Entry No. 53 — the Des Moines file — filed under: hands-on
JJ Gaffers Glass Blowing Studio
A working hot shop tucked into the lower level of Mainframe Studios, the country's largest nonprofit arts campus. Prices are charged per piece rather than per person (roughly $50-$400 depending on color choice and complexity), with more than thirty project options from ornaments and hearts to bowls, vases, and small sculptures. You book by emailing your dates, your piece, and your color preferences, then work the molten glass hands-on under a gaffer's guidance. Open Wednesday through Sunday, with a 25 percent surcharge on weekend sessions.
The story
Tucked into Suite LL02 on the lower level of Mainframe Studios—a massive former telecommunications facility turned nonprofit art center—JJ Gaffers runs an unfiltered, working glass hot shop. You won't find sleek retail displays or polished showroom trickery here; this is a space built for raw heat, metal pipes, and glowing gather off the furnace.
The booking system itself ignores standard automated widgets. To get in, you email info@jjgaffers.com directly with your dates, the specific project you want to tackle, and your preferred color palette. Because sessions are billed per object rather than per head—ranging anywhere from $50 up to $400 based on color choice and overall complexity—you can split a single build between two people without paying double admission.
Under the watchful eye of a seasoned gaffer, you handle the punty rod yourself, dipping into molten glass and shaping the mass into one of over thirty available forms, from solid hearts and ornaments to blown bowls and technical small sculptures.
What it's like
Navigate down to the basement level of Mainframe Studios on Keosauqua Way and follow the dry heat to LL02. Wear natural fibers you don't mind getting dusty, and leave synthetic fabrics at home—you're standing close to active combustion. There are no walk-ins here; every slot requires emailing ahead and buying the specific class certificate for your object. If you schedule your session on a Saturday or Sunday, expect a mandatory 25 percent weekend surcharge added to the base price.
The move: Email ahead to reserve a slot, then take turns gathering and shaping molten glass off the punty to blow a single heart or ornament you both finish together.
📍 Before you go Classes are by appointment via info@jjgaffers.com; you must purchase the class certificate for the piece being made, and weekend slots cost 25% more.
- 📍 Downtown / River Bend (Mainframe Studios)
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 900 Keosauqua Way, Suite LL02, Des Moines, IA 50309
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Emily MacFarland Ceramics — Stay inside Mainframe Studios and take the elevator up to the fourth floor to trade furnace heat for wet clay at a pottery wheel.
- Inner Space — ZeroBody Dry Float & Salt Lounge — Cool off right down Keosauqua Way with a dry float suspension session after spending an hour next to the glass furnaces.
- Good News, Darling — Head into Downtown Des Moines after your studio session to decompress with a quiet drink in a 26-seat room hidden behind Hello, Marjorie.
Good to know
How do I reserve a glassblowing session?
You must email info@jjgaffers.com with your preferred dates, the item you want to make, and your color choices, then buy the corresponding class certificate online.
How does pricing work at JJ Gaffers?
Projects are priced per piece made rather than per person, running roughly $50 to $400 depending on complexity and color choices. Weekend bookings carry a 25 percent surcharge.
What can you actually make in the hot shop?
The menu includes more than thirty distinct projects, ranging from simple glass hearts and seasonal ornaments to complex bowls, vases, and small freestanding glass sculptures.
When is the studio open?
JJ Gaffers operates Wednesday through Sunday by appointment only. Be sure to confirm your exact session time ahead of your visit.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site
last checked: 2026-06-23