space and bleacher seats set up to watch the glassblowing demonstrations. They had little glass blown objects for sale as well as food and drink for purchase. Raffles throughout the evening coupled with ping-pong table, and Jenga set if you wanted to take a break from the demonstration. Really informative and fun to watch. Also enjoyed walking through the gallery afterwards. If I could be a collector, it would be for these items. read more

Ignite Glass Studios - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We used Ignite glass studios for our wedding and it couldn't have been better. Genevieve from the beginning was really welcoming with great attention to detail, and was able to make us comfortable enough to pick the venue after a couple conversations and one tour. It was absolutely perfect. The space is wonderful and allowed us to save on decorations. The glass blowing demonstration mid wedding was a big hit, and the vase we got was beautiful. We took advantage of the rooftop deck that has a lovely view of the skyline. During the event, the staff at Ignite made things super easy and really focused on us. They helped with my elderly mother and made the end of the night a breeze. We were told by multiple guests how awesome a venue it was. I also liked that we went with a full party that ended at midnight. Thank you again ignite! read more

Amazing, amazing, amazing!! My family and I took a class with Freddy and had a wonderful experience! Freddy was an amazing teacher and was incredibly encouraging and knowledgeable on the process. Freddy had infectious enthusiasm that made the process so fun and exciting! We each got to make a different small piece and they were all unique and very cool! We had the best time and were so impressed with Ignite's classes and Freddy as a teacher and artist! 10/10 !! read more

Joe was absolutely wonderful. He walked us through each part of glass blowing and gave us the "whys" He was funny and interested in us as people. This is a must go. Tons of fun and a great learning experience. read more

Jack was so amazing at educating us and helping us make some beautiful glasses. Highly recommend this studio!

Found a Groupon for glass blowing class for 4 so my fiancé & I took my parents to make wine glasses as an holiday gift and we had an AMAZING experience! Jack was so patient with us and even stayed a little longer with us than scheduled to make sure all our projects turned out the way we wanted! We got to choose the colors and the patterns our hand blown glasses would have and he taught us so much about the process and what we were doing. We all had so much fun. Haven't seen the final products yet, but they looked super cool when we left them there for the finishing touches! Can't wait to see how they turn out. read more

My wife and I received a Christmas gift of an hour glass blowing at Ignite. Always wanted to try and was not dissapointed. Instructor Jack was way cool and assisted in blowing a couple ornaments. If your looking for that cool gift or trial don't pass on this place. read more

4 month overdue review for Ignite Glass Studios. I hosted my mothers 80th birthday party here and it was amazing!! Everyone Loved loved loved the venue!! I was thrilled that our guests were not confined to one room. We started off with appetizers on the roof top, dinner in the main room and music/pictures in the garden. Thank you Glass studios, the venue and staff were amazing!! Overall, A+++ read more

Ignite was absolutely wonderful to work with as our reception venue. The whole process was smooth, from the recommended vendors to the end planning. The space is gorgeous with really cool art that makes wedding pictures stunning. The glassblowing demo was the highlight of our event, we've had many guests ask us after about how our piece turned out and if they can go back to see more. Truly a spectacular experience all around. read more

My family and I went here for a glass blowing experience. I've been wanting to do this for years because I thought it would be "cool" but it was more fun than could have imagined!! Alan was our blower and he was phenomenal! read more

Amazing Place to come out to watch Glass Blowing Demonstrations. I also admire and have respect that Ignite Studios provides a tuition free glass art education around Chicago to youth ages 12-19. It is a great opportunity for youths to explore and have a creative mindset on Art. This is a diverse program that allows the youth to interact and participate of learning how to Team Build. The Glass Blowing Event on yesterday was awesome. I enjoyed watching how the youth came together to create a Holiday Masterpiece. Great Team Building and Social Skills. One of the parents had a snack table set up for Holiday Snacks which were amazing. Complimentary Coffee, Juice and Hot Chocolate. The glass pieces are made uniquely different in there own way. There is even a deal on Groupon that you can purchase to come and take a class for a drinking glass. If you are interesting in coming out to watch a free glass demonstration go on Eventbrite for dates and time. You can even rent out a space for weddings or other events. Very nice location. read more

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I loved Ignite Glass Studios! I visited during Open House Chicago and was thrilled to find out that I could even blow my own pumpkin glass decoration! The spot is lovely - there's a rooftop with a view of downtown and an out door area that makes it feel like you're not even in the city. The inside space is sleek and welcoming (nice bathrooms, too!). Alan helped me make my pumpkin and he was so very nice, accommodating, and even better, made sure I didn't end up injured in any way (I'm a bit accident prone!). I got to pick some colors and away we went. Admittedly I ask lots of questions, but he was very knowledgeable, and not at all irritated that I asked him a million things while he was trying to teach me how to make my pumpkin. I liked that it was pretty hands on - with help - so I couldn't possibly mess it up! There is a lot that goes into making glass and their shop has a lot of lovely examples for purchase. This would be a great spot for a private event, glass blowing lesson, or a trip inside for shopping. All of the staff I met were helpful and friendly and I can imagine they'd do a great job with events. Worth a visit! read more

