Sights and landmarks in Bowling Green

14 sights worth seeing in Bowling Green: landmarks, galleries, monuments and viewpoints.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

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BG Wind Farm
One of the first commercial wind farms in Ohio, it started in 2003, and recouped its costs in 2015. The site consists of four turbines that stand at over 250 ft tall that can generate over 7 megawatts. On clear days they can be seen from Wooster Street. Has an info board on site.
Free
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BGSU Planetarium
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.
Tue 8PM, Fri 8PM, Sat 2PM, Sun 7:30PM during the school year$1 (suggested donation)
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Biology Greenhouse
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
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Bridge Over Troubled Waters
The Elephant/The Dinosaur
A 14 ft tall memorial to the events of May 4th, 1970 that took place at BGSU's sister school, Kent State University during the Vietnam war. This is a sister sculpture of a piece that was pierced by a bullet at Kent State during the shooting, made by the same artist with the same metal.
Open now · open 24 hoursFree
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Clough Street
Clough Windmill
A residential street with many interesting houses built in a fanciful style. Notably, one house is a traditional style windmill. The inside is not open to the public, but it serves as a local landmark.
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Education Memorabilia Center
Little Red Schoolhouse / District #6 School
A preserved schoolhouse from the frontier era. It was built in 1875 in the Norwalk area, and was moved to its current location in 1976.
Sat Sun 2-5PM, contact College of Education to confirmFree
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Fine Arts Galleries
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 stylized as a traditional Japanese tea room, and is a work of art on its own. Outside the galleries, the Fine Arts Building houses many smaller displays down its corridors which are typically accessible even if the main galleries are closed.
Free
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Life Sciences Building
The first floor houses the BGSU Herpetarium, a lab for the care and observation of over 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. Open to the public with an escort. The second floor houses the BGSU Marine Lab, which also offers public tours if planned in advanced. The Marine lab offers a variety of fish, as well as a touch tank where fish can be touched. The upper floors contain Professor Moseley's taxidermied animals on display in the hallways, as well as more modern specimens.
Free
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National Construction Equipment Museum
NCEM
Showcases historic construction machinery including trucks, excavators, paving equipment, drills, scrapers, rollers, graders, cranes, excavators, and tractors.
By appointment only$7 adult, free for kids 12 or under
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Snook's Dream Cars
Classic car museum features a recreated 1940s-era Texaco gas station with authentic antique signage, a showroom of extensive automobile memorabilia, coin operated antique machines and classic cars that are all in excellent working order and are even driven on a regular basis. Within the museum painted murals and background scenes recreate the looks of a 1930s general store to a racetrack from the 1960s. The car collection features models from the 1930s to the 1960s. The facility also houses a complete four-bay shop for maintaining collector cars and a special area for events.
Mon-Fri 8AM-Noon & 1PM-5PM, Sat Sun by appointmentAdults $8, seniors $6, children $5
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The BGSU Film Theater
Formerly Gish Film Theatre
A movie theater that often showcases classic and modern movies, as well as the occasional guest speaker. Free public screenings are usually held during the spring or fall semester on Tuesday nights at 7:30PM, or Thursday nights at 7:30PM for international films.
Free
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Toledo, Lake Erie & Western Railway and Museum
TLEW
The museum is re-opening soon after renovations but they offer motorcar train rides that overlook that Maumee River Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 5 pm which can be found here. Check website for availability.
June-October: the first and 3rd Sat of the month noon-4PMFree (donations appreciated), train rides: $6/adults, $4/kids 3-12
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Wood County Courthouse
Built in the oil boom era, the courthouse is castlelike and the exterior is lined with turrets and stone carvings. On the courthouse grounds there are many war memorials. The courthouse is topped with a giant clocktower which is visible across the city, and has a nest for peregrine falcons. The grand staircase of the original courthouse is lavish, with giant painted murals. The law library is cozy and a relaxing environment to take a breather. The grounds outside feature a fountain and war memorials. This is an active courthouse, so you will have to pass through a security checkpoint to enter.
Free
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Wood County Museum
Wood County Historical Society
The Wood County Historical Center and Museum is the original site of the Wood County Infirmary, which was in operation from 1869 to 1971. The site re-opened as an Historical Center & Museum in 1975, and has rotating exhibits and self-guided tours inside, plus a public park outside with trails, picnic tables, herb garden, and original out-buildings. The Historical Center also hosts a variety of educational experiences and public events throughout the year.
Mon-Fri 9:30AM-4:30PM, Sat Sun 1-4PM$5 adult, $1 child (10 or under)

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Bowling Green (CC BY-SA 4.0).