Great American Ballpark Guided Tour

Tickets for the guided tour of were $22 and it includes access to the Reds' Hall of Fame and Museum. Since we arrived at the stadium early, we decided to check out the museum prior to our tour. It was amazing and worth checking out even if you don't have time to do a full guided tour like we did. Without the tour, entrance to the museum does have a fee, but it was worth it. Here are some photos from our visit to the museum:

 

 

 

 

 

 Crosley Field was the first ballpark to host a night game. Fun fact.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We met our tour guide/group outside the museum. Since we were the last group, the tour guide insisted on doing his normal tour out of order so that he could guarantee us time on the field. We started in the press box:

 

And then headed right to the Mercedes Benz Diamond Club because it has direct access to the field.

 

 

On the other side of this glass is the hall the players walk down in order to get down to the field, so if you get to the club early enough, you can claim the tables alongside the window and try your very best to interact with the players. Possibly try to give one of them your phone number. Hope he takes it down and uses it.

 The club comes with posh, cushy seats right on field level. Super cozy.

 

 

From the bougie seats, we headed for the field, dugouts, and clubhouses.

 

 

 

 

 

There are two amazing mosaics in the main lobby. The First Nine is of the original Red Stockings and The Great Eight is of the Big Red Machine.

 

Outside, there are five plaques commemorating the All Star Gates hosted by the Reds.

 

 

 

 

This is the exterior of the Hall of Fame:

This pretty little flower garden has a sea of red and pink roses. As you can see, there is a little white rose right in the middle. If you can't see it, we've taken the liberty of circling it. The white flower symbolizes the location of where Pete Rose's 4,192nd hit landed.

A bonus fun fact: in the bar across the street from the ballpark is a plaque marking the spot of Riverfront Stadium's first base.

Our last stop on the tour covered the statues surrounding the stadium. This primary set up is called the "Reds Legends of Crosley Field" and is of Ted Kluszewski, Ernie Lombardi, Joe Nuxhall, and Frank Robinson. They layout is that of a baseball field. 

 

 

Joe Morgan. Who we hate listening to do in-game commentary because of his pronunciation of Carlos Beltran and his hatred of New York teams. In Cincinnati, however, they love him. 

 Pete Rose apparently had ferocious and fantastic hair.

 Tony Perez.

  Johnny Bench.