A Little Magic in the City: Magnificent Mushroom Hunt Marvels in its 4th Year - Pittsburgh Glass Center Skip to content April 2, 2026 A Little Magic in the City: Magnificent Mushroom Hunt Marvels in its 4th Year On the first day of spring, a little magic sprouted up across Pittsburgh city parks. Tucked into tree roots and shrubs, nestled under benches, perched along paths, and hidden next to landmarks, fountains, and playgrounds, 25 handmade glass mushrooms popped up for Pittsburgh Glass Center’s 4th Annual Magnificent Glass Mushroom Hunt. The project first came to life four years ago through a partnership with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy (PPC) , allowing the idea of a glass mushroom hunt to stretch across the city’s incredible public parks and blossom into a highly anticipated annual event. PPC identified parks that invited exploration, parks where people already gathered and played, or brand new parks like Hays Woods that the community might not have yet discovered. From the wooded trails to neighborhood lawns, these parks became the stage to celebrate the return of spring and get folks excited about glass! Artists were recruited to handmake each unique glass mushroom in Pittsburgh Glass Center’s Hot Shop. PGC staff, board members, plus friends and family were asked to volunteer and venture out to 25 different parks and stealthily hide the fabulous fungi, take photos, and document their secret locations. The hunt was announced on the first day of spring and photos of clues to their hidden locations were strategically released on PGC’s Instagram. Then, just as mysteriously as they appeared, the mushrooms were collected, photographed, and carried off into their new homes. While every mushroom is a beautiful small treasure in itself, the hunt also included an added layer of excitement. Each mushroom comes with a free Walk In + Make-It-Now experience at Pittsburgh Glass Center. When mushroom finders post their discoveries on Instagram and tag @pghglasscenter they receive directions on how to redeem a FREE glassmaking experience to step inside the hot shop, work with glass firsthand, and experience a similar creative process to the one that brought their mushroom to life. This year, the hunt was more than a fun project; it was also a milestone celebrating 25 years of Pittsburgh Glass Center . Twenty-five years of bringing creativity, experimentation, and community together, celebrated with 25 fabulous fungi and free glassmaking for 25 finders. Did you miss your chance to find a mushroom? Keep an eye on Instagram throughout the rest of the year. To continue the 25-year celebration, we have an ongoing citywide glass scavenger hunt. You can find one unique glass object hidden somewhere in the city each month, all year long. Each handcrafted object is made by one of our talented glass artists at Pittsburgh Glass Center. Clues about item locations will drop monthly through our social channels, leading glass hunters to parks, landmarks, and unexpected corners of the city. Finders get to keep the glass piece as a one-of-a-kind anniversary keepsake and share their discovery as part of our ongoing celebration. Join the hunt, explore the city, and help us mark 25 years of glass, adventure, and community. And check back next year for our 5th Annual Marvelous Mushroom Hunt announced on the first day of spring 2027. Hot Shop Activities With the help of an instructor, participants will learn how to transform 2,000°F molten glass into a unique glass artwork. Sculpted items will be manipulated and shaped with various metal hand tools. Blown items will be inflated via a flexible tube attached to a blow pipe. The Hot Shop, as the name might suggest, can get warm at times, particularly during summer months. That being said, the activity will only take about 10-15 minutes per person so you won’t be warm for long. We encourage our guests to wear lighter, natural material clothing for safety and comfort. Visitors are welcome to bring water bottles and a water fountain/filling station is available. These activities will involves sitting, standing, and walking around. Suitable for ages 5 and up. Kiln Shop Fusing Activities Combine brilliantly colored pieces of glass granules and thin glass strands to create a one-of-a-kind luminous fused glass artwork. Once you design it, we’ll fire it, so that all pieces become one. Participants will work seated in our climate-controlled Classroom and with room temperature pieces of glass. You will begin with a glass tile that acts as your “canvas,” then arrange the colorful glass granules and thin glass strands into a design of your choosing. Once the designs are complete, suncatchers are placed in a kiln overnight to melt (fuse) together forever. Suitable for ages 5 and up. Flame Shop Activities With the help of an instructor, participants will learn how to use tools and a tabletop torch to melt and manipulate glass rods and transform them into truly one-of-a-kind objects. These activities take place in our climate controlled Flame Shop, which involves working with a flame, but is not nearly as warm as our Hot Shop. Participants will be sitting at a workstation, making this option slightly more accessible and less physically demanding. Suitable for ages 8 and up. ARTISTS EDUCATORS SHOP JOIN & GIVE DONATE NOW