Entry No. 34 — the Helena file — filed under: hands-on
Birdseye Glass Craft
Tucked into the subterranean level of the historic New York Building on Helena's downtown Walking Mall, beneath Ten Mile Creek Brewery, Birdseye Glass Craft teaches stained glass to absolute beginners with all supplies provided. In a single sitting you cut, foil, and solder your own panel under the guidance of the studio's instructors. There is a gift shop of glass work on-site too.
The story
You descend into the subterranean level of the historic New York Building on Last Chance Gulch, slipping beneath the noise of Ten Mile Creek Brewery directly above. Down here in the basement air, the hum of downtown Helena fades into the sharp bite of glass scoring tools and the metallic smell of hot solder.
Stained glass feels like an intimidating, monastic trade until you actually sit down at a bench here. Birdseye Glass Craft strips away the fuss: you pick up a wheel cutter, score raw sheets, wrap cut edges in copper foil, and join them with a iron in a single sitting. You leave with a glass heart or window panel you built with your own hands rather than something pulled off a store shelf.
If you aren't ready to handle molten lead and razor-sharp edges yourself, the studio operates an on-site gift shop filled with original stained glass work and custom commission pieces, keeping a traditional craft working quietly underground.
What it's like
Head down the basement stairs beneath Ten Mile Creek Brewery on the Walking Mall. The studio is functional and working-focused, filled with light tables, sheets of colored glass, and soldering stations. Workshop spots require advance sign-up, but you can drop down during open hours to check out the glass art in the gift shop. Wear closed-toe shoes if you're taking a class—you will be handling real glass shards.
The move: Take a one-day beginner stained-glass workshop and solder a small panel like a heart to hang in your window.
- 📍 Helena
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 618 N Last Chance Gulch, Helena, MT 59601
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- The Rathskeller at the Montana Club — Double down on subterranean downtown spots by grabbing a drink at this historic basement bar just down the gulch.
- The Bullwhacker Statue — Climb back up to street level on the Walking Mall to see John B. Weaver's bronze tribute to frontier trail drivers.
- Windbag Saloon & Grill — Grab lunch a few doors down in an 1882 building that previously housed a bowling alley and upstairs brothel.
- Curiouser and Curiouser — Keep the handmade art train rolling down the block with a visit to a retired philosophy professor's gallery of quirky urban folk art.
Good to know
Do I need any prior experience to take a class?
Not at all. Beginner workshops are built for total novices, providing all tools, glass, and safety gear while guiding you from raw glass sheet to finished panel.
Where is Birdseye Glass Craft located?
It sits in the subterranean level of the historic New York Building on the Last Chance Gulch Walking Mall, directly underneath Ten Mile Creek Brewery.
Can I buy glass art without taking a workshop?
Yes, the space includes an on-site gift shop featuring finished glass pieces and offers custom commission work.
What types of classes do they run?
They host single-session beginner workshops where you finish a small panel like a heart, as well as multi-part project courses like stained glass lamp building.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · helenamt.com · Yelp
last checked: 2026-06-24