Toledo

A pavilion made entirely of curved glass walls houses one of the world's most important glass collections – no coincidence in a city that calls itself the "Glass City." A trip to Toledo, where the Maumee River meets Lake Erie, leads to an outstanding art museum, a renowned zoo, and a working-class city with real character.

Glass, Jeeps, and the Toledo War

In the 1830s, Ohio and the Michigan Territory fought so bitterly over a strip of land that the dispute became known as the "Toledo War"; with almost no bloodshed, the city went to Ohio, while Michigan received the Upper Peninsula in return. With canals and railroads, Toledo grew into a port and industrial center. In the late 19th century, Edward Libbey arrived with his glassworks, soon followed by Owens-Illinois and Libbey-Owens-Ford, which produced bottles, window glass, and auto glass. Since World War II, the city has built Jeeps; the plant on Stickney Avenue still produces the Wrangler and the Gladiator today.

Things to See in Toledo

The Toledo Museum of Art, founded by Libbey, holds works from Rubens to Van Gogh, and the Glass Pavilion by the Japanese firm SANAA showcases glass art from antiquity to the present, with live demonstrations in the glass studio. Admission is free. The Toledo Zoo is considered one of the best in the U.S., with buildings from the New Deal era and a large aquarium. The Old West End neighborhood is home to numerous Victorian and Edwardian mansions. The Imagination Station on the riverfront is a science museum for families. The Toledo Botanical Garden and the Metroparks, such as Oak Openings Preserve with its sand dunes and oak savannas, offer plenty of nature.

Eating and Going Out in Toledo

A classic is Tony Packo's in East Toledo, a Hungarian restaurant made famous by the TV series M*A*S*H; the walls are covered with hot dog buns signed by celebrities. Hungarian, Polish, and Lebanese immigrants have shaped the local cuisine, with dishes like chicken paprikash, pierogi, or kibbeh. Breweries, bars, and restaurants have settled in the Warehouse District around Fifth Third Field, the ballpark of the Toledo Mud Hens. In summer, concerts are held along the riverfront.

Neighborhoods and Riverfront

The Maumee River separates downtown from the east side of the city. Along the bank, trails lead through Promenade Park and Glass City Metropark, a new park with a pavilion and a sledding hill. The Franklin Park area in the west offers a large shopping mall, while Deveaux has quiet residential streets. Old Orchard, near the University of Toledo, is a popular neighborhood with bungalows and mature trees.

Getting Around Toledo and the Best Time to Visit

The small Toledo Express Airport has few connections; Detroit Metropolitan, with long-haul flights, is about an hour to the north. Amtrak trains between Chicago and the East Coast stop at the Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza station, and buses serve the city area. The best time to visit is from May to September; winters are cold and gray. Excursions lead to Put-in-Bay on the Lake Erie islands, to the Cedar Point amusement park with its roller coasters in Sandusky, and to the bird sanctuaries along Lake Erie, which attract thousands of migrating songbirds in May.