Holy Toledo! The Time Travelers Passport Was a Huge Hit

When Holy Toledo History agreed to help develop and sponsor the inaugural Time Travelers Passport, we had one simple goal:

Help more people discover the incredible history that exists throughout Northwest Ohio.

Not just Toledo's famous attractions, but the museums, historical societies, restored churches, memorials, and local organizations that quietly preserve the stories of our communities every day.

After reviewing feedback from our participating venues, we can confidently say:

Mission Accomplished!

Going into the program, we naturally hoped to award hundreds of commemorative Time Travelers medals to participants who completed the challenge.

While fewer people completed enough stops to earn a medal than we originally anticipated, the survey results made something abundantly clear.

The real success wasn't the medals.

The real success was what happened inside the museums.

Across the board, participating organizations reported significant increases in attendance, with many estimating that more than three-quarters of Passport visitors had never visited before.

That's exactly what we hoped would happen.

Visitors Didn't Just Stop In

One of our biggest concerns before launching the program was whether participants would simply rush from location to location collecting stamps.

Instead, the exact opposite happened.

One museum reported that visitors stayed 45 to 60 minutes, emphasizing that they "didn't just visit for a stamp." Another organization said visitors spent far more time than expected because they had so many questions. Others described guests as "very engaged" and genuinely interested in learning about their collections and local history.

As historians, that's incredibly rewarding.

Our goal has never been to create tourists.

Our goal has always been to create curiosity.

Real Benefits for Local History Organizations

The Passport also produced tangible benefits.

Participating venues reported:

• Significant increases in attendance.

• New donations and gift shop sales.

• New volunteers.

• New contacts for future group tours and memberships.

• Cross-promotion among museums.

• Increased public awareness of organizations many residents didn't even know existed.

One respondent summed it up perfectly:

"This was a total success."

Another shared that visitors repeatedly said, "This is amazing," after discovering the museum for the first time.

Those comments alone made every hour of planning worthwhile.

What We Learned

Like any first-year program, the Passport also gave us valuable lessons.

Several organizations suggested extending the event beyond two weeks so people with work schedules would have more opportunities to participate. Others recommended additional media exposure, expanded venue hours, and even a redesigned passport booklet that looks more like an actual passport.

Those are exactly the kinds of ideas we hoped to collect.

Programs like this improve because the people who participate help shape them.

Looking Ahead

Perhaps the most encouraging result from the survey was this:

Nearly every participating venue said they would gladly participate again, and every responding organization rated the value of the program at the highest level.

For a first-year effort, that's about as strong an endorsement as we could hope for.

A Thank You

The Time Travelers Passport was never just a Holy Toledo History project.

It belonged to every museum director who opened their doors.

Every volunteer who greeted visitors.

Every sponsor who believed in the idea.

Every participant who chose to spend part of their summer exploring the rich history of

Northwest Ohio.

At Holy Toledo History, we believe history isn't something locked away in books.

It's something you experience.

This summer, hundreds of people experienced it together.

And we couldn't be more proud to have helped make that happen.