Blooming great audio tour for the Red House Glass Cone

The Red House Glass Cone has unveiled a brand-new digital audio guide after partnering with internationally renowned Bloomberg Connects.

It means the cone joins sites such as the National Portrait Gallery, The Design Museum, The Hepworth and The Imperial War Museum, to offer visitors an enhanced and more accessible way to explore the heritage site.

The guide, developed over a 10-week cohort programme with Bloomberg, is now available through the Bloomberg Connects app - a free digital platform that enables users to discover more than 1,000 museums, galleries and cultural spaces worldwide.

Visitors simply download the free Bloomberg Connects app on their smartphone, search for the Red House Glass Cone, and begin their journey. The guide can be used on-site to navigate around the building or accessed remotely for those who want to explore from home. By combining storytelling, practical visitor information and highlights from across the site, the guide acts as both an introduction and a companion—helping visitors make the most of their time at the Cone.

Alongside the launch, the cone has strengthened its commitment to accessibility. Support from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has enabled staff to undertake accessibility training and develop an updated Accessibility Guide for the site. These efforts have already resulted in a number of practical improvements designed to make visits more inclusive.

In addition, the Red House Glass Cone is featured on AccessAble, a leading UK organisation known for producing detailed, reliable accessibility guides based on in-person assessments. Visitors can now access comprehensive, factual information about the site’s facilities, helping them plan their visit with confidence.

Councillor Damian Corfield, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “This digital guide is a fantastic enhancement to the visitor experience,” said a spokesperson for the Red House Glass Cone.

“It helps us promote the site more widely while improving accessibility and storytelling. Importantly, it’s a flexible platform that can continue to grow-we’ll be able to update and expand the content over time to make it even more comprehensive.”

While on site, visitors can also visit the hot glass studio and other craft studios, call in at the gift shop, view the exhibitions on site and visit the Heavenly Baking coffee shop.

The new Bloomberg Connects guide is available now and can be accessed online.