How to Enjoy the Great American Ballpark

Check the team's schedule and purchase tickets. You can buy online, at the Reds ticket office or from scalpers outside the ballpark. All the seats are good, but determine what you want to see and how much you want to spend before purchasing. To avoid sitting in the sun, get tickets behind home plate or on the third base side. If you want to see the scoreboard, don't sit in the outfield. If you want to catch a homerun ball, sit in the sun/moon deck. If you'd like a good view of the Ohio River, purchase view level seats.

Get directions to the ballpark from the team's website. Park in any of the area parking lots or the garage. Handicap parking is in the garage under the ballpark. Security guards do a good job directing traffic, just show your handicap tag.

Plan on purchasing bottled water or peanuts before you enter the ballpark. The Reds allow soft-sided coolers that meet major league baseball requirements, 16 by 16 by 8 inches, but no glass or cans. Any drink you bring in must be unopened. Vendors on the sidewalks sell peanuts and water for a fraction of the price you pay inside.

Get there early. Batting practice usually begins 2 hours before game time. You can enter the Machine Game Restaurant with your ticket and watch from a table with an outfield view. If you prefer, you can watch from your seat or try to get an autograph. Baseball players often give autographs from Sections 111-113 and 133-135. You can also tour the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum at a reduced rate with your purchased ballpark ticket.

Enjoy some of the extras at the ballpark. Kids will love the Fan Zone on the Terrace Level on the west side of the ballpark. The site is part of former Riverfront Stadium and boasts a huge concession stand, interactive baseball games, picnic tables and live music. Kids of all ages can make their own stuffed animals, including a replica of the Reds mascot near Crosley Terrace inside the ballpark near Section 125.

Eat a hot dog or choose from a variety of menu items. Prices are high, as they are at all major league ballparks, but serving sizes are generous. Grilled sausages are popular and can be topped with grilled onions and peppers. Cincinnati's barbeque pork sandwiches are always good.

Enjoy the game, but remember the ballpark's nod to its history. The large stadium lights that resemble huge toothbrushes are replicas of those from Cincinnati's old Crosley Field as is the clock on the scoreboard. Those old benches you see in various places on the concourse came from the dugout in the former Riverfront Stadium-Cinergy Field. Displays along the walls recognize former players and World Series winners. Replica baseball jerseys hang inside the park near the broadcast booths bearing the team's retired numbers. Everywhere you look in the Great American Ballpark there is something to discover.