What to See in Toledo - Top Sights and Attractions

Theater in Toledo, Iowa. The Wieting Theater is located in Toledo, Iowa, United States. Ella W. Wieting had three opera houses built as memorials to her husband, C.W. Wieting. The Wietings came to Toledo in 1867 from Worcester, New York. He was trained as a dentist, and was involved in other business ventures. They moved to Syracuse, New York around 1900, and he died there in 1906. She had the opera houses built in the three communities where they lived. The theater in Toledo housed productions from travelling road shows, local school productions, political meetings, movies, and lyceum courses. The theater closed in 1958, and reopened two years later by the Wieting Theatre Guild. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Completed in 1912, the two-story brick structure measures 50 by 100 feet (15 by 30 m). The Colonial Revival style facade features a brick parapet, columned porch, and a Palladian window. The interior contains an auditorium, balcony, stage, dressing rooms, and an orchestra pit.^[1]

Museum. The former Tama County Jail, now known as the Tama County Historical Museum, is located in Toledo, Iowa, United States. Tama County was established in 1853 but did not have a jail. It sent its convicted criminals to neighboring counties. courthouse was completed in 1865, and discussions turned toward providing a jail. The county Board of Supervisors decided in January 1869 to proceed with plans, and in June 1870 they contracted with Toledo builder David Stoner to design and build the new building. It was completed by the end of the year. The sheriff and his family lived on the second floor and acted as the jailers. A two-story addition was built onto the rear of the building in the late 19th century to provide more space.

By the 1960s the building was inadequate, and was condemned by a grand jury. It closed in 1970, and the county once again started to send its convicted criminals to neighboring counties. The county Historical Society has leased the building to use as a museum.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.^[3]

Building. First United Brethren Church, also known as Otterbein Methodist Church, is a historic building located in Toledo, Iowa, United States. Built in 1946, this building replaced an 1886 sanctuary that was destroyed in a fire in 1943. The original church had been associated with Leander Clark College, which had been operated by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, until its merger with Coe College in 1919. The church became United Methodist after the Evangelical United Brethren Church and Methodist Churches merged in 1968. This congregation and First United Methodist Church in Toledo merged in 1993, and they formed Christ United Methodist Church. The congregation consolidated into the church buildings on South Broadway in August 2015. Hobart Historic Restoration of Cedar Rapids bought this building and plans to converting it into 15 apartments. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.^[4]