History and Hops: A Downtown Toledo Driving Tour

(3 reviews)

Toledo, Ohio audio tour: History and Hops: A Downtown Toledo Driving Tour

This is a 12.4mi driving tour

It takes an average of 90 mins to complete.

Toledo, Ohio

The United States

$8.99

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About the Tour

Immerse yourself in the maritime heritage of the Port of Toledo with our captivating walking tour along downtown Toledo's scenic riverfront.

Starting at Middlegrounds Metropark, you'll stroll on a meandering path alongside the majestic Maumee River. Our tour will lead you past Promenade Park with a breathtaking view of the iconic Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge before returning to our starting point. Along the way, I'll share stories of the Warehouse District's origins by Swan Creek and the Miami and Erie Canal's role in shaping this city's identity.

Discover the river’s fascinating history, including the catastrophic event in 1894 that spared downtown Toledo thanks to a change in the wind's direction. Explore nearby attractions like Imagination Station or enjoy al fresco dining along Summit Street to experience the vibrant essence of modern Toledo.

Prepare for a journey of enlightenment as you:

Uncover the innovative stream at Middlegrounds Metropark, a testament to efforts in keeping the Maumee River fresh and pure.
Gain insight into the indispensable roles of tugboats and commercial fishing in the Port of Toledo's evolution.
Hear the captivating tale of the Yuma, a freighter that broke free from its moorings and collided with the Cherry Street Bridge.
Delve into the legendary story of the David Dows, the world's first five-masted sailing vessel proudly constructed in Toledo in 1881, affectionately known as the Queen of the Lakes.

By the tour's end, you'll emerge with a newfound appreciation for Toledo, the Maumee River, and the port—the largest landmass port on the Great Lakes. With abundant activities, sights, flavors, and experiences along the mighty Maumee, this tour is not to be missed. Join us in supporting the National Museum of the Great Lakes and discover why the Port of Toledo is an indispensable part of the Toledo story.

Tour Producer

Tedd Long

15 tours

Hi, I’m Tedd Long—history geek, storyteller, and creator of HolyToledoHistory.com. My passion is uncovering the fascinating, funny, and sometimes jaw-dropping stories that shaped Toledo and the Maumee Valley.

Whether you’ve lived here your whole life or you’re visiting for the first time, you’ll hear things that make you say, “I never knew that!” From forgotten gangster hideouts to remarkable riverfront landmarks, I’ll take you beyond the obvious and reveal the city’s hidden history.

My tours blend rich storytelling, local legends, and insider tips—like the best spots for a cold drink, a great meal, or the perfect photo. Every route is designed so you can explore at your own pace, with VoiceMap-guided stops that bring the past to life right where it happened.

Come walk or drive with me through history. You’ll leave with a deeper appreciation for this place—and maybe a few stories of your own to share. Let’s go explore!

Preview Location

Location 25

Buckeye Brewing Company

Let's pull over here to take in the large brick building up ahead on our left on Bush Street. We passed right by a few minutes ago. Did you notice the unique brick arches? This is what is left of the Buckeye Brewing Plant.

Okay, lets’ get back to our Buckeye Brewing story w... Let's pull over here to take in the large brick building up ahead on our left on Bush Street. We passed right by a few minutes ago. Did you notice the unique brick arches? This is what is left of the Buckeye Brewing Plant.

Okay, lets’ get back to our Buckeye Brewing story we started on the East Side. Julius Kohler purchased the east side brewery in 1853 and moved it across the Maumee River at Bush and Champlain Street. Why here? This site was strategically located just one block east of the Miami and Erie Canal. By the way, one of Kohler’s early employees was Joseph Grasser, who would go on to have his own illustrious brewing career—more on that later.

In 1885, Buckeye underwent significant renovations. They built an ornate five-story brew house and converted the original building into cellar buildings and a malt house. Around this time, Buckeye introduced its Green Seal brand for its Lager, Pilsener, and Export beers. The Green Seal brand would remain its leading brand for the next 50 years.

The turn of the century brought many new challenges. As mentioned earlier on the tour, a popular response to growing competition in the industry was to form combines, consolidating several local breweries under one operation. The Huebner Brewing Company led the Toledo combine. The Home Brewing Company and Buckeye, both of whom chose to stay independent, thwarted their efforts for complete domination of the local market. A far more significant challenge presented itself when Prohibition was enacted in 1919. Like many other breweries, Buckeye’s initial response was to brew non-alcoholic beer and a variety of soft drinks, such as root beer, ginger ale, and cider. Seeing that this wasn’t profitable, The Buckeye Brewing Company made a brilliant move. They changed their name to the Buckeye Producing Company and converted all of the brewery buildings and operations to cold storage. They lent this storage to other businesses, mainly grocers. Still, a rumor persists that other creative uses were employed, including renting some cold storage to the city and medical establishments to store cadavers.

The golden age of Buckeye beer began on December 30, 1935, when the Buckeye brand name and logo of a small cartoon waiter appeared on their products and in advertising. The new logo came to life when a Buckeye employee found 4 foot 5-inch Carl Walinski bartending at the Green Light Inn. Walinksi personified the Buckeye Beer waiter from 1938 to 1942. He had previously worked as a bat boy and general errand boy for the Toledo Mud Hens during the Casey Stengel era, including when they brought home the pennant in 1927.

