Red Wing Pottery

Red Wing Pottery manufactures items that are known for their collectibility, quality and functionality, and there's no better place to check it out than where it's made. While the salt- and Bristol-glazed items--crockery, canisters, covered bowls, cookie jars, spoon rests, lamps and the like--may look like they come from the mid-1800s, which is when Red Wing started, they boast modern features, such as being lead-free and dishwasher/microwave-safe. Adding to their collectibility, each bears the company's distinctive logo and is signed and dated by the potter. Some are adorned with the name of what's stored inside-cookies, butter, maple syrup etc.--and for $60, you can personalize a jug by having your name painted on it. Although they don't manufacture Fiesta dinnerware, they do sell it, and this store is the largest single retail outlet for that brand in the country. To learn more about the company, tour the pottery-making area to watch items being thrown and decorated by hand or visit the Red Wing Pottery Museum in the downtown Pottery Place Mall. You can also take a tour of the nearby Red Wing Stoneware factory, which is owned by the same company.