History of Great American Ball Park in Timeline

Great American Ball Park is a baseball stadium located in Cincinnati, Ohio, serving as the home of the Cincinnati Reds since its opening on March 31, 2003. It replaced Cinergy Field, the Reds' previous ballpark. The naming rights were acquired by Great American Insurance for $75 million over 30 years.

1912: Crosley Field becomes home to the Reds

In 1912, Crosley Field became the home of the Cincinnati Reds.

1912: Start of Crosley Field era

In 1912, Crosley Field became the home park for the Cincinnati Reds.

1958: Hall of Fame in existence since 1958

Since 1958, the Hall of Fame has been in existence, but did not previously have a building.

June 1970: End of Crosley Field era

June 1970 marks the end of the Cincinnati Reds playing at Crosley Field.

1970: End of Reds era at Crosley Field

In 1970, the Reds left Crosley Field.

1975: Big Red Machine won World Series

In 1975, The Big Red Machine won the World Series.

1976: Big Red Machine won World Series again

In 1976, The Big Red Machine won the World Series again.

1985: Pete Rose's record-breaking hit

In 1985, Pete Rose's record-breaking 4,192nd hit occurred.

1996: Sales tax increase to fund new stadiums

In 1996, Hamilton County voters approved a ½% sales tax increase to fund the construction of new stadiums for both the Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Bengals.

1998: Ground breaking for Paycor Stadium

In 1998, ground broke nearby for Paycor Stadium, which would later open on August 19, 2000.

August 19, 2000: Opening of Paycor Stadium

On August 19, 2000, Paycor Stadium opened. It was built to give the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL) their own venue after sharing occupancy of Riverfront Stadium.

2001: Start of limestone bas relief carving creation

In 2001, local designers and artists started to create an Indiana limestone bas relief carving near the main entrance which featured a young baseball player looking up to the heroic figures of a batter, pitcher and fielder, all set against the background of many of Cincinnati's landmarks, including the riverfront and Union Terminal.

2001: Start of creation of mosaic panels

In 2001, the creation of two mosaic panels began. They depicted two key eras in Reds history: "The First Nine" and "The Great Eight".

December 29, 2002: Demolition of Cinergy Field

On December 29, 2002, Cinergy Field was fully demolished to make way for further development around Great American Ball Park.

March 31, 2003: Opening of Great American Ball Park

On March 31, 2003, Great American Ball Park officially opened, replacing Cinergy Field as the home of the Cincinnati Reds.

2003: Completion of limestone bas relief carving

In 2003, local designers and artists completed the Indiana limestone bas relief carving near the main entrance which featured a young baseball player looking up to the heroic figures of a batter, pitcher and fielder, all set against the background of many of Cincinnati's landmarks, including the riverfront and Union Terminal.

2003: Completion of creation of mosaic panels

In 2003, the creation of two mosaic panels was completed. They depicted two key eras in Reds history: "The First Nine" and "The Great Eight".

2003: Original scoreboard built

In 2003, the scoreboard was originally built by the Trans-Lux company, and featured a monochrome scoreboard in addition to a smaller color videoboard, as well as five banners for sponsors.

2007: Street name change to Joe Nuxhall Way

In 2007, the address of Great American Ball Park was changed from 100 Main Street to 100 Joe Nuxhall Way, in memory of former pitcher and broadcaster Joe Nuxhall.

2008: Trans-Lux company collapsed

In 2008, the Trans-Lux company collapsed.

2009: New LED scoreboard and HD video screen installed

In 2009, the Reds paid $4 million to install a new, LED scoreboard and HD video screen from Daktronics.

2012: Smokestack Feature Added

Beginning with the 2012 season, when the Reds strike out a batter, fire blows out of the smokestacks, replacing the previous steam effect.

May 15, 2015: Smokestack Fire Incident

On May 15, 2015, during the 6th inning of a Reds game, a fire broke out on the top of the right smokestack due to a loose propane valve. The fire caused smoke to spread across the field, leading to the evacuation of several seating sections, and required the Cincinnati Fire Department to extinguish it. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

2015: First MLB ballpark with nursing suite

For the 2015 season, Great American Ball Park became the first MLB ballpark to feature a suite designed exclusively as a place for mothers to feed and care for their babies. A second nursing suite was added as part of the addition of the TriHealth Family Zone.

2015: Great American Ball Park hosted MLB All-Star Game

In 2015, Great American Ball Park hosted the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The Reds invested $5 million in improvements, including new bars and upgraded concession stands, in preparation for the event.

2015: Banners replace mural on scoreboard

In 2015, as part of the All-Star Game upgrades, new banners replaced a three-piece mural on the back of the scoreboard in left field, which depicted Pete Rose's record-breaking hit.

2019: Rose garden replaced

In 2019, the rose garden symbolizing Pete Rose's record-breaking 4,192nd hit was replaced with a different marker during the construction of the 1869 Pavilion.

2020: Scoreboard replaced and HDR video system installed

In 2020, the scoreboard was replaced with a larger videoboard, and Great American Ball Park became the first MLB facility with a fully integrated HDR video system.

April 17, 2023: Lowest Attendance Record

On April 17, 2023, Great American Ballpark set the lowest attendance record (not counting 2020) with only 4,967 fans due to cold weather. Despite the low attendance, the Reds defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 8–1.

2023: BetMGM Sportsbook Introduced

For the 2023 season, the Reds partnered with BetMGM Sportsbook to introduce on-site sports betting. The BetMGM Sportsbook at Great American Ball Park is located in the Machine Room.