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Downtown

Toledo is a moderate-sized city in Northwest Ohio, on the Maumee River, at the edge of Lake Erie. It is one of the most productive Ports on the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway, and is a designated Foreign Trade Zone area. The Port of Toledo handles coal, ore, general cargo, and ship repairs, as well as having storage for over 22 million bushels of grain for export. The diverse architecture of Toledo rivals larger cities like Chicago. It is also home to Libbey Glass, the founders of which had a tremendously positive influence on the amenities of the City.

Understand

People had big dreams for Toledo. The location of the city was set on some of the most inhospitable land in the Midwest: the Great Black Swamp. Early white settlers spent years digging drainage ditches through the swamp, and lining them with clay tiles--when they were not catching mosquito-borne diseases. Michigan and Ohio briefly went to war (no one was killed) over the land. By an act of Congress, Ohio was awarded Toledo, while Michigan received the Upper Peninsula. Later settlers came over from Eastern Europe, or up from down south, to work on the Erie Canal, and still later to work in local factories that made early automobiles and auto parts.

Promenade Park

Today, Toledo is a city of 315,000 with a big local university, an independent daily newspaper, and historic buildings downtown, some of which have been turned into artists' lofts. The cityscape today provides some good opportunities for photographs of derelict buildings. Toledo is also home to the legendary Toledo Mud Hens minor league baseball team. They play in the Fifth Third Field in downtown Toledo. Near downtown, the Old West End is a beautiful neighborhood of Victorian mansions, and is where the world-class Toledo Museum of Art and its new glass museum can be found. A world-class Toledo Zoo is a few miles to the south. In the north end, there is the Polish Village where it is common to see storefronts written in Polish. The food in Toledo is worth stopping for. As well as the many diners in the area, many ethnic eateries should not be missed, including Tony Packo's famous Hungarian hot dogs, Hungarian baked goods, classy Middle Eastern places such as the Beirut, and delicious Indian cuisine from the Tandoor. True or not, Toledo likes to think that it has the most restaurants per capita in the entire country.

Climate

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Check the weather forecast for Toledo at NOAA.

Get in

By plane

Airport Shuttle Services available from Toledo to Detroit Metro Airport by reservation. Flat rate from Toledo to DTW Airport is $99. Reservations: +1 313 759-7741.

By bus

  • 2 Greyhound, 811 Jefferson Ave, ☏ +1 419 248-1477. Station hours: 5AM-11:30PM. Ticketing hours: 5AM-10:30PM. Greyhound makes regular stops in Toledo. (Be warned: The bus stop is not in a safe area.) 
  • 3 Megabus, University of Toledo Scott Park Campus (parking lot 23 off of Scott Park Drive). Megabus offers low-cost bus service to Toledo from Chicago, Cleveland, State College, and New York City. 

By train

  • 4 Amtrak, 415 Emerald Ave. Station and ticketing hours: Midnight-12:30PM & 8:30PM-11:59PM. The station is closed 12:31PM-8:29PM. The Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited routes both stop at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza train station. 

By car

Toledo is located at the intersection of I-75 and I-80/I-90. Everybody travelling in the Midwest United States has probably been through it at least once.

Get around

  • TARTA is the local public transportation, but it does not adequately serve all areas of the metro area. One will want to rent a car in order to experience what Toledo really has to offer.

See

Museum of Art Glass Pavilion
  • 1 Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion, Monroe St (directly across from Museum of Art). Cafe open during museum hours. Opened 2006. Free.. 
  • 2 Raceway Park, 5700 Telegraph Rd (south of Alexis), ☏ +1-419-476-7751, . Su-Th 12PM-12AM, F 12PM-1230AM, Sa 12PM-1AM, closed Easter, Christmas, News Years, Thanksgiving. Live Horse Racing Sa 7PM and Su 6PM.. Admission is $2. Admission to the Racetrack is free two hours before and after the first post time of live racing.. 
  • The Old West End. The blocks north of the Art Museum. Historic neighborhood full of huge old mansions and 100-year-old trees. You can tour these homes at Christmas and at a festival during the first weekend in June.11 
  • Hudson Gallery, 5645 North Main St (Downtown Sylvania, OH), ☏ +1 419-885-8381. 10 - 6 t - f. Wonderful Contemporary art gallery in historic downtown Sylvania, OH FREE. 

Annual events

Do

Music and Performing Arts

Promenade Park View
  • Rally by the River

Learn

Buy

  • Libbey Glass Factory Outlet, 205 South Erie St, ☏ +1 419 254-5000. Some Libbey Glass is manufactured in Toledo. Store has 16,000 square foot dinnerware, glassware and giftware. 
  • Franklin Park Mall, 5001 Monroe Street, ☏ +1 419-473-3317. Find Macy's and JCPenney department stores, Dick's Sporting Goods and 130 other restaurants and shops at Franklin Park Mall. Enjoy the Cinemark Franklin Park movie theater and the shops at nearby Vans Market Square Shopping Center. (updated Oct 2015)

Eat

Local specialties include,Tony Packo's Pickles'n'Peppers, salt-rising bread from Wixey Bakery and handmade noodles.

