Bowling Green

Understand

Bowling Green is primarily a college town. Bowling Green State University is known for its education, music, and aviation programs. As a result, many events have an educational bent, music and the arts are popular in town, and clear days are hallmarked with frequent flybys of propeller-driven airplanes. The city also functions as the county seat and the largest city of Wood County, Ohio. The only other large city in the county is the Toledo suburb of Perrysburg. It lies on the edge of the Toledo Metropolitan area and caters to locals in nearby towns and farms by offering shopping, education, and entertainment, much like the city of Findlay 30 mi (48 km) to the south. Because of this, Bowling Green is a melting pot between college and country culture.

History

Bowling Green was settled in 1832 near the center of the Great Black Swamp, and was named by its settlers after Bowling Green in Kentucky. It got its start as a city thanks to the oil boom in the 1880s and the resulting clearing of the swamp. The college was established in 1910 as Bowling Green State Normal School to train teachers along side its sister college in Kent. By the 1930s it became a fully fledged university. During World War II the University helped train Navy personnel. After World War II ended, the influx of returning soldiers and their baby boomer children greatly increased the size of the university, as well as the surrounding city. While current events are university focused, many relics of the oil days remain in and around the Bowling Green area. Since its founding, the university has taught many notable people including Olympians, scientists, captains of industry, and Hollywood actors.

Climate Bowling Green has four distinct seasons. The spring brings plentiful cherry blossoms. The summer can have sweltering and humid heat, but the hydrangea and hibiscus bloom. During the fall the temperatures drop and the trees change the color of their leaves to shades of red, orange, and yellow. Win

Getting there

By plane The nearest major airport is the Detroit Metro Airport (DTW IATA) at just over an hour north of Bowling Green by car. Some passenger flights may also go to the closer Toledo Express Airport (TOL IATA) which is only a half hour north of Bowling Green by car.

1 Wood County Regional Airport (Bricker Field), 1261 E Poe Rd, ☏ +1 419-354-2908. Private pilots may land at this general aviation airport, and non pilots may charter flights here. This airport is on campus and offers a lounge, fuel, and an airport shuttle. The airport has some historic significance - During World War II the airfield was used to train pilots for the Navy. There is also a Korean War-era Lockheed T-33 jet on display near the lounge. While many organizations take pictures of their members on the wings of that jet, you should ask permission before attempting it yourself. (updated Nov 2023)

By car

Bowling Green is on I-75 at exit 181, and it is a quick 25 mi (40 km) drive south from Toledo, a 130 mi (210 km) drive north from Dayton, and an 80 mi (130 km) drive south from Detroit. Regional car services include: a city subsidized van service with low rates, B.G. Transit Reliable Taxi, Supercab, BG Airport Shuttle, and Bill's Limousine.

By bicycle

A community group Bike BG offers slow bike rides throughout the city once a month.

2 Slippery Elm Trail (trail entrances at Montessori school and the black swamp nature preserve). Dawn to dusk. Goes 13 mi (21 km) south to North Baltimore, passing through the villages of Portage and Rudolph. If you are a pump cyclist, the village of Rudolph contains a pump track that is among the largest in the world. The trail is asphalt and features several rest stops and water fountains. At the entrance at the Bowling Green Black Swamp Preserve, there is a free bicycle repair station. Van Buren is 5 mi (8.0 km) south from the end of the trail on flat country roads. Free. (updated Nov 2023)

Getting around

By car

Bowling Green is next to Interstate 75, and its Main Street is also an important local highway (Old US 25). Outside of the downtown area and campus, it may be time consuming to go without a car. Free parking is available along both sides of Main Street in the downtown area. However getting a spot can be difficult during business hours and late at night from Thursdays to Saturdays. The city operates public parking lots in the downtown area. The university also offers public parking in many of its parking lots. These are both available for small fees, and may be free during certain hours, especially during the weekend. BGSU and the city both have parking enforcement units! BGSU uses automated plate readers and human patrols to quickly catch parking violations. Those parked illegally will almost certainly get caught, and the small fee at the kiosk is much better than a moderate fine. Most public parking lots that charge a fee have replaced their coin operated meters with an automated kiosk that lets you register your licence plate number, eliminating the need to go back to your car to place a permit on it. There are a few car rental agencies in town, and one on campus.

By bus

3 BGSU Shuttle Services, ☏ +1 419-372-0236, [email protected]. M-F during the school year. The shuttle service does not operate during breaks. The university provides a shuttle service, with some routes going off campus. The central hub of the bus service is the Centrex building. Shuttles are wheelchair accessible. Current shuttle locations and ETAs can be viewed with the live shuttle tracker or via an app. SMS "BGSU" to 41411 for route info on all cell phones. Free. (updated Nov 2023) Some residential areas will charter a private bus to make regular stops between their neighborhood and campus. The city also sometimes runs buses between parking and major events downtown, such as the Black Swamp Arts Festival.

By taxi

Taxicabs are very inexpensive at $3-4 per fare (as of Jan

See

Bowling Green State University 1 BGSU Planetarium. Tu 8PM, F 8PM, Sa 2PM, Su 7:30PM during the school year. An planetarium open to the public. Has regular educational showings for all ages, and holiday features. Most shows feature a regular star talk, then proceed with the show. Upstairs there is an observatory where public stargazing sessions are offered after weekend showings at the planetarium, or separately when events such as eclipses are ongoing. $1 (suggested donation). (updated Nov 2023) 2 Biology Greenhouse, ☏ +1 419-372-2375. Contains a tropical plant collection, and a desert plant collection. Also houses a student projects room and an aquaponics lab. Tours are available if scheduled in advance. Free. (updated Jul 2021) 3 Fine Arts Galleries, ☏ +1-419-372-2786, [email protected]. Several galleries dedicated to showcasing student artwork. The Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery and Willard Wankelman Gallery are conventional art galleries.The Hiroko Nakamoto Gallery, created by an interior design alumna who survived the Hiroshima atomic bombing, is