Very cool hidden gem in Chicago that offers classes for glass-making. The studio space has some awesome pieces (look for the French bulldog and anglerfish) and is available as an event space. Ignite is proactive about supporting Chicago area charities. Highly recommend! read more

Ignite Glass Studios - Ignite Glass Studios studio display. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I was really excited to do a glass blowing 1-hour class here. Overall, it's a very nice studio, but the class was a lot more hands off than we expected, especially for how expensive it was. We had 1 item come out great and another come out pretty poorly. This studio also charged us for asking to change our class date (we asked several days in advance). read more

Ignite Glass Studios - This one came out nicely! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place was awesome! I bought the Groupon for the 2 person, private glass making class and we had a ton of fun. The space is gorgeous and made me feel like I wasn't in the city anymore. They have a huge open space that can be used for weddings, company parties, etc. and a huge outdoor space too. The instructor that we were paired with was awesome. He was super hands on but also let us really make the art ourselves. He was able to answer all of our questions and taught us about the process in detail. I made a wine glass and a flower vase and both turned out beautifully. I will definitely be returning here and it was totally worth the money! read more

Our instructor Alan was fantastic! We could not have asked for a better coach to make some glass with! The facility is very clean and well kept. The instructions are clear and it's fun and easy! Considering that we had no experience with glass blowing, I felt that we got to do a lot of hands on things. This is a great date night or just a very fun and memorable experience! read more

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Very cool place, very nice people, very hot glory holes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kjtr35bKaWI I came here with my Valentine for Ignite's "date night" special that included making small glass hearts while enjoying sparkling wine and chocolates. We saw this promo mentioned on the news leading up to V day, and it sounded fun... The front lobby has a range of fine glassware for purchase (paperweights, vases, glass art), and the back area includes a large space where they can host private events, accommodate tables, bleachers, etc. - and of course, there's a glass studio. This is an impressive work space with all kinds of tools, benches/tables, and gigantic crazy-hot furnaces / kilns where the glass is heated. The back area was all decked out for V day, so it was very festive for our group. We sipped some wine and enjoyed some chocolate prior to making our hearts and also spoke with several employees about Ignite and our interests, what brought us there, etc. Every single staff member we met was super friendly and down to earth. The instructors were guiding us, hands on, step-by-step so even though we had no clue what we were doing, we felt comfortable. Ignite has a range of classes and workshops all year round, so if you're looking for something different to try out, I say go for it! We had a lot of fun. read more

Ignite Glass Studios - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We had a private event here tonight with a DJ, photographers, catering, open bar and photo booth. Very nice venue. Staff was super friendly. They have tons of glass blown artwork and it's all for sale. Simple stuff from $10 to some very meticulously designed stuff for a few Thousand. Price versus what you where getting seemed reasonable at all price points. I picked up a paper weight for my new office and a Decanter. I wanted a top for the decanter however, it didn't come with one. Alex, one of the artist went down stairs and made one for me. It was truly custom because, I made a few changes. All this for under $100. This place is AMAZING! read more

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I photographed a rooftop wedding at Ignite Glass Studios and just loved the combination of this venues industrial and modern interior. Also loved the great green space provided for the cocktail hour outdoors. The rooftop offers spectacular views of the city and is such a special space! While the interior Reception space is a photographers dream as light just bounces from all angles do to the white walls and ceiling along with a wall of windows which lets in so much beautiful natural light. If anyone is looking to get married in the city of Chicago- Ignite Glass Studios should definitely be top on your list! I can't wait to go back soon :) This wedding was recently featured on the wedding blog- Artfully Wed Check out my website to see more from this awesome wedding: http://coachhousepictures.com/featured-on-artfully-wed/ read more

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Ugh. I wanted to like this place so much. I took my fiance here for his birthday and was really expecting a very hands-on class for a full hour. Instead, what we got was a 40-minute class where we watched a guy make a massive, undrinkable, crooked whisky glass and a ornament so heavy that it cant hang on christmas tree.. Not sure if it depends on who you get as your instructor, but we both felt like we barely did anything. We spun the glass once, blew once, and then the guy pretty much did it all. On top of that, he didn't do it well and now we have these 2 massive glass structures that we paid $120+ for and have no idea what to do with. Really disappointed and not recommended. read more

