Great American Ball Park Overview

Welcome to baseball history. The Cincinnati Reds are over 140 years old, and the fourth oldest team in MLB. But Great American Ball Park is just a young 23 years this season, and is looking better than ever. It’s such an easy ballpark and city to overlook, but that would be a terrible mistake, because we’ll tell you: this stadium is a gem, and the area surrounding it has become a fun and energetic place to hang out both before and after games.

So whether you’re starting your day on The Banks for pregame drinks, checking out the incredible Reds Hall of Fame exhibit, trying out some Goetta sliders, or throwing back a few Fifty West IPA’s, you’ll be getting a great baseball experience in the Queen City.

Our five-part guide to Great American Ball Park will help you plan the perfect trip to see Cincinnati Reds baseball. We’ll cover:

1. Travel: getting to Cincinnati
2. Lodging: where you should stay
3. Local Transit: how you should get to the ballpark
4. Seating: where to sit, how to buy, and whether to opt for premium seating
5. Gameday: what to do before/during/after the game

We hope you enjoy our Great American Ball Park insider guide. Please be sure to sign up for our free daily newsletter to keep informed about events, schedules, onsales, ticket deals, and everything else you need to know to plan the best fan experiences.

Why you should visit Great American Ball Park

How many games should you see?

Don’t be fooled just because you’re in Cincinnati: this is an outstanding ballpark and has a really good gameday experience. We say two games is the absolute minimum, and don’t be surprised if you could easily be entertained for three. The Hall of Fame is a must-do item, plus the Reds Pregame Workout Experience will get you access to the ballpark early to see warmups and batting practice.

Plus, there are some really good premium seating products in the stadium that are affordably priced, like the Champions Club (all-you-can-eat), and the Budweiser Bullpen Boxes. Trust us – you can easily fill a full weekend in Cincinnati, starting with a Friday night game and the post-game fireworks.

When should you go to Great American Ball Park?

In terms of weather, April can be a little iffy. Nights will likely be colder, and some days could be as well. May gets noticeably warmer during the day, but is still cool at night. By June it’s all good and summer has fully arrived. On the rain side, April and May are the wettest, but you’ve got a better than 50% chance of avoiding showers while you’re there.

On the opponents side, there are the usual suspects of the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Cubs, where tickets become more scarce (although if these series fall during the week, it’s not nearly as bad as when they’re on the weekends). But series against the Cardinals and Braves can also be higher demand. If you’re here for any of these weekend series, it’s a good idea to shop for tickets a little earlier, and to keep an eye out for when the Reds release single game tickets to the public.

Oh … and Opening Day is huge here. HUGE. It will sell out every year. If you’re coming on Opening Day, buy your ticket as early as you can.

Where Great American Ball Park is located

Great American Ball Park is located right in downtown Cincinnati, on the shore of the Ohio River, just down the street from Paycor Stadium, home of the Bengals. It’s a quick 20-minute rideshare from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG), which is located across the bridge from Cincinnati in Northern Kentucky. There’s also a safe and inexpensive airport express bus that will drop you right in the middle of downtown, close to most major hotels. More about that in our Travel Chapter.

Downtown Cincinnati is a relatively safe place, even at night, but as with anywhere, be aware of your surroundings, and read our Lodging Chapter to understand the best areas to stay, which include hotels on the other side of the river.

About your Great American Ball Park Stadium Insider

My name is Mike, and I’m the founder of The Stadium Insiders.

Although I’m not a local Cincinnatian, I’ve been traveling to Great American Ball Park since it opened in 2003 when the Reds were a client of mine.

And I’ve been fortunate to have had the chance to come back and visit this stadium (and city) over a dozen times, including annual trips over the past five years.

Having been to every MLB stadium numerous times, I will tell you that Great American Ball Park belongs on my list of most underrated/underappreciated ballparks. To walk into this stadium, you’d have no idea that it’s now over 20 years old. The Reds have done an amazing job keeping the ballpark current, but it’s still one of the more affordable places to see a game. And Cincinnati has more to offer than you might think.

This guide was compiled based on my experiences as a visitor to the ballpark, but also with contributions from local friends who know the ins-and-outs of the city. I’m a big fan of staying across the bridge in Newport and taking the Southbank Shuttle to and from the games. I also really enjoy sitting in the Champions Club, a moderately priced all-you-can-eat club on the 300 level. Hanging out at The Banks before the games is always a good time, and after games you’ll often find me taking a 10-minute walk to Graeter’s, home of some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had.

I hope this guide helps you plan a fantastic visit to Cincinnati to see some Reds baseball.

How to support The Stadium Insiders

The Stadium Insiders is an independent media company and is NOT paid by the teams to explore their stadiums. We do, sometimes, accept sponsorships from various ticketing companies, hotels, restaurants, or other merchants, but only for products and services that we are independently willing to endorse.

But while some of our content is supported by advertisers, most of it isn’t. So if you enjoy our content, please click on the links in our stories to book your travel and tickets and whatever else – those companies will pay us a small commission if you do, and there’s no additional cost to you!