Getting to Great American Ball Park

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The best way into Great American Ball Park costs nothing. The Connector streetcar is free to ride, and its Station 1 stop at The Banks is steps from the gates. Rideshare is the next-best option if you’re not near the loop. Driving still works for a group riding in together, with garages built into the riverfront around the park, but bring a card, because day-of parking passes don’t take cash.

The Connector

The Connector is a streetcar, a rail trolley that runs on tracks through downtown Cincinnati, and it’s free to board, so you don’t need a fare, a ticket, or a tap. It runs a 3.6-mile loop connecting the riverfront, downtown, and Over-the-Rhine to the north, and Station 1 sits right at The Banks, so a ride anywhere on the loop drops you a couple minutes’ walk from the gates.

It opened in 2016 as the Cincinnati Bell Connector; the name shortened to just the Connector in 2022 after Cincinnati Bell’s rebrand to Altafiber, so older write-ups and photos still carry the old name on the car. The free fare is the unusual part, and it’s why the Connector beats a car for anyone staying downtown or in Over-the-Rhine, since there’s no fare, no garage, and no post-game exit ramp.

Hours run Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., and Sunday and holidays 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday and holiday service stops 2 hours earlier than the rest of the week, which a Sunday night game can outlast. Check the last-car time before you count on the Connector for the ride home.

Metro buses

Metro, run by the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA), is the regional bus system that reaches downtown from across greater Cincinnati. If you’re coming from a neighborhood outside the Connector loop, a Metro bus into the downtown core plus a short walk or a free Connector hop gets you to the gates.

Rideshare

On a full house, expect a walk from the curb to your driver rather than a door-side stop, and expect surge pricing after the last out. Walking a few blocks up from the river into the downtown grid, away from the crowd emptying into The Banks, tends to get you a car sooner than waiting outside the gates.

Driving and parking

Driving works, especially for a group splitting one car. The Banks garages sit closest to the gates, including the Central Riverfront Garage under Smale Riverfront Park, with the downtown lots a few blocks up from the river as the fallback. Before you pull in, know that day-of parking passes are credit-card only, with no cash accepted, so have a card ready at the gate.

On a weekend or against a marquee opponent, the closest riverfront garages tend to go first, so reserving beats hunting. SpotHero lets you book and pay for a garage or lot near the park before you leave home, then show the app at the gate.

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Getting here from the airport

Cincinnati’s airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG), is in Kentucky. To get from there to the game, ride TANK’s Route 2X bus, which runs straight to downtown Cincinnati with no transfer. From downtown, the free Connector streetcar runs to Station 1 at The Banks, which the Reds say is just steps from the ballpark.

At CVG, the 2X leaves from the Baggage Claim level. Follow the signs for Ground Transport East to Public Transit. A ride is as low as $2, and children under 48 inches tall ride free with a paying adult.

Heading back after a night game. Buses to the airport leave the 5th at Elm stop downtown every 30 minutes through the evening, and each one reaches the airport about 24 minutes later. The Route 2X timetable has buses running late enough to clear a night game every night of the week. The Connector runs back downtown until 11:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday but stops at 9:30 p.m. on Sundays and holidays, so after a Sunday or holiday night game, plan another way to get to 5th at Elm.

Rideshare and taxi. At CVG, rideshares and taxis pick up at Ground Transport East or Ground Transport West, and neither one is at the terminal curb. Ground Transport East is the same area where the 2X boards. If you land late and want a cab, CVG says walk-up service after midnight may be limited.

Anyone driving from the airport should bring a credit card, because day-of parking at the ballpark takes credit cards only. You can find more about the riverfront garages in our Driving and parking section above.

With a suitcase, head to your hotel before anything else once the 2X drops you downtown, and ask the front desk to keep the bag if you get there hours before your room is ready.

Luggage

The Reds cap bags at 16 by 16 by 8 inches, and they do not allow backpacks unless they are made for medical or infant care. You can find more about the bag rule and what else you can carry in our Cashless stands, bags, and re-entry section.

A suitcase is too big to bring in, and the Reds’ A-Z guide does not list a bag check or lockers, so leave the suitcase wherever you are staying.

Gates A through J

Gates are lettered A through J, and walking the long way around for a specific one doesn’t save you anything. Riders off the Connector and anyone walking in from The Banks land nearest the Crosley Terrace side (Gate A) and the Hall of Fame Breezeway (Gate J), so those are the natural way in from the streetcar and the district. Drivers vary by garage; the ballpark’s address is 100 Joe Nuxhall Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202, so plug that into your GPS and take the gate your ramp puts you closest to.

Gates open 60 minutes before first pitch Monday through Thursday and 90 minutes before Friday through Sunday, plus 2 hours on Opening Day. Plan the Connector ride around that gate time instead of first pitch.

Know Great American Ball Park better than we do? Tell us what we got wrong, or where we should be sending people instead.

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