I was a guest at the venue and these are my thoughts. Its a nice concept but a little over inflated. Parking is on your own and no guidance from the venue personal. The grass area is more like a mud pit with chairs stuck in the mud. I can not see how anyone in heels could walk in this area. You may want to consider Astro turf or brick. The servers were disorganized, one person taking empty wine glasses off the table and another randomly filling them. My wife had her glass taken before the toasts. NO one filling water glasses. ( I guess there is a one glass limit) Our meal came when most people were finished!? and we were not the last served. Took too long to finalize serving almost 40 Min from start to finish. Meal portions are all over the place from small to over filled. My meal was cold to warm. Most people I talked to said they wanted more. The only thing I could think is they had had a food truck in the alley making 10 plates at a time and have disorganized servers. The snacks before dinner were also stale and cold. We had no access to the roof and never saw anyone blow glass. The bar tenders were able to make basic drinks and that was good except I wanted a coke and got it in a wine glass? Overall not what I expect for the price paid. If you are considering having an event here ask questions and demand time limits as it seems they were winging it. No one wants to spoil an event by bringing this up during the event. read more

Went here using a Groupon for a glass blowing class. I didn't know what to expect, but it definitely surpassed anything I thought the class would be. The space is amazing, the teachers are very helpful and explain things well, the finished product is a really fun "souvenir", and it's just an overall great activity. They also give back to the community there which is really cool to hear about read more

I had the first spring wedding of 2014 at Ignite. Monica is the on-site coordinator there for weddings and is very nice and super responsive. I was lucky when I signed my contract, the outdoor space was included in the total rental cost. Now, the rooftop deck is an additional charge (but oh, so worth it if you can take a bet on nice weather). The ceilings are nice and high (but be sure to mention this to any lighting vendors) and there is an outdoor patio that your guests can easily stumble outside and hang out at (complete with a fire pit and lawn chairs). The kids in our wedding loved being able to go outside (so did the smokers). Parking is easy. Security comes with the rental charge. Catering vendors were able to pull in easily and get started right away. It was just a dream from start to finish. Would absolutely recommend getting married on the roof with the skyline background. Incredible! read more

My husband and I were looking for unique loft spaces and came across Ignite where we ended up throwing an epic wedding here, which was the best decision we made! First let me say that Monica, the events manager there is such a pleasure to work with. She is so organized and every time we met or talked with her, we felt confident that our special day was going to be perfect. Monica had great ideas for ways we could incorporate the event space's glass into our day as well! It is rare to find such a nice, attentive and passionate event manager. Her love of the space and glass art is clearly evident, which made us fall in love with it too. We are so lucky to have worked with Monica. She truly is the BEST! We took advantage of all spaces in the venue which I highly recommend. We used the lawn for our ceremony, glass blowing demonstration during the cocktail hour, dinner in the main event space and dancing on the rooftop which has beautiful views of the city. The pictures of all our friends and family dancing with a Chicago skyline backdrop turned out amazing. read more

Know two huge stoners who just got engaged? This is the Fairytale Château for their wedding needs! This place not only has amazing city views, a gorgeous grass courtyard, and 3,300 square feet of unobstructed raw space, but it's littered with all sorts of cool art from the glass blowing studio it's home to as well. Seriously...such a unique venue for any occasion, and of course non-smokers are welcome as well. :-) read more

Just had one of the best Tuesday nights ever taking a glass making experience from Ignite. The artists are all super chill and incredibly friendly. You learn a ton and get to make a selection of projects of your choice! I can't recommend this place enough for the quality of the time spent with them. So excited to see how all the pieces finally come out once they finish baking! read more

My husband and I stumbled upon Ignite Glass Studios (IGS) after an extensive search for a wedding venue. We reached out IGS and received a response immediately. We decided to go for a walk through to check out the venue and get some details about cost and other logistics. An employee who no longer works there met us and took us on a tour. She was incredibly welcoming and very knowledgeable of all the information a potential client would ask. From the first moment my wife and I walked into the space, we knew this was the space. This venue is so beautiful and all the people working there are so nice! For our wedding we chose to use the main venue space and the rooftop; so worth it! After we signed the contract to hold our date, the original person we were in contact with left IGS and Genevieve and Amanda took over. They were so easy to work with helped make the transition go smoothly. As we got closer to the day of our wedding, there was potential for rain in the forecast which would have altered our original cocktail hour plan on the rooftop. Even though we were hoping not to use them, both Genevieve and Amanda came up with a couple of weather plans to help put our minds at ease in the event we would need to stay inside. Additionally, are our other main vendors (Cocina Fusion and An Event Less Ordinary) came through IGS recommendations and we couldn't have been happier with them. So amazing. We can't speak highly enough of the IGS event space and the IGS staff. They truly exceeded our expectations and made our day that much better. read more

