Entry No. 5 — the Cincinnati file — filed under: history
Lloyd Library & Museum
Founded by 19th-century pharmacist brothers, this free independent research library preserves rare medical botany texts dating to 1493 alongside historical pharmaceutical stills and natural specimens.
The story
In the late 19th century, three Cincinnati pharmacist brothers—John Uri, Curtis Gates, and Nelson Ashley Lloyd—built a drug manufacturing empire around Eclectic medicine, an alternative movement that rejected Victorian practices like bloodletting and mercury purges in favor of plant remedies. To power their lab work, John Uri exhaustively researched plant chemistry while Curtis Gates crisscrossed the globe collecting fungi specimens and every rare botanical text he could buy. What began as a working reference shelf for their pharmaceutical firm expanded into a massive, privately endowed vault of natural science and medical history.
Today, the independent library holds roughly 150,000 volumes, 3,000 linear feet of archival manuscripts, and rare texts dating back to 1493—the dawn of print. Center stage in the museum gallery sits the Lloyd Cold Still, a copper extraction apparatus patented by John Uri to draw out active plant compounds using vacuum pressure rather than destructive heat. Surrounding it are original botanical illustrations, vintage medicine bottles, and forgotten treatises on alchemy, toxic plants, and early American pharmacy.
What it's like
Expect a quiet, scholarly atmosphere tucked away at Plum and West Court streets. You have to ring the Plum Street doorbell to be buzzed past the front entrance, where you'll step into a modern reading room and compact exhibit gallery. Admission is free, and because the space flies under the tourist radar, you'll likely have the display cases of historical stills and antique glassware entirely to yourself. Browse the rotating exhibit, inspect the cold still up close, and don't hesitate to ask the staff questions—they are notoriously welcoming to walk-ins curious about the collection.
The move: Ring the Plum Street doorbell for entry to examine centuries-old botanical illustrations alongside historic quack pharmaceutical gear like the 19th-century Lloyd Cold Still.
- 📍 Downtown
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 917 Plum Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Cincinnati Music Hall — Pair your look at 19th-century medical history with a short walk to this 1878 Venetian Gothic landmark constructed over a former pauper's field.
- Ghost Baby — After examining historic pharmaceutical stills, descend four stories underground into pre-Prohibition brewery lagering tunnels for drinks and music.
- Hierophany & Hedge — Follow up the Lloyd's rare herbal and botanical texts with a trip across the river to a shop stocked with authentic ritual arcana and bespoke supplies.
- The UnMuseum at Contemporary Arts Center — Contrast the quiet, scholarly focus of the Lloyd with a hands-on, multi-sensory contemporary art space four blocks south.
Good to know
Is there an admission fee for the Lloyd Library & Museum?
No, admission to the museum exhibit space and public library areas is free.
Do I need a reservation to visit?
No advance reservation is required to view the gallery exhibits, though you do need to ring the doorbell at the Plum Street entrance to be let inside.
What is the Lloyd Cold Still?
It is a 19th-century pharmaceutical extraction apparatus invented by John Uri Lloyd that used vacuum distillation to isolate active medicinal plant compounds without damaging them with high heat.
What subjects are covered in the library collection?
The collection focuses on medicinal plants, pharmacy, botany, mycology, herbalism, chemistry, natural history, and the history of Eclectic medicine, with rare volumes dating back to 1493.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · ohio.org · Wikipedia · cincinnatimagazine.com
last checked: 2026-07-21