20 Things To Do In Toledo, Ohio

Toledo is one of Ohio’s larger cities and straddles the Ohio-Michigan state border in northwest Ohio. Perched on the banks of Lake Erie, the city was founded in 1837 and flourished as a vital link between Lake Erie and the manufacturing plants of Ohio during the 20th century.

Toledo is a modern and cosmopolitan urban sprawl with plenty of culture, nature, history and entertainment to discover and enjoy. Named after the Spanish city of Toledo, Ohio’s Toledo has an impressive zoo and magnificent architecture that has inspired famous architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, all within an hour’s drive from Downtown Detroit.

Toledo, Ohio

20 Things To Do In Toledo

1- Reconnect with Nature at the Wildwood Preserve Metropark

Toledo’s most visited Metropark, Wildwood Preserve, spans a total area of 493 acres (200 ha), including the former estate of Toledo’s Stranahan family.

The park is renowned for its Midwestern prairie and flatland biomes, which visitors can easily enjoy thanks to its many nature trails and scenic attractions.

Not only is the Wildwood Preserve Metropark a fascinating natural landmark in Toledo, but the park is just as historically significant.

Visitors to the park can enjoy amazing sights such as the Stranahan’s Georgian Colonial-style Manor House, built in 1938 for Robert Stranahan, and the park’s incredible range of plant and animal species.

Wildwood Preserve Metropark is at 5100 Central Ave, Toledo, OH 43615.

2- Discover Toledo Zoo

Toledo Zoo is impressive, featuring over 10,000 individual animals and more than 720 species across the facility’s zoo and aquarium.

Covering an area of 52 acres (21 ha), the Toledo Zoo first opened in 1900 and has since grown into the number one tourist attraction in Toledo.

Housing animals from virtually every biome in the world and hosting several special events throughout the calendar year, the Toledo Zoo is an unmissable attraction in Toledo and the wider northwest Ohio region.

Toledo Zoo is at 2 Hippo Way, Toledo, OH 43609.

3- Learn and Explore at the Imagination Station

The Imagination Station in Downtown Toledo is northwest Ohio’s science, technology, engineering and math hub.

Opened in 2009 to educate and inspire people of all ages about working and living in the 21st century, the facility is filled with fun and engaging interactive exhibits.

The Imagination Station’s exhibit space is divided into six separate areas, each dedicated to a different section of the STEM fields.

The facility’s rotating displays ensure that visitors are exposed to cutting-edge displays and educational material, making the Imagination Station a fantastic landmark in Toledo and a must when travelling with kids.

Imagination Station is at 1 Discovery Way, Toledo, OH 43604.

4- See the Impressive Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral

The Roman Catholic Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral is the home base of the 122 Roman Catholic parishes that make up Toledo.

Apart from being a significant site for practising Catholics in the Midwest, the church is renowned for its stunning Spanish Plateresque-style architecture that perfectly resembles a typical European cathedral.

Founded by Samuel Stritch and completed in 1931 during the Great Depression, the church features beautiful murals inside, a limestone and marble basilica layout, and an original Ernest M. Skinner organ.

Meticulously restored between 2000 and 2010, the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral is one of Toledo’s most striking landmarks and an absolute delight to tour whilst travelling around northwest Ohio.

Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral is at 2535 Collingwood Blvd, Toledo, OH 43610.

5- Relax Inside the Oak Openings Preserve

The sprawling Oak Openings Preserve is the largest Metropark in the entire Metroparks system at 5,000 acres (2,023 ha) and is home to several biomes that ranges from wetlands to oak-vegetated sand.

Named one of the 200 “Last Great Places on Earth” by the Nature Conservancy, the Oak Openings Preserve is one of the greatest outdoor destinations in Toledo, with hiking, cross-country skiing and horseback riding available inside the preserve.

The preserve is home to the only public treehouse village in the United States and several campgrounds.

The Oak Openings Preserve is available to glampers and campers wishing to spend a night or two inside the preserve.

Oak Openings Preserve is at 4139 Girdham Rd, Swanton, OH 43558.

6- Discover Toledo’s History at the Fort Meigs Historic Site

Situated in Perrysburg, just south of Toledo, the Fort Meigs Historic Site was an important battlefield during the War of 1812 between the US and the British.

The Fort Meigs Historic Site covers over 10 acres and features the largest reconstructed wooden fort in Ohio.

The site was acquired by the Ohio Historical Society during the 60s and officially opened to the public after the fort was rebuilt in 1974.

