Findlay Market in Cincinnati, Ohio an Excellent Shopping and Gathering Place

Findlay Market in Cincinnati is the oldest continuously-operating public market in the state of Ohio. It is one of many that once served the people of the city. First founded in 1852, the market was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

Located just north of the downtown area in an historic neighborhood known as Over-the-Rhine, renowned for its Italianate architecture, Findlay Market has always served as a gathering place for the people of the city of Cincinnati. More than a century ago, scores of individuals would head to the market daily to purchase the meat, poultry, produce, and any number of other items essential to life in the 19th century. The market building was designed by civil engineer Alfred West Gilbert, using a frame of wrought and cast iron, a building technique rarely used in the U.S. at that time. The market was originally an open-sided pavilion but health concerns in the early twentieth century prompted the enclosure of the entire market. The center masonry tower was added in 1902 as well and refrigeration and plumbing was added. The tower bell at Findlay Market came from Pearl Street Market, which was demolished in 1934. Renovations to the market occurred in the 1970s and again in the early years of the new millennium.

Just as when it first opened, Findlay Market continues to attract patrons by the hundreds from all areas of the city and beyond. Open from Tuesday through Sunday, the Market House now holds about 4 dozen vendors who offer a variety of fare including meats, fish, poultry, cheese, pastas, herbs and spices, produce, chocolates, baked goods, and ready-made homemade foods. Some foods are from the nearby Amish and Mennonite neighborhoods that border Cincinnati and much is locally raised or grown. On the weekends from April through November, Findlay Market also hosts a small farmer's market-type operation, which includes the sale of plants, flowers, produce, eggs, baked goods, and soaps and lotions that are produced in the area.

Also during the warmer months of late spring, summer, and early fall, the Findlay Market plays host to a number of entertainers. Most concerts take place on the weekends inside the Music in the Market tent at Findlay Market. Some concerts are scheduled for the colder weather in order to honor holidays such as Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Mardi Gras. Many of the performances benefit local charities.

Visitors to Findlay Market should be sure to stop for a look at The Market Carpet, a beautiful eight by eight foot mosaic that tells the story of the market's first 100 years. Located in the center tower, it was designed by local artist David Day using brightly-colored porcelain tiles manufactured at Emaux de Briare, in Briare, France.

Ample parking for patrons of Findlay Market is available in five parking lots that surround the marketplace. It is also easily reached by public transportation from various parts of the city.