Findlay Market Has Been A Popular Place For Locals For Generations

The market has a variety of vendors, and in the warmer months, it allows vendors to set up outdoor stands, where they sell locally-produced goods and crafts. It also offers a Biergarten on its Elm Street esplanade from April to October. Craft beers are available from outdoor vendors, as well as from nearby breweries.

The original Findlay Market was an open-air shed without electricity or plumbing. Until the 1930s, only meat vendors could rent stalls. The fishmongers were restricted to outdoor areas. In the early years, butchers stored their meat with delivered ice. In the later years, refrigeration was added to the market. The building has been renovated, including a $16 million renovation in 2004.

The Findlay Market is named after James Findlay (1770-1835). Findlay was an early settler and merchant who bought large tracts of unincorporated land north of Cincinnati. His entrepreneurial efforts allowed him to capitalize on the city's rapid growth. By 1840, the population of the city had grown to over 46,000, and Cincinnati was one of the largest cities in the country.