The Fort Meigs Historic Site is one of Toledo’s most unique landmarks to visit and features tour guides dressed in periodically-correct outfits, battlefield re-enactments and a museum with historical artefacts.

Fort Meigs Historic Site is at 29100 W River Rd, Perrysburg, OH 43551.

7- Buy Fresh Produce at the Toledo Farmers’ Market

The Toledo Farmers’ Market was established in 1832 as a way for the local farmers of northwest Ohio to reach and sell their produce to the residents of Toledo.

Since its inception, the market has continued to grow in popularity and size, and today features everything from baked goods to antiques at its current location.

The Toledo Farmer’s Market is a wonderful destination to stop by if you’re looking for fresh produce, one-of-a-kind gifts, or just interested in interacting with the local communities of northwest Ohio.

Toledo Farmers’ Market is at 525 Market St, Toledo, OH 43604.

8- Stroll Through Providence Metropark

Providence Metropark is south of Downtown Toledo along the banks of the Maumee River in what was once a canal town along the Miami and Erie Canal during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Providence Metropark offers visitors a unique park experience by preserving the life and history of the canal’s heyday, which visitors can discover and explore.

Providence Metropark is one of northwest Ohio’s premier outdoor landmarks, featuring attractions such as the last functioning 19th-century limestone lock and a 60-foot (18 m) replica canal boat.

Providence Metropark is at 13827 S River Rd, Grand Rapids, OH 43522.

9- See the Toledo Symphony Orchestra

Created in 1943 to support and celebrate local artists and musicians, the Toledo Symphony Orchestra has grown into one of Toledo’s most popular cultural attractions that draw over 260,000 annual spectators to the symphony’s performances.

The Toledo Symphony Orchestra is made up of 69 full-time musicians and several part-time musicians who perform in various locations throughout Toledo and the surrounding areas.

The symphony organises several performances throughout the year, which are always a treat to attend.

10- Catch a Game at Fifth Third Field

Toledo’s Fifth Third Field is situated in the city’s popular Warehouse District and is the official home of the Detroit Tigers Triple-A affiliate baseball team, the Toledo Mud Hens.

The stadium opened in 2002 and has been voted by Newsweek as the best Minor League Baseball stadium in the country.

It hosts over 70 games annually and is located right in the heart of Toledo’s best nightlife, dining options and shops.

Catching a live baseball game at Fifth Third Field is one of the best activities visitors to Toledo could partake in, with rowdy fans and great baseball on display virtually every game day.

Fifth Third Field is at 406 Washington St, Toledo, OH 43604.

11- Let Your Hair Down at Hensville Park

Hensville Park is Downtown Toledo’s entertainment capital, home to the city’s top restaurants, bars, attractions and shopping venues.

The park provides Downtown Toledo with a multipurpose open-air venue capable of hosting all sorts of private and public events.

Within the Warehouse District, Hensville Park is walking distance from Fifth Third Field and hosts several events throughout the year ranging from live music concerts to community yoga sessions.

If a show or event is going on in Downtown Toledo, it’s almost certainly being hosted at Hensville Park.

Hensville Park is at N St Clair St, Toledo, OH 43604.

12- Sample Craft Beer at the Maumee Bay Brewing Co.

Maumee Bay Brewing Co. became Toledo’s first craft brewery when it opened in 1995 and is currently the city’s oldest brewery still in operation.

Housed inside Toledo’s historic Oliver House, the brewery doubles as a restaurant and bar, serving up bar classics paired with locally produced beers.

The Maumee Bay Brewing Co. has 14 unique beers on tap, all brewed in-house, which patrons can only sample at the brewery, such as their Original Buckeye Beer and their Glass Hopper IPA.

Whether you’re looking for something to eat or drink, the Maumee Bay Brewing Co. is the place to go in Downtown Toledo.

Maumee Bay Brewing Co. is at 27 Broadway St, Toledo, OH 43604.

13- Explore the Toledo Botanical Garden

The incredibly scenic Toledo Botanical Garden was established in 1964 after 20 acres (8 ha) of private land was donated to the City of Toledo by George P. Crosby.

Since its humble beginnings, the botanical garden has grown into a 60-acre (24 ha) centre for arts and horticulture, which welcomes over 120,000 visitors annually.

From its beautiful arrays of flowers, shrubs, trees and plants to the live music performances held inside the garden during summer, the Toledo Botanical Garden is a lovely destination to spend a relaxing afternoon with friends and family.