This is an updated review. Trish the co-owner of Ignite took my displeasure very seriously. They have apologized and extended disciplinary measures to the young lady that acted inappropriately. She cares about her business immensely and I appreciate the time and willingness to address my concern. They even sent a lovely glass pumpkin for the holidays! Dear Ignite, Sorry I didn't have a better experience but if your response is an indication of your day to day customer service then you deserve 5 stars! Sincerely, LaKia read more

Awesome place! Starting off anyplace in the city where you can easily find free parking is a winner in my book. :) I went their for a Carnivour drink/ glass blowing event and it was so much fun! I love the set up of the event space. I found there to be plenty of seating and they use the space wisely. There's even an outdoor area that was really nice. I hope to go to more events here in the future. read more

Ignite Glass Studios - Watching some glass blowing :) - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Our company had a holiday party there. We all made our glasses objects. We got all our objects back in several weeks. However, many of us find out those are definitely not the one we made during the time. I made a teardrop shape wine stopper with mixed blue, purple, and white color. However, I get a twisted yellow one today... But the owner quickly respond to my complaint and I appreciate that. Hopefully we can get our own back soon. read more

Been wanting to do a glass blowing class for some time and came across the Groupon for Ignite Glass Studios to make our own drinking glasses. I have looked into other classes in the city but my favorite thing about this one was that we got to choose the colors for the glass instead of making it clear. We picked purple & maroon and purple & white! The class lasted about an hour for two people and we both got 1 on 1 instruction from our instructor, Josh (who was absolutely amazing!). Even when the other person wasn't getting the hands on lesson, you still felt fully involved and Josh made sure to have you "help" the other person. Josh explained everything so we understood why we were doing something and always involved us from start to finish. The studio seemed small but it was the perfect size to make us feel like welcomed guests while giving us the opportunity to see the other instructors play around with hot glass throughout the session. The mini studio in the lobby was very cool because the pieces in there are created by the instructors so you know you are getting lessons from a skilled professional. It was so much fun and we both left with huge smiles on our faces. If a Groupon is not available, I would still recommend this as it was a unique date day that we can't stop talking about. I am already looking into what we can do next with Ignite Glass Studio! read more

Ignite made our wedding day absolutely perfect! The team was extremely responsive to all of our emails and provided detailed information. The venue looked absolutely stunning day of. We felt taken care of from start to finish and would highly recommend other couples consider this space if they want something unique. read more

I planned an off site team meeting here recently (12 of us). The on-site meeting room was perfect and the evening glass blowing experience was unique and a lot of fun. The artists worked with people individually which worked out well. While everyone else waited for their turn we ate some delicious food from Fig catering, watched others creating their masterpiece, and had great conversations in a relaxed environment. They let us plug in our music preference which helped set the tone for a high energy session. Maureen was great; very accommodating and professional delivering a high level of service! I would highly recommend Ignite for off site meetings and events!! read more

Ignite Glass Studios was the perfect space for our eclectic, slightly nontraditional wedding that we'd both claim was one of the best days of our lives! We wanted someplace artsy, someplace with a rooftop view of the city for our ceremony, and someplace that had space for food trucks to pull up in front for dinner for our guests, and would let us bring in our own alcohol so long as it was staffed appropriately. And we needed to keep it all relatively in budget in an expensive city. Ignite hit all of those options, more than any other venue in Chicago frankly! Having the rooftop, downstairs area which included the glass blowing studio space, and the outside lawn with the strung patio lights all at your disposal makes you feel like you're getting 3 spaces in one - very versatile. The setting lends it's own color and décor, which also helped us have less to worry about. The staff at Ignite was very helpful throughout the planning process, and encouraged us to set up a walkthrough as we neared the wedding so many of our vendors could see the space. The added touch of the unity ceremony, where we combined glass beads during our rooftop ceremony that were then made into a glass piece for us during the reception (which guests could watch), was a really unique addition. Highly recommend Ignite Glass Studios for your wedding or next big event! - keRi + patrick read more

My fiancee and I took a class here this morning and wow! what a fun experience. We worked with Pearl, who was an excellent instructor, and blew a couple of awesome bowls. I'd come back anytime, and would definitely recommend stopping by if you have the opportunity. read more

Took two beginner classes: paper weight and free-for-all (made two plates, ruler & pendants). What fun! Lovely studio in the West Loop, very clean. Lots of equipment. Experienced instructors who love what they do. Plenty of street parking. read more

Ignite Glass Studios - I made this! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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