CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum will offer free admission on Saturday, Nov. 1, and Sunday, Nov. 2, as it marks the 20th anniversary of its opening at Great American Ball Park, the Reds announced on MLB.com. The free-admission weekend closes out the museum’s anniversary season on Cincinnati’s riverfront.
The museum opened on Sept. 25, 2004, and was developed under the direction of Greg Rhodes, the Reds team historian who also served as the museum’s first executive director, according to the Reds’ announcement on MLB.com. Current executive director Rick Walls has led the museum for the past 17 years, the team said.
Inside, visitors can see the “Reds Memories” exhibit, an 11,000-square-foot timeline that leads to a theater honoring the 1975 and 1976 World Series champion Big Red Machine teams, according to the Reds’ history of the museum on MLB.com. The team describes the museum as the largest team hall of fame in Major League Baseball.
The visit also ties into the ballpark district around it. The Reds dedicated a statue of Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench outside the museum entrance on Sept. 17, 2011, depicting Bench throwing out a baserunner, according to the team’s account on MLB.com. A statue of broadcaster Joe Nuxhall, designed by Kim Jessup and built by the Verdin Company of Cincinnati, had earlier been dedicated at the entrance to the Crosley Terrace, the team said.
The wider statue program on the terrace honors Crosley Field-era greats including Ernie Lombardi, Ted Kluszewski, Frank Robinson and Pete Rose, reflecting the franchise’s roots before Great American Ball Park, according to the Reds’ history on MLB.com. Together, the museum and the statues turn a walk into the ballpark into a tour of Reds history.
The free weekend also makes for a timely family outing across the riverfront sports district. The Cincinnati Bengals host the Chicago Bears at Paycor Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 2, at 1 p.m. Eastern, and fans heading downtown for the game can add a no-cost museum stop at Great American Ball Park, a short walk away.
The Reds’ announcement on MLB.com invites fans to celebrate two decades of Reds history in the Queen City during the Nov. 1-2 free weekend. Visitors should check the museum’s regular hours before they go, and no ticket purchase is required for admission on those two days, according to the team.
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