About Kokomo Opalescent Glass
Kokomo Opalescent Glass began production in 1888 during Indiana’s natural-gas boom. Its hand-mixed sheets soon traveled far beyond Kokomo. An early shipment went to Tiffany, and surviving recipes cover hundreds of color combinations, textures, and densities developed across more than a century.
The factory became known for the intensely colored, marbled glass used by artists and architectural studios. Historic production involved ladling molten glass and rolling it into sheets, an industrial process that looked closer to cooking lava than making a window. The old brick complex and its long association with American art glass make it a fascinating piece of working-class design history.
The company announced that it is no longer manufacturing glass or offering factory tours, so older travel pages describing daily furnace demonstrations are out of date. The Op Shop remains open at posted hours and continues to sell glass and related goods. Visitors should confirm current access before traveling and treat the site as a historic shop stop rather than an active factory-tour attraction.