Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio

The Great American Ballpark is located at 100 Joe Nuxhall Way (Main Street) in Cincinnati, Ohio. The park is the home of the Cincinnati Reds Major League Baseball team. The name of the park is reflective of its corporate sponsor, the Great American Insurance Group. The stadium was constructed on a parcel of land known informally as "the wedge'', and ground breaking began on August 1, 2000.

Before the stadium was built, the Cincinnati Reds and the National Football League team the Cincinnati Bengals shared facilities at Cinergy Field. Complaints about the aging facilities led Hamilton County to pass a one-half percent sales tax increase to raise funds for new homes for both teams. To make room for construction, portions of Cinergy Field were demolished, though parts of it remained in use until the Great American Ballpark was ready.

Great American Ballpark was officially opened on March 31st, 2003. The first event held was an exhibition game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians. Opening day of the inaugural season was held April 4th, 2006; the Cincinnati Reds played the Chicago Cubs with President George W. Bush throwing out the first pitch of the game.

The owner of the park is Hamilton County, and final construction costs for the stadium were $290 million. The park was designed by the architectural firm of HOK Sports and GBBN Architects of Cincinnati. Seating capacity of the stadium is 42,059, and the park has a surface composed of perennial ryegrass. Great American Ballpark has 25 ticket windows, 40 feet of concourse level, 3 escalators, 14 passenger elevators, 28 concession stands and 850 parking spaces.

With the construction of a new park, the Cincinnati Reds decided it was time to incorporate a new mascot. In 2002, the club held a contest amongst fans to decide upon a name for the new mascot. The event was held at Redfest, the annual fan convention, and "Gapper,'' made his much heralded debut on opening day, 2003. Gapper is available to make special appearances at corporate events and parties, and makes regular visits to assisted living facilities throughout Ohio.

Features of Great American Park consist of many modern conveniences and amenities. The park contains a limestone relief carving entitled "The Spirit of Baseball'', a mosaic paying tribute to the two legendary Reds teams of the past. The 4192 Mural is a three piece mural paying homage to Pete Rose on the event of hitting his record breaking 4,192nd hit. Other areas of interest include; the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, the Toyota Tundra Homerun Deck, the Panoramas, Crosley Terrace and the Riverboat Deck. Each year the park invites visitors to tour the stadium, appreciate the history of the Cincinnati Reds, and all the fun and excitement that comes from watching a ball game.