Toledo Botanical Garden is at 5403 Elmer Dr, Toledo, OH 43615.

14- Tour the Toledo Museum of Art

Established in 1901, the world-renowned Toledo Museum of Art is the city’s arts and culture capital, with a collection of paintings, prints, furniture, sculptures, and artefacts that’ll rival even the most prestigious art institutions in the world.

The museum is free to visit and doubles as an educative centre where visitors are introduced to all sorts of topics, including glass-blowing and child-oriented arts classes.

The museum also organises guided tours of the entire facility, making it one of Toledo’s top landmarks, especially if you’re a fan of world-class art.

Toledo Museum of Art is at 2445 Monroe Street, Toledo, Ohio 43620.

15- See Toledo’s Old West End

The historic Old West End encompasses more than 25 city blocks in Toledo and has one of the largest collections of Victorian, Dutch-Colonial, Queen Anne, Georgian, and Italian Renaissance homes in the United States.

Established in 1818, when a lone log cabin was built in the area, the Old West End started gaining prominence among Toledo’s elite during the 1870s.

The neighbourhood’s houses range in size and style, and its perfectly-preserved nature made it popular among aspiring architects during the 20th century, including Frank Lloyd Wright.

Today, the Old West End is a wonderful area to stroll around, with loads of Toledo history to discover around every corner.

16- Spot the Historic Toledo Harbor Lighthouse

Situated at the meeting point between Lake Erie and Maumee Bay, the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse is an iconic member of the Toledo coastline.

Constructed in 1904, the lighthouse is a four-story brick structure resembling a gingerbread house.

The Toledo Harbor Lighthouse was built to help guide ships through the Toledo Shipping Channel, a role which the lighthouse still performs even today.

While the lighthouse has been renovated and adapted numerous times to meet the standards of modern-day lighthouses, the building’s unique façade remains unchanged, making it an excellent landmark to photograph or whisk by aboard a boat to see up close.

17- Discover the Toledo Firefighters Museum

The Toledo Firefighters Museum was started back in 1976 to preserve and celebrate the history of firefighting throughout Toledo’s history and to help educate the general public about fire safety.

Located inside the Old Number 18 Fire House near Downtown Toledo, the museum is spread across two stories and houses several artefacts and exhibits related to firefighting, such as “Neptune”, Toledo’s first fire pumper.

From paintings and firefighting uniforms to 9/11 mementoes and antique firefighting equipment, the Toledo Firefighters Museum is filled with all sorts of interesting things to see and learn about.

Toledo Firefighters Museum is at 918 W Sylvania Ave, Toledo, OH 43612.

18- Enjoy Heart-Racing Action at the Toledo Speedway

Opened in 1960 and paved four years later in 1964, the Toledo Speedway is northwest Ohio’s racing capital which hosts several big-time racing events throughout the year, such as the Glass City 200.

The speedway features a half-mile (805 m) banked oval track and is always buzzing during race weekend.

The track was bought by NASCAR in 2020 and will play host to several big-time stock car races in the future, making it one of Toledo’s most popular sporting venues to stop by.

Toledo Speedway is at 5639 Benore Rd, Toledo, OH 43612.

19- Discover the National Museum of the Great Lakes

The National Museum of the Great Lakes pays tribute to the Midwest’s biggest source of wealth and the social and political impacts it made throughout the history of the Midwest and America.

Established in 2014, the museum recounts the history of the Great Lakes and their people and spans a period from the first Native American tribes who roamed the area to the lakes’ role in the present day, as well as everything in-between.

The museum’s most prominent exhibits include Col. James M. Schoonmaker’s “Queen of the Lakes”, a freighter from 1911, the wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, and old rigging equipment used throughout the lakes’ history.

The National Museum of the Great Lakes is at 1701 Front St, Toledo, OH 43605.

20- Explore the Swan Creek Preserve

Situated in South Toledo, the Swan Creek Preserve is a 441-acre (178 ha) urban park that forms part of the state’s Metroparks system.

Opened in 1963, the Swan Creek Preserve was named after the nearby creek, which many migratory birds use as a resting spot.

The preserve is abuzz with all sorts of animals and plant life that visitors can observe.

Complete with nature trails, a gazebo, picnic areas, two playgrounds, and even a swinging bridge, the Swan Creek Preserve is a top-notch public park that’s well worth visiting during your trip to Toledo.

Swan Creek Preserve is at 4659 Airport Hwy, Toledo, OH 43615.