The HandleBar Toledo: The #1 Experience in Toledo

Things to do in Toledo #1:  Check out a Mud Hens game

2020 meant the entire Mud Hens season was cancelled, and all of Toledo quietly mourned this loss of a community staple.  2021 means the return of the World-Famous Toledo Mud Hens.  With capacity restrictions due to Covid, we expect the downtown outdoor refreshment area along the outfield to be more popular than ever, with fans picking up to-go beers from downtown staples like Cock n Bull, Durty Bird, and the Blarney, or any of the bars in Hensville, and walking along Monroe St or St Clair St, where you can watch the action from the sidewalk!  Nothing beats being inside Fifth Third Field though, so if you get the chance to get tickets don’t miss out!

Things to do in Toledo #2: Visit a Downtown Park

Did you know that Toledo’s Metroparks are considered the best in the nation?  Two metroparks are now a part of downtown, ready to be explored, and many other city parks exist within downtown’s boundaries, including the incredibly impressive Promenade Park.

Middlegrounds Metropark:  Explore the riverfront near the Anthony Wayne bridge at this metropark, but don’t forget your dog!  This park is home to downtown’s dog park (with small dog and big dog areas), and offers stunning up close looks at the freighters that regularly float past along the Maumee River.

Glass City Metropark:  Head over to the east side of the river to explore Toledo’s newest metropark.  The views of downtown from here are tough to beat!

Promenade Park:  Home to the Promedica Concert Series and some of the best parties Toledo has seen since Party at the Park (80s babies and before represent!), Promenade Park even has a splash pad for hot summer days when the inner kid in you wants to play.  This park offers great riverwalks regardless of whether events are going on that day.

Things to do in Toledo #3: Go for a stroll down Adams St

We challenge you to find a more unique and interesting mile long stretch in all of Northwest Ohio than Adams Street from the river westbound until it ends near the Old West End.

The one mile stretch along Adams from the Imagination Station until the hyper-local Toledo retailer JupMode includes churches, shops, theaters, murals, courthouses, schools, restaurants, bars, and you might even spot a HandleBar bike or four cruising the centuries old street.   Friendliness is the Adams St way, so don’t be surprised when passers-by greet you with a genuine hello.

Here are some of the landmarks you’ll come across during a walk, bike ride, or handlebar trip along Adams.

Imagination Station:  A longtime Toledo staple, the Imagination Station offers family friendly science based programming and exhibits.  Learn something and have a good time!  Also, new for 2021 is the KeyBank Discovery Theater, downtown Toledo’s first new movie theater in decades!

Trinity Episcopal Church:  This church is one of the oldest structures in all of downtown, having survived Civil War and centuries of changes to downtown around it.  It was built in 1863 and is still standing strong!

Valentine Theater:  Home to performances by the Toledo Symphony, musicals, plays, and everything else, this 125 year old theater has made its home along Adams St for generations!

The Adams St Cafe:  Want to feel like you’re at home in grandma’s kitchen?  This place is the spot.  Comfort food made with fresh ingredients is the recipe here, and we recommend the pork tacos and any of the Nashville Hot chicken options.

LowRider Cafe:  We dare you to find kinder people running a restaurant.  During the worst of the Covid-19 crisis, this place made sure to donate warm meals to the hungry every day.  Mexican food here is as authentic as it gets – get the street taco sampler if you can’t decide on just one thing!

Lucas County Courthouse:  You probably don’t want to end up here, but the building itself is one of the architectural wonders of downtown Toledo.  It was built in the late 18o0s, and is certainly worthy of a photo on your instagram feed.

Toledo Library:  Read a book once in a while!  Or don’t.  The Library was even home to a rooftop party back in 2018 so they won’t judge you either way.  The architecture alone here makes the building worth exploring.

Wesleys Bar:  A staple along Adams St since 1982, this no frills bar seems like its always open and ready to extend a welcoming hello.  Friday old school hip-hop nights on the back patio are something we long for mightily.  Hopefully we can dance again to old school beats in the summer of 2021!

Georgjz419 and the Love Wall:  Adams Street’s gay bar (although all are of course gay friendly), Georgjz419 has the best backyard patio in all of Toledo.  Order drinks from the outdoor bar and head inside for the nightly drag shows!  The Love Wall is a famous mural in Toledo on one of Georgjz419’s exterior walls.  There are tons of other murals to explore all along Adams!

Manhattan’s Pub & Cheer:  Some of the best food in all of downtown awaits you at Manhattan’s.  Enjoy house made pierogis on top of locally sourced goat cheese curd poutine while the soothing melodies of Toledo’s best acoustic artists provide ambiance to your meal.

House of Dow:  Curated vintage clothing and accessories await you at this store on Adams St.  You never know what you’ll find here, but what you do find will certainly be cool.

Ink & Iron:  This tattoo shop is serious about art.  Whether you’re looking to finish up that one final piece on your sleeve, or you’re looking for your first ever tattoo, you’ll get quality artwork here.

The Attic on Adams:  Head upstairs and into this classically styled pub, where you’ll find interesting folks relaxing after a long day.  You won’t regret asking about their daily speciality cocktails, but if you are looking for a tried and true Miller Lite, they have those on deck too.

Ottawa Tavern:  Live alternative music is what this place does best.  It’s also an incredibly friendly scene where all are welcome.  Try out their brunch!

Carlos Poco Loco:  Ever mixed Cuban cuisine with Mexican?  It’s as delightful as it sounds.  Anything you get here will be a treat.

JupMode:  Like all good small business stories, this one starts in a garage, where the owner started screenprinting.  They have a lot more screenprinting presses these days, and will even occasionally offer customers a look behind the scenes of their Adams St tee shirt factory.

Occasionally in Toledo we hear fellow Toledoans say, “There’s nothing to do in Toledo”.  Those Toledoans have obviously never ventured down Adams St.

PS – Adams Street is also where Zombie Crawl takes place each October, where 20,000 brave souls wander the streets in full zombie attire and makeup.  Its a spooky and fun scene like nothing else that we highly recommend.

Things to do in Toledo #4: Spend an afternoon at the Toledo Museum of Art

The Toledo Museum of Art along Monroe St is not only a top 10 art museum nationwide, it is internationally acclaimed in the arts world.  Incredibly, admission is always FREE.  This commitment to keeping the arts accessible is just one of the things about Toledo that make our community unique!

The Museum was founded in 1901 and houses more than 30,000 pieces of art from all over the world. The 1,750 person Peristyle Theater at the Museum is acoustically perfect, and you won’t find a more stunning scene to be surround by music in.

Things to do in Toledo #5 (But truly, #1 😉 )

Tour Downtown Toledo from your barstool with a HandleBar Tour!

Which bars do we need to get to to have the most fun?  Where is the live music tonight?  There’s a drag show happening WHERE?   Don’t worry, we’ve got it covered once you hop on board your handlebar tour of downtown Toledo.  We might even be able to get you a free shot along the way at one of downtown’s hottest bars.

Bring your own beer, bring your own crew, bring your own playlist (you’ll hook it up to our stereo and play DJ), and get ready to have the best day or night out of the year.  Have you ever pedaled around town on your own personal bar with all of your closest friends and family?  We’ve been around now for 5 years, so chances are good you answered yes and have already booked your next adventure.  If you haven’t, we challenge you to join us for 2 hours you’ll never forget.

Check out our tour availability here and get planning