Here is an argument for Toledo’s:
“But after a recent trip, it’s clear the Toledo Museum of Art can hold its own with Cincinnati’s — and I mean that in a good way, since the breadth and strengths of Cincinnati’s collection are impressive.
Toledo can be visited on a day trip, although you do have to save a good three or four hours to really see the museum’s campus with its monumental, Ionic-columned classical-style main building, additions and outdoor sculpture. Fridays are especially convenient for a visit, as the museum — which has free admission — is open 10 a.m.-10 p.m. With 30,000 objects, Toledo’s collection is only half the size of Cincinnati’s and less than Cleveland’s 42,000, but it’s three times that of Columbus. Still, size isn’t everything in art — my eyes can glaze over pretty quickly looking at too many small stone antiquities or works on paper.
But, first off, Toledo has an outstanding collection of glass objects — the finest I’ve seen and one that will surprise anyone with its beauty, complexity and history.”