For 32 seasons, the sight of the Ohio River sparkling behind a perfectly circular concrete bowl meant one thing to Cincinnati sports fans: Riverfront Stadium was open for business. From 1970 to 2002, the multipurpose stadium at the foot of downtown hosted five World Series, two AFC Championship games, and some of the most replayed moments in American professional sports history.
This guide covers everything the record books remember about Riverfront Stadium — the Big Red Machine’s championship runs, the brutal Freezer Bowl, the milestone home runs and hits, and exactly what happened to the building after the Reds and Bengals moved on.
Quick Answer
Riverfront Stadium opened on June 30, 1970, on the Cincinnati riverfront and served as the shared home of the Cincinnati Reds (1970–2002) and Cincinnati Bengals (1970–1999). It hosted five World Series (1970, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1990), two AFC Championship games including the legendary 1982 ‘Freezer Bowl,’ and two MLB All-Star Games. Renamed Cinergy Field in 1996, it was demolished by implosion on December 29, 2002, to clear space for Great American Ball Park.
Stats at a Glance
Teams: Cincinnati Reds (MLB, 1970–2002), Cincinnati Bengals (NFL, 1970–1999). Location: 201 East Pete Rose Way, Cincinnati, Ohio. Opened: June 30, 1970. Renamed: Cinergy Field (September 1996). Final game: September 22, 2002. Demolished: December 29, 2002. Capacity: roughly 51,500–52,392 for baseball and 56,200–59,754 for football depending on the era, shrinking to about 40,000 for the Reds’ final two seasons. Construction cost: roughly $45–50 million (architects Heery & Heery and FABRAP).
The Big Red Machine’s Five World Series
Riverfront Stadium is inseparable from the Big Red Machine, the nickname for Reds teams built around Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Tony Pérez, Dave Concepción, Ken Griffey Sr., and George Foster. Between 1970 and 1976, that core carried the Reds to four National League pennants, and the stadium hosted World Series games in five separate years: 1970, 1972, 1975, 1976, and 1990.
The 1970 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles was the first Fall Classic ever played on artificial turf, though the Orioles won it in five games. Riverfront hosted a tense Game 7 of the 1972 World Series two years later, narrowly lost to the Oakland A’s. The breakthrough came in 1975 and 1976, when the Big Red Machine won back-to-back titles over the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, and again in 1990, when Cincinnati opened the World Series with two wins over