We have driven past the sign on I-75 numerous times and I have always been curious, The Bicycle Museum of America, wonder if it’s worth the stop? Turns out it is totally worth the stop! Honestly, I had anticipated a small building, almost shack like in assembly with minimal paraphernalia. Needless to say my expectations were low. So you can imagine my surprise when we drove into New Bremen, which by the way is an adorable little town, and came upon the Museum which was so not a shack!
As we entered the museum I was blown away by the amount of bikes, everywhere you turned there was a bicycle. Fact, The Bicycle Museum of America has one of the largest private collections of bicycles in the world!! It houses elegant antique bicycles from the 19th century, balloon tire classics of the 1940s and 1950s and even the banana seat high-rise handle bar bikes of the 1960s. And its latest collection on display is Robin Williams’s bicycles.
But, what about the kids, did they like it?
The kids were just as mesmerized as us adults. They were fascinated as they journeyed through the museum’s bicycle timeline. Watching the evolution of the bicycle turned out to be a fabulous lesson in history as well; it’s amazing how modifications were made based upon the happenings of the time, including the military. 
And while they enjoyed learning about the first bicycle and tricycle the highlights of their tour through the museum were riding the Highwheel and peddling the car in the large room upstairs.
Fun fact: Ohio has been home to prominent bicycle manufacturers; Huffy, which remains an important distributor of bicycles today and the other manufactures that are gone but not forgotten, Shelby Bicycles of Shelby, Cleveland Welding, the producers of Roadmaster, and Colson of Elyria.
Plan your visit today:
Address: 7 W Monroe St, New Bremen, OH 45869
Phone: 419-629-9249
Website: http://www.bicyclemuseum.com/
Admission: Adults: $3 Seniors: $2 Children: $1
Hours: Summer: weekdays 9am-7pm, Winter: weekdays 9am-5pm, Saturdays 10am-2pm Closed Sundays
While you’re in New Bremen be sure to check out the Komminsk Legacy Park and Harmony Park located behind the Museum. The park features an embankment slide, a splash pad, a sun-shade structure by Tork Werks, hillside seating, and a commissioned sculpture.
Need a gift for that kid’s birthday party that starts in two hours? Disney Store to the rescue! 
Did your child’s sandal just literally break while walking through the mall (true story)? The solution is a piggyback ride to Payless! Entering the 2nd trimester and your pants are getting snug? Destination Maternity has you covered momma! And you might want to stop off at Godiva Chocolatier to curb those cravings. Did your child decide to reclaim the coin they just threw in the fountain? Bath & Body Works has Hand Sanitizers to attack those germs! 
Looking to ramp up your culinary skills? William Sonoma offers classes and everything you need to make your kitchen into a chef’s dream come true! And there are SO many more stores, 
Whether you are meeting up with other mommas, dinning with the kiddos, looking for a quick bite, or want to linger a bit longer with friends Franklin Park Mall food court and restaurants have you covered! 
We opted to celebrate the occasion of back-to-school shopping with lunch at Bravo! 
(I am a fan of their kids’ menu; they have the usual suspects like chicken fingers and pizza but also offer healthier options too….and for me it just doesn’t get any better than their salmon salad!!)
Franklin Park Mall now offers a Mall-wide rewards program called, Oh, So Simple Rewards. And like it says, it is oh, so simple, to register. You simply enter an email at a sign-up kiosk, swipe the credit card or debit card that you will be using to make purchases, shop, dine, see a movie, etc. Then for every $250 spent on that card $10 gets put back automatically on your card! Winning!
(And it adds up fast….just think, a date night, dinner, movie, movie with the kids, kid’s birthday party at Build a Bear, back-to-school shopping, shoes, shoes, & more shoes!! Means money back on your card ;))
And as a mom with 3 kiddos there is nothing more annoying than having to put on ALL the winter stuff, mittens, scarves, hats, and coats to leave a store just to have them take it all off when they enter the next store…rinse and repeat!! FYI, if you are looking for a cute umbrella JCPenney had these adorable gems.
The family lounge has tactile boards to engage preschoolers and toddlers while mom tends to the baby. Curtains are even available for those moms who wish to be more modest, otherwise there is a comfortable sofa and television.
I was shocked how fast my son tried on a shirt once I said he could have a gumball afterward. Mind you, I forgot to clarify that he had to take off the shirt he had on first, lol! 
And the Fountain is also another great incentive and the best part; the donations go to the conservation projects at the zoo!
We had to get the little lady a Toledo Rockets Shirt (while on vacation each kiddos was allowed to pick out a shirt but she wanted her shirts to say Toledo, not Grand Haven, lol!).
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 