While visiting Toledo Ohio, the Toledo Museum of Art was on the places to explore list. Located in the downtown area of Toledo, the Museum was founded in 1901 by Edward Drummond Libbey, a Toledo glassmaker. The museum holds an approximate 25,000 art collections, all of which are housed in the main museum, the glass pavilion, the visual arts building, and the sculpture garden. The visual arts building which is connected to the main museum was added on in the 1990s and is a part of the University of Toledo, and later the Glass Pavilion was built in the 2000s.
After driving around for a little while, we found parking to the museum and parked our vehicle just across from the Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion. We paid our parking fee inside the Glass Pavilion. The same parking fee is for both museums, you can move your car from the pavilion’s parking lot to the main museum’s parking lot and there will be no extra charge.
Inside the Glass Pavilion
I was able to tour the glass pavilion, taking in the different art works of blown glass. There was also a glass blowing demonstration which we missed by a few minutes. You would be amazed by the different types of artistry that is shown in glass, I never thought some would be possible. Like this picture below of the dress made out of glass.
There is a gift shop located inside the pavilion as well as the room used for glass blowing and other rooms used for conferences.
After I finished touring the pavilion, instead of driving my vehicle and parking across the street at the main museum, I just walked across the street.
Inside the Main Museum
The main museum is quite huge and showcases many types of art such as; oil on canvas, Greek sculptures, Decorative art, and more from artist ancient to modern. Dating back to artist such as Lorenzo Monaco, Pablo Picasso. There are art works dating back to BC eras. You can find, sarcophagus (pharaoh coffins), dated musical instruments, and more.
There are countless rooms in the museum, each room opening up into another, and holding pieces of art work from a different era. Each piece telling a story.
Some of my favorite pieces
Glass Diner 
Glass Chess Piece 
Glass Vase
Other pieces
On the lower level you can find a mini model of the entire museum including the glass pavilion and other surrounding areas. Also on the lower level is the peristyle theatre that host various concerts.
To fully explore this museum could take a couple hours.
Activities at the Museum
The TMA offers educational services, teaching classes about the arts to different age groups. Some of the classes include;
- Drawing and Painting
- Glassblowing
- Jewelry
There are also exhibitions that take place at the museum, some free and some that you will have to pay for. On the day I visited there was an art exhibition taking place that was a paid event. Anila Quayyum Agha.
There are also free and fun family activities for families to do.
The Sculpture Garden
After finishing the tour of the main museum just outside is the sculpture garden, we took a short tour of the sculpture garden, not realizing there was more until after we had cross the street headed back to the car.
