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 1990s the Reds and the Bengals (NFL) began to want separate modern stadiums after sharing Riverfront Stadium for nearly three decades. The idea for a new ballpark for the Reds was first raised in August 1993 when officials stated that a new ballpark would help the team compete with other teams in baseball. By 1996 Hamilton County voters approved a bond to increase the sales tax to fund new stadiums for the Reds and Bengals. Two locations were proposed for the Reds new ballpark, Broadway Commons and along the riverfront, in an area between Riverfront Stadium and US Bank Arena, known as the 'wedge.'

For over a year officials debated which location would be best for a ballpark, most preferring the riverfront. Reds officials were concerned about the cost of land at Broadway Commons as it was not a problem at the riverfront county owned land. In November 1998, citizens ended the question of where the ballpark would be built, voting to have it constructed along the riverfront. However, this did not end the stadium debate in Cincinnati. Owner of the Reds, Marge Schott, threatened to move the team to Northern Kentucky if the team did not receive a better lease agreement than the Bengals. Reds and city officials came to a lease agreement and 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. For two years, Reds fans were able to watch the new ballpark rise beyond the outfield of 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 excellent setting for baseball. Walking along the outside perimeter of the ballpark down Second Street, fans are greeted by a three story building of brick and cast limestone, with the phrase “Rounding third and heading for home,” the signature sign-off of broadcaster Joe Nuxhall, atop the building. 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 (Joe Nuxhall, Ernie Lombardi, Ted Kluszewski and Frank Robinson) 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. Located adjacent and connecting to Great American Ball Park along Main Street is the Reds Hall of Fame Museum and team store. A rose garden, remembering Pete Rose, is located near the museum where his record breaking hit 4,192 was at Riverfront Stadium.