  • 1 Tony Packo's, 1902 Front St, ☏ +1 419 691-6054, fax: +1 419 691-8358, . M-Th 11AM-10PM, F-Sa 11AM-11PM, Su 12PM-9PM. The original Tony Packo's, which has been serving its hometown favorites for over 70 years. Packo's was made world famous by several mentions on the TV series M*A*S*H by Max Klinger (played by Toledo native Jamie Farr). If you're lucky enough to spare any amount of time here be sure to order at least one cup of chili, which is rumored to put some Cincinnati brands to shame. 
  • 2 Tony Packo's at the Park, South Superior St (Off of Washington Street, only a few steps from Fifth Third Field), ☏ +1 419 691-6054, fax: +1 419 246-1111, . M-Th 11AM-10PM, F-Sa 11AM-11PM, Su 12PM-9PM. The downtown branch of this hometown chain. The staff at this location is very hospital and personable. 
  • 3 Shorty's True American Roadhouse, 5111 Monroe St, ☏ +1 419 841-9505. Su-Th 11AM-10PM, F-Sa 11AM-11PM. Part of the Mancy family's string of local restaurants. Shorty's specializes in barbeque although they serve standard fare like burgers as well. 
  • Rudy's Hot Dogs. is a well known restaurant chain located throughout the Metro Toledo Area, many would say that they are better than Tony Packo's. You can ask anyone in Toledo where the closest Rudy's is located and they will point you in the correct direction. 
  • Pizza Papalis. A Detroit-based Chicago-style deep-dish pizza chain located downtown to the Mudhens stadium. Call ahead to order your pizza and they will have it ready when you arrive! 
  • Mr.Freeze. At the intersection of McCord and Bancroft. Soft serve ice cream in huge portions for cheap prices. Try the Buckeye Blast Sundae! Cash only! 
  • The Oasis (Near the main campus of the University of Toledo). 10AM-4AM daily. Open late with a large variety of food including Cottage Inn Pizza, Tofts ice cream, salads, gyros, burgers and anything else you could want, Call 419-536-FOOD (3663) 

Drink

  • The Orchard Inn. is another bar located in West Toledo on Sylvania Avenue in between Douglas and Secor. This bar is known for very intense pool games between locals. It has shuffleboard as well. 
  • Papa Joe's. is a bar located in West Toledo on Monroe St right by I-75, they are known for their half price pizzas and dollar beers. They also have free pool on Tuesdays. The bartender looks like a fraggle and or Einstein. 
  • Pub St George. is a bar for the younger crowd in the Uptown Area where reggae music is provided by the Crucial 420 Band. Beer is readily available and many different kinds are served. The band is led by Reggae Dave, who is a local celebrity that has an extensive following. One could also dine on fish and chips at this bar. 

Sleep

  • 2 Park Inn by Radisson, 101 North Summit St, ☏ +1 419 241-3000, fax: +1 419 321-2099. Tallest hotel in Downtown Toledo with sweeping river views and Fifth Third Field - Home of the Toledo Mud Hens 

Go next

  • Michigan is just north of town and Detroit is one hour north on I-75.
  • Cedar Point amusement park is about 80 minutes east in Sandusky.
  • Cleveland is a couple hours east on I-90 and the Ohio Turnpike.
  • Along the southern shore of Lake Erie are a large number of public North Coast Beaches. The beach at Maumee Bay State Park in Oregon, just east of Toledo is one of the nicest.
  • Located east of Toledo and west of Cleveland, a group of picturesque and festive Lake Erie Islands are accessible via ferry. Ohio Route 2 East Exit 163 North Port Clinton for the Jet Express or Ohio Route 53 North for the car ferry out to Put-in-Bay. In addition to several Ohio State Parks located on the islands, there is plenty to do including wineries, restaurants, bars, marinas and beaches.
  • Lake Erie Tour Route and Lighthouses. Go back to the mainland and see the shoreline. The drive (or boat ride) around Lake Erie takes you through the Working Waterfronts around Buffalo NY, Cleveland OH, Detroit MI, Erie PA, Toledo, OH, and southern Ontario and is intermingled with beautiful preservations of flora and fauna as well as the history of North America's first westward expansion, the Old Northwest Territory.
  • Maumee Bay Resort & Conference Center, 1400 State Park Road, Oregon. An 1,850-acre State Park, Maumee Bay, a fine recreational facility with a unique natural environment as seen by the convergence of the land and Lake Erie. The lodge, cottages and golf course are at Ohio's premier resort and the newest state park. The Lodge is located along the shore of Lake Erie with a two-story stone fireplace. The 120 guest rooms with private balcony gives spectacular views of the surrounding park. There are 24 cottages, with fireplaces, adjacent to wetlands and the lush greens of the golf course.
Routes through Toledo
Chicago ← Elkhart ←  W  E  → Sandusky → Cleveland
Detroit ← Luna Pier ←  N  S  → Rossford → Dayton
South Bend ← Wauseon ←  W  E  → Perrysburg → Cleveland/Akron
South Bend ← Angola ←  W  E  → Perrysburg → Cleveland
Ann Arbor ← Dundee ←  N  S  → Perrysburg → Columbus
Fort Wayne ← Defiance ←  W  N  → Monroe → Detroit
Fort Wayne ← Wauseon ←  W  E  → Port Clinton → Sandusky


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This city travel guide to Toledo is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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