Made in Cincinnati

Be among the first to visit Cincinnati Museum Center’s newest permanent exhibit, Made in Cincinnati. The exhibit is a celebration of Cincinnati’s entrepreneurial spirit, showcasing products made in Cincinnati, innovations that transformed the market, and the people who have powered the Queen of the West, Porkopolis, and the burgeoning modern tech hub.

 

Made in Cincinnati tells the story of well-known juggernauts like Procter & Gamble, which revolutionized marketing to drive consumer activity, and Kroger, whose approach to one-stop shopping increased access to goods and made the process of shopping for necessities easier. 

 

The exhibit also reveals uniquely Cincinnati stories that changed our daily lives in ways we take for granted. The country’s first weather maps originated in Cincinnati, predicting the weather rather than merely reporting on it. The Cincinnati-based Huenefeld Company made the first glass oven door in 1909, allowing bakers to look inside their ovens without opening the door and adding precious cooking time as heat escaped. And discover the story of Porkopolis, the city’s unflattering reward for revolutionizing the meatpacking industry. Wilson, Eggleston & Company pioneered the “disassembly line,” easing the laborious work of butchering by using a trolley system to move pig carcasses from station to station.  

 

Discover the story of Henry Boyd, an enslaved man who learned carpentry skills as an apprentice before buying his freedom and patenting a process to build better, self-tightening beds in the 1830s. Stand in front of one of Boyd’s beds and try your hand at replicating his process in a Boyd-inspired interactive. 

 

Explore the history of Rookwood Pottery, the woman-founded and consistently woman-owned company that continues to produce highly prized pottery. An interactive glazing station puts you to work creating your own piece.