History
The Reds opened the stadium on June 30, 1970, leaving Crosley Field in mid-season, and the Bengals arrived the same year. Two weeks later it hosted the 1970 All-Star Game.
The Reds reached four World Series in the stadium's first seven seasons and won in 1975 and 1976, then swept Oakland in 1990. Pete Rose collected his record 4,192nd hit there on September 11, 1985, and the Bengals played the frigid 'Freezer Bowl' AFC Championship there in January 1982.
The stadium became Cinergy Field in 1996. The Bengals left for Paul Brown Stadium in 2000, and part of the stadium was removed to make room for Great American Ball Park, which cut baseball capacity to about 40,000. The Reds' last game came on September 22, 2002, and the remaining structure was imploded on December 29, 2002.
Why it matters: It was the home of the Reds' 1975, 1976 and 1990 champions and the place where Pete Rose collected his 4,192nd hit.
Timeline
- June 30, 1970
The Atlanta Braves beat the Reds 8-2 in the first game.
- July 14, 19701970 All-Star Game[1]
Remembered for Pete Rose's collision with catcher Ray Fosse at home plate.
- 1975Back-to-back titles[1]
The Reds won the World Series in 1975 and 1976.
- September 11, 1985Pete Rose's 4,192nd hit[1]
Pete Rose recorded his 4,192nd career hit.
- September 1996Renamed Cinergy Field[1]
Naming rights were sold to the energy company Cinergy.
- September 22, 2002
The Reds lost 4-3 to the Phillies before 40,964.
- December 29, 2002
The remaining stadium was imploded.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Great American Ball Park (2003) is built largely over the grounds; the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, mixed-use development and parking occupy the rest[1,2] |
| Built on the site | Great American Ball Park (Reds' replacement, built largely over the stadium grounds; opened 2003) |
| Mapped location | Former venue parcel |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Cincinnati Bengals | NFL · 1970–1999 |
|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds | National League · 1970–2002 |
| Cincinnati Bearcats | NCAA · 1982–1990 · secondary |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Official name | Cinergy Field |
|---|---|
| Other names | Cinergy Field (1996–2002) |
| Location | 201 East Pete Rose Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202, Cincinnati, Ohio[1] |
| Venue type | Stadium |
| Sports | Baseball, Football |
| Level | MLB, NFL, NCAA |
| Opened | June 30, 1970[1,3] |
| Last used for sports | September 22, 2002[1,2] |
| Demolished | December 29, 2002[1,2] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 52,952[1,2] |
| Final capacity | 40,008[1,2] |
| Capacity notes | 52,952 baseball (1970-2000) and 59,754 football. Final baseball capacity after 2001 partial demolition given as 39,000 (Wikipedia infobox), 40,007 (Wikipedia table) or 40,008 (Ballparks of Baseball). |
| Architect | Heery & Heery; FABRAP (Finch, Alexander, Barnes, Rothschild and Paschal)[1,2] |
| Construction cost | $45 million (Wikipedia infobox); $50 million (Ballparks of Baseball)[1] |
| Surface | AstroTurf 1970-2000; grass 2001-2002[1,2] |
| Owner / operator | City of Cincinnati[1] |
| Closure | Replaced by Paul Brown Stadium (2000) for the Bengals and Great American Ball Park (2003) for the Reds, which was built largely on the old site. |
Documented details
Connected venues
- Now on the site: Great American Ball Park · Reds' replacement, built largely over the stadium grounds; opened 20032003–present
- Replaced by: Paycor Stadium · Bengals moved to Paul Brown Stadium (now Paycor Stadium) in 20002000–present
- Replacement for: Crosley Field · The Reds moved there in mid-1970 (per Wikipedia). Riverfront is defunct and listed as a research candidate.1912–1970
Sources
- Riverfront Stadium, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, owner operator, surface, teams
- Riverfront Stadium, Ballparks of Baseball. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: architect, capacity, closed, current land use, demolished, surface
- Riverfront Stadium / Cinergy Field notable games, Retrosheet. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: opened
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (3)
- Opening: Ballparks of Baseball lists 1970-07-16 (apparently Three Rivers Stadium's opening date); Wikipedia and Retrosheet give 1970-06-30 for the first game.
- Cost: $45 million (Wikipedia infobox), 'less than $50 million' (Wikipedia text), $50 million (Ballparks of Baseball).
- Final capacity: 39,000 / 40,007 / 40,008 depending on source.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.