Entry No. 30 — the Salt Lake City file — filed under: glassblowing
Holdman Studios
A stained-glass studio best known for cathedral-scale commissioned windows that also opens its hot shop for blown-glass classes, letting visitors gather molten glass on a pipe at 2,100°F and pull their own ornament or vessel into shape before it cools.
The story
Since 1991, Holdman Studios has built an international reputation doing heavy-artisan work: cathedral-scale stained-glass installations shipped to institutions around the globe. But tucked inside their Lehi workshop on Sycamore Lane is a side of the operation that lets you step right up to the fire. Instead of keeping visitors behind velvet ropes, they open up their hot shop for hands-on classes where you stand face-to-face with furnaces burning at 2,100°F.
The pull here isn't just looking at finished leaded glass—it's the raw physical sensation of working with liquid molten rock. Under the eye of a master artisan, you plunge a blowpipe into the white-hot furnace, gather a glowing glob of glass, and manipulate it with wet wooden blocks and metal tongs before it stiffens into shape. You didn't hear it from us, but trying to control liquid glass while standing in radiating furnace heat makes every standard craft night look completely faint-hearted.
What it's like
Expect high temperatures, heavy air currents from the ventilation hood, and the metallic hum of a working industrial hot shop. You will work one-on-one with an instructor to dip into the molten glass, blow or pull your design, and transfer it into the annealing oven. Because glass shatters if cooled too quickly, you won't carry your creation out the door that day; expect to pick it up after it completes a slow, regulated cool-down. Wear natural fibers like cotton, strict closed-toe shoes, and double-check class availability and studio hours before driving out.
The move: Take a blown-glass class together and each design and pull your own piece from molten glass at 2,100°F, then browse the studio's cathedral-window gallery while your pieces finish annealing.
- 📍 Lehi
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 2472 West Sycamore Lane, Lehi, UT 84043
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- John Hutchings Museum of Natural History — Just three miles away in Lehi, swap the intense furnace heat for an old-school cabinet of oddities containing rock cases, local relics, and historic artifacts.
- Salt Cave & Selenite Crystal Cave at Synchronicities — Contrast the blazing 2,100°F hot shop with a cool, dimmed lounge surrounded by 10,000 pounds of ionized Himalayan salt up in Sandy.
- The Conjuring Tree — Head north to keep the artisanal, element-focused vibe going inside a shop packed with forged tools, herbs, and handcrafted cauldrons.
Good to know
Can I take my finished glass home immediately after class?
No. Hot glass requires an annealing process—a slow cooling period inside a specialized oven—to relieve internal stress and prevent the piece from shattering, so you'll need to return later to pick up your piece.
What should I wear to a hot shop session?
Stick to natural fibers like 100% cotton, strictly avoid synthetic materials that could melt under intense radiant heat, wear closed-toe shoes, and avoid loose or hanging clothing.
Do I need prior experience in glasswork to take a class?
No, the studio's make-and-take style workshops are structured for beginners with instructors guiding every step of the gathering, shaping, and cooling process.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · utahsadventurefamily.com
last checked: 2026-07-20