For Buckeye, Walinski worked six days a week advertising for the company. Most often, he was dressed in a green jacket, black bow tie and red pants. Carl’s first assignment was to learn to roller skate. After a few weeks, he roller-skated around town throughout the day, traveling from bar to bar to promote the beer. While he skated, he carried a tray that was glued to his glove, which had a bottle and a glass glued to it. He was often offered drinks by patrons and bar owners and had to be careful not to drink too much to affect his skating. Walinski was popular with children, who would line the streets along his regular route to wave and cheer as he skated past. He also appeared in parades. After a few months on the job, Walinski was given an angora goat to promote the Buckeye Bock Beer that was released each spring. Although he knew nothing about goats, Walinski trained “Billy” – as the goat came to be known – to pull him around in a special cart. Advertisements from the time say that Billy pulled Bucky over 10,000 miles. While this may be a stretch, the two did travel to other regional cities and towns, reportedly as far away as Lima. Walinski was a natural entertainer and he trained Billy to perform tricks. When they would walk together in a parade, Bucky would walk ahead a few paces and then bend down to tie his shoe or pick something up. Sure enough, Billy would butt him in the behind and Bucky would somersault to the delight and cheers of the crowd. In 1942, Walinski asked for a small raise. When it was denied, he quit. He never harbored any ill will towards Buckeye and remained a local celebrity until his death in 2002 at the age of 91.

After the war ended, Buckeye spent significant sums on enlarging the plant and making improvements. By 1946, the plant had an annual capacity of 300,000 barrels and employed about 500 workers. By 1949, both of Toledo’s other post-Prohibition breweries had closed, and Buckeye enjoyed local dominance. In its prime, as much as 80% of beer sold and consumed in Toledo was made at the Buckeye Brewery. In January 1955, the Buckeye Brewing Company celebrated the production of its 10-millionth barrel. This volume was equivalent to a three-hour flow of water over Niagara Falls. They had used 500 million pounds of barley malt and 4 million pounds of hops.

Richard “Red” Smith led the last years of Buckeye. Red was well-known for a long history in professional sports. Under Smith’s leadership, the brewery was successful enough to be courted for purchase by Chicago’s Peter Hand Brewing Company in 1965. Peter Hand Brewing was a pioneer in brewing low-calorie “Lite” Beer. Meister Brau, their premier brand, and Meister Brau Lite Beer were soon brewed and sold alongside Buckeye in Toledo. The company saw tremendous success but also spent wildly, acquiring other breweries and a host of companies in the “diet” industry, including pharmaceuticals, candy, and foods. By 1972, the only hope for the company to survive was to sell off assets. Meister Brau, Meister Brau Lite, and Buckeye were all sold to the Miller Brewing Company of Milwaukee.

The Buckeye plant closed for good on September 1, 1972. Most of the building was demolished within a few years, but the bottling plant and the adjoining boiler plant still stand.

The last beer brewed at the original Buckeye Brewery can still be experienced today by drinking a Miller Lite. Yes, the “taste great, less filling” beer was based on Meister Brau Lite and the last iterations of Buckeye Draft. However, if you want to taste a kräusen-brewed Buckeye from the golden age of this Toledo icon, you need to look no further than the Maumee Bay Brewing Company. Maumee Bay purchased the naming rights from Miller and has been brewing and selling Buckeye since around the turn of the millennium. We'll conclude our tour there so you can have a taste of Buckeye. In the meantime, check out this old Buckeye ad...

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Major Landmarks

Oliver House
High Level Bridge
Tony Packo's
Vistula
Autolite Strike Memorial
Federal Courthouse
Warehouse District
Maumee Bay Brewing
Toledo Spirits
Quenched & Tempered
Earnest Brew Works
Vistula Historic District
Tony Packo's Restaurant
Anthony Wayne Bridge
Maumee Bay Brewing Company
Toledo Warehouse District Association
The Toledo Spirits Company
Quenched & Tempered Brewing Co. Taproom
Earnest Brew Works Downtown

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Getting There

Route Overview

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Start location
16-24 Broadway St, Toledo, OH 43604, USA
Total distance

20km
Final location
131 Broadway St, Toledo, OH 43604, USA
Distance back to start location

180.44m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour begins on Broadway, in front of the Maumee Bay Brewing Company at the Oliver House (27 Broadway St, Toledo).

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

This tour is all about brewing, but there are plenty of places to stop, eat, and drink along the way. You may want to start out by enjoying a meal at the Maumee Bay Brewery first, then take the tour and make a return visit to the brewery for a few cold beers. Along the way, you can stop at Tony Packo's original cafe on Toledo's East Side, grab a drink at Toledo Spirits along Summit Street, or enjoy a terrific soup and sandwich combo at the Original Sub Shop on Broadway.

Best time of day

From dawn to dusk but try to avoid heavy traffic times.

Precautions

History & Hops is about 20 miles long, consists of 20 stops, and takes about two hours to complete. All the roads used are public, and traffic on some can be pretty heavy. Use caution, especially when pulling into traffic or slowing for a stop. Obey all posted speed limits and traffic regulations, including not driving while under the influence of alcohol. Please have a designated driver or visit the brewers after the tour using public transport.

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Questions and Reviews

4.7 / 5

3 Ratings

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History and Hops: A Downtown Toledo Driving Tour

About the Tour

Tour Producer

Tedd Long

Preview Location

Location 25

Buckeye Brewing Company

How VoiceMap Works

Major Landmarks

Oliver House

High Level Bridge

Tony Packo's

Vistula

Autolite Strike Memorial

Federal Courthouse

Warehouse District

Maumee Bay Brewing

Toledo Spirits

Quenched & Tempered

Earnest Brew Works

Vistula Historic District

Tony Packo's Restaurant

Anthony Wayne Bridge

Maumee Bay Brewing Company

Toledo Warehouse District Association

The Toledo Spirits Company

Quenched & Tempered Brewing Co. Taproom

Earnest Brew Works Downtown