Located a stone’s throw from downtown Toledo Ohio, Glass City Metropark is where curiosity and tranquility meet. It is a perfect destination for any occasion, mood, time of year, and age. Are you seeking meditative peaceful reflection? A destination where the entire family can play for the day? A quiet stroll hand-in-hand with the one you love? An epic afternoon or evening filled with active play and a great workout? No matter what you seek Glass City Metropark and Riverwalk is the answer. Are you ready to step off to an epic adventure?
8 Reasons Why You Need to Visit Toledo Ohio’s Glass City Metropark
Glass City Metropark and Riverwalk
Location: 1001 Front Street Toledo, Ohio 43605
Hours: Open Daily 7 am-10 pm
Admission/Cost: FREE
Phone: Contact a Ranger at 419-407-9718
1. Admission and parking is FREE
Every family is always looking for fun activities and adventures that are cost-effective and budget-friendly. It doesn’t get any better than free. While some of these amenities offer the option to rent equipment or purchase sustenances the actual admission to the park is entirely free. Therefore it is the perfect location to meet up with long-time friends, let the kiddos play while the parents catch up on life’s happenings, and then unpack the cooler for a picnic with an epic view!
2. Prairie and Pollinator Playground
This discovery playground is perfect for young explorers. Complete with an awesome tire swing, swinging log, hide-n-seek hills, slides, and more!
3. Grosbeak Discovery Playground
You can’t miss this playground with its 41-foot tall winged discover tower. Inspired by the native Blue Grosbeak bird the winged tower contains endless climbing nets, slides, and independent imaginative play. The grounds also include a zipline, hillside slides, swings, and more!
4. Skating at the Ribbon
Lace up those skates, no matter the season the ribbon is always waiting! The ribbon is a 1,000-foot loop trail that offers a smooth skating experience for beginners and advanced skaters. Summer season, April through October the roller ribbon is open daily during park hours and is free if you have skates or rollerblades. If you need to rent skates the rental is located inside Market Hall and is open during the week, Monday-Friday 10 am-8:30 pm during the summer.
The winter season means ice skating! Are you looking for family fun during the winter months? Or a quick date night getaway? There is nothing more romantic than skating the ribbon in the evening with the lights overhead, city view, music, and fire to warm up to!
For rental information, hours, and fun events throughout the year at the Ribbon click here!
5. Adventure Boardwalk
This boardwalk is unlike any other, the boardwalk encourages all visitors to embrace the child within. Complete with interactive bridges and nets that cradle your body and make you feel like you are floating on the water and benches where you can pause and take in the epic views! It’s just enough adventure to bring out the thrill-seeking in every park guest.
6. Kayaking Cove
The Kayak Cove provides a safe space for beginning kayakers to paddle the Maumee River. The dock is ADA-accessible and is a roll-off launch. You can bring your own Kayak or rent one. For details on kayak locker hours and costs click here!
7. The Garden by Pocco Piatti
Are you looking for a great place to meet up for lunch? The Garden is open daily year-round and offers a variety of family-friendly menu options that won’t break the bank including, pizza, wraps, bowls, salads, etc. For complete menu options and hours click here!
8. Seasonal FUN! Fishing, Sledding & Splashpad!
No matter the season there is an onslaught of fun activities for families to enjoy including the sledding hill in the winter months, fishing in the spring and summer, and the piece de resistance, the Mini Maumee which is open Memorial Day through Labor Day daily, 10 am-8 pm weather pending. Complete with a cascade waterfall, mini meandering Maumee river, slide, splash areas, and more! There are changing rooms, restrooms, and storage lockers available in the adjacent Market Hill building and water bottle filling stations inside The Garden.
Bonus!
Location location location…the following are literally within 3-25 miles from Glass City Metropark…
Visiting Toledo? While you are here be sure to stop off at our internationally known Toledo Museum of Art (Free admission) and their family center where kiddos can make and take the artwork and enjoy imaginative play and be sure to cat a glassblowing demonstration at the Glass Pavilion.
Imagination Station and the Keybank Discovery Theater
Toledo Zoo (and another awesome place with seasonal fun including a splash pad, kids zone & lights before Christmas!)
National Museum of the Great Lakes…adjacent to the park…you can tour this lake freighter during the summer and early fall months…
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 