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Home > Baseball > MLB Stadiums > Great American Ball Park
Great American Ball Park
With its opening on March 31, 2003, Great American Ball Park became the second ballpark to be built on the banks of the Ohio River in Cincinnati. In the mid 1990's the Reds and the Bengals began to want separate modern stadiums after sharing Riverfront Stadium for nearly three decades. In 1996, Hamilton County voters approved bonds to build new stadiums for the Reds and Bengals.
In July 1998, the Reds announced that their new ballpark would be built between Riverfront Stadium and US Bank Arena in an area known as the wedge. Groundbreaking for the ballpark took place on October 4, 2000. In order for construction to begin, 14,000 seats had to be removed from the outfield of the Reds' former home, Riverfront Stadium. Great American Insurance bought the naming rights to the ballpark for $75 million over 30 years; thus the stadium was named Great American Ball Park.
The Cincinnati Reds christened their second ballpark on the riverfront on March 31, 2003. Great American Ball Park is a combination of new and old ballparks and provides an outstanding setting for baseball. Banners of great moments in Reds' history also line this area. At the intersection of second and Main streets is an opening to Crosley Terrace, a point most fans pass through before entering the ballpark.
The terrace is about an acre of concrete, landscaped with grass and trees. Statues of Crosley Field-era players dot the landscape, along with a pitcher's mound built to Major League Baseball dimensions of the day. Grass in the terrace is sloped at the same incline as Crosley Field's outfield. Special lighting illuminates the statues; stone benches and a 60 foot stone sculpture meant to depict the romance of the game are also in the Crosley Terrace.
Upon entering the ballpark, fans have sweeping views of the ballpark. Great American Ballpark has about 42,271 red seats in three levels. The lower grandstand extends from the left field foul pole to home plate and around to the right field foul pole. The second deck consists of club seats, luxury suites and the press box. One of the largest scoreboards in baseball is located above the stands in left field, blocking the view of US Bank Arena. The feature, consisting of two large smokestacks, a paddle wheel and a large misting system makes noise, shoots fireworks, creates mist and is a general source of entertainment.
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