You Will Do Better In Toledo
Published: Wednesday, July 18, 2018
Years ago, local business leaders asked Toledo-area residents to come up with a catch-phrase that captured their feelings about living in Toledo. The winning phrase from 7,000 entries was “You Will Do Better in Toledo.” More than 100 years later, that slogan still resonates today. In fact, the nearly 300,000 Toledo-area residents celebrate You Will Do Better in Toledo every December 16th to honor the spirit of living in Toledo.
The Toledo region offers the best of both worlds: a cosmopolitan city with a small, neighborhood feel. No matter what your tastes and interests, Toledo has much to offer — from award-winning restaurants and theatre, to nightlife and world-class museums, to sports and outdoor recreation. Additionally, when you want to explore beyond the city, many world-class recreation destinations — from lakes, bays, and rivers to the world's greatest amusement park - are just a short drive away.
Downtown Toledo is the heart of Northwest Ohio and the gathering place for the region. The magnificent Maumee River meanders through the city center on its way out to Lake Erie, forming a spectacular backdrop to the community.
Toledo's downtown offers a wealth of experiences that make life in Northwest Ohio richer. Tempt your taste buds in one of the many restaurants throughout downtown or at "The Docks" along the Maumee. Take the family to a Toledo Walleye hockey game or top selling concert at Huntington Center - voted one of the top venues in North America. If baseball is your game, enjoy a summer evening with the Toledo Mud Hens at beautiful Fifth-Third Field, recognized as one of America's best minor league ballparks. Downtown also boasts two very family-friendly museums: The National Museum of the Great Lakes and Imagination Station, both filled with rotating interactive exhibits that will keep you coming back with friends and family throughout the year.
The downtown art scene is anchored by the world-renowned Toledo Museum of Art where you can enjoy the finest art in the world or the Toledo Symphony at the art museum's Peristyle. Downtown also features the Valentine Theatre, a beautifully restored Victorian-era 900-seat facility operated by the Toledo Cultural Arts Center. Since the $28 million restoration, more than 1 million people have attended 1,200 international, national, and area presentations and events. The Valentine is home to more than 50 community arts groups including the Toledo Symphony, Toledo Opera, Toledo Ballet, Ballet Theatre of Toledo, and the Toledo Jazz Orchestra.
The beauty of downtown is enhanced through an impressive collection of public art, with large-scale sculptures, murals, and functional structures by noted artists from across the country. Many of these pieces were acquired through the pioneering 1977 ordinance that set aside one percent of Toledo's Capital Improvement Budget for the purchase, conservation, and public education of art. Our Arts Commission is the longest standing arts commission in the state of Ohio.
Toledo has many attractions to make it a great place to visit. In March, Expedia named Toledo one of the best places to visit in the U.S. on a list of small to medium-sized cities. Toledo ranked fourth out of 25 cities that were listed. Will you do better in Toledo? There’s only one way to find out.
History is Alive in Toledo
There are many attractions that make Toledo worth a stop. For anyone interested in Great Lakes boating, the National Museum of the Great Lakes, and the restored freighter S.S. Col. John Schoonmaker is a must-see stop in Toledo. This wonderful museum and ship are a storyteller's dream. The tales told here span hundreds of years, from the fur traders in the 1600s to the Underground Railroad operators in the 1800s, the rum runners in the 1900s, to the sailors on the thousand-footers sailing today. The theme of the Great Lakes as a powerful force runs through these stories and will engage all who visit - young to old. The National Museum of the Great Lakes is located on the Maumee River at 1701 Front Street, just south of the Veterans Glass City Skyway Bridge in Toledo. It is open Tuesday-Saturday: 10am-5pm and Sunday: 12pm-5pm. The Col. James M. Schoonmaker is open May-October. The last time to board the Schoonmaker is 4pm.
If you are interested in a deeper dive into Toledo’s history, we suggest you check out the Greater Toledo History Trail developed by the Toledo History Museum. History Trail adventurers can download their Passport at www.greatertoledohistorytrail.org and visit nine area heritage sites in the Toledo area. These sites include the Toledo History Museum, the Toledo Lucas County Library Local History Department, the Toledo Police Museum, The Toledo Firefighters Museum, the National Museum of the Great Lakes, The Sylvania Historical Village, The Spafford House Museum, The Wolcott Heritage Center, and the Brandville School & Museum Complex. You can collect a stamp on your Passport at each site and turn in your completed Passport at the Toledo History Museum or the National Museum of the Great Lakes in return for a sticker pack and discounts at area retailers.
This article first appeared in the Summer Issue (Jul/Aug) 2018 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
tags: Destination, Lake Erie
