The building was closed on the day after Thanksgiving when we stopped. (No mention of that on the website.). From pictures I’ve seen of this place, it looks like a gem though.

Such a neat building full of history! You could explore for hours in this book lovers nook of the city. Love looking through the collections of books in such a sophisticated environment. Also lots of places to sit and read. Everyone was friendly during our visit.

The Mercantile Library is a jewel in downtown Cincinnati. The architecture, the collections, the staff, the programs, and the volunteers are all wonderful. It is simply a lovely, quiet place to listen to an interesting presentation, attend a book discussion, meet with a group or simply enjoy a quiet hour or two. Memberships are not expensive and definitely worth the money.

Visited The Mercantile Library located on Walnut st. The hours are Monday through Friday 9 to 5:30 pm and Saturday 10 to 3 pm It's on the 11th floor . When you first walk in it smells very musty . They have beautiful hard woods floors with oriental rugs . There are lots of cozy spots to sit with comfy leather couches or chairs . It's very quiet being a library and there were only 4 people in the place. You get feeling of being a museum with the antiques and marble busts . This is a neat place to come when your downtown.

What a fabulous, old, historic library. It's not entirely obvious as it occupies space in a historic downtown building but once you exit the elevator, I felt the reverence you feel when entering the Library of Congress. Reading tables, desks, stacks, busts of famous folks, a gorgeous Steinway and a large selection of periodicals can keep you there a long time.