| Article Index |
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| Great American Ball Park / Cincinnati Reds |
| Page 2: Touring the Ballpark |
| Page 3: History Throughout |
| Page 4: Where to Stay |
| All Pages |
First off, there's an agreeable spaciousness to the ballpark. You can walk around the entire ballpark through a 40-foot-wide concourse, with some strategic areas for viewing the field from the outfield and the gap in the grandstand (again, more on that later). The horseshoe design of the grandstand provides great angles for fans, and our photos are perhaps a bit misleading: in reality, the foul ground isn't as spacious as these photos would indicate, and the folks sitting in the sections down the lines must constantly be on their guard against foul balls.
All seats (save the left-field bleacher seats) have a good view of the large outdoor scoreboard. Its most notable feature: an analog clock designed to look like the famous Longines clock in Crosley Field. The scoreboard is large (the fourth-largest in the majors, by our estimates) and comprises three sections focused on fan information (line score, replays, various stats) sitting above advertising. Most MLB scoreboards look like huge ad displays with a little section for fan info; Great American Ball Park bucks that trend. That seems to be keeping with the general practice of minimal ad signage at the ballpark.
Our biggest criticism of the ballpark has to do with an intangible: the lack of community within the ballpark. Some sections, particularly those down the left-field line, are sold as a separate section for groups. Fans in these section have a not-so-great view of the action and are physically separated from nearby sections. Yes, we're all in favor of seating for groups, but the fans buying these seats might as well be watching the game in a sports bar. By breaking the ballparks into many such separate seating areas, there's not much of a community feel when attending the game.
Still, there are some nice architectural touches, like a gap between sections of the grandstand. The point is to give fans sitting in the Sun Deck/Moon Deck a view of downtown Cincinnati, while also providing a great vantage point for those standing on the walkway between the sections. This also points up one of the huge advantages to Great American Ball Park: it is an outstanding ballpark for walking and lounging. The number of places to just stand around and watch the game from a different perspective may be the highest we've ever seen in a MLB ballpark: in addition to the aforementioned gap, there are concourses surrounding the entire ballpark, with standing areas in the outfield that give views both of the ballpark and the riverfront.
Finally, there's one more important aspect to the ballpark worth coverage: history. The original Cincinnati Reds were the first professional team (and reviled by many for that at the time, by the way), and the rich history of Reds baseball is infused in the ballpark. The main entrance, Crosley Terrace, is designed to evoke memories of the Reds' former home, Crosley Field. Statues of former Reds greats Joe Nuxhall, Ted Kluszewski and Ernie Lombardi dominate the area, which is reached after passing through a limestone giant bas relief entitled "Spirit of Baseball." Past the front gates are two large mosaics honoring the original 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings and the 1970s Reds of the "Big Red Machine" era. Go out to the children's play area in the northwest corner of the concourse level and you'll see historical displays of prior ballparks in Reds history, including the aforementioned Crosley Field, Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Park and the Palace of Fans.
In addition, at the end of the 2004 season the Reds opened the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame, featuring 16,000 square feet of exhibit space. The museum is open independently of game times, but you'll definitely want to visit before a game: Admission on non-game days is $8 for adults and $5 for youth, but free before the start of a game if you have a game ticket. (On game days, the hall is open 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. for all afternoon games, and 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. for all evening games. On non-game days, the hall is open Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
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