The Toledo Police Museum was originally incorporated on September 11, 1985, due much to the efforts of the late Officer Kenneth Deck. The Museum, which opened on the first floor of the Toledo Police Safety Building at 525 N.Erie Street, closed in 1994 when the space it occupied was re-purposed.

The items belonging to the Museum went into storage and, for nearly 17 years, remained unvisited except for the dust and a few souls who desired to resurrect the dream. In May of 2010, Chief Michael Navarre tasked the Planning and Research Section of the Toledo Police Department with just that . . . resurrect the Museum!

One year and a few odd days later, the Museum breathed new life into the former Ottawa Park Nature Center at 2201 Kenwood Boulevard. Countless volunteer hours were poured into the effort and the doors opened to the public on June 9, 2011. 

The Museum offers visitors a trip back in time when officers walked the beat in all kinds of weather to hit a call box or jumped on the riding boards of a passing car to hitch a ride to a robbery in progress. 

Visitors can get locked-up in a jail cell, have their mug shot taken by the original TPD mug shot camera, or peek inside a replica 1948 police wagon. The Museum offers many interactive displays along with a timeline highlighting the complete history of the department from its humble beginnings to present day. The Museum also has many permanent exhibits and several rotating exhibits that will feature different sections of the department or officers who served this community. To watch a video about the creation of this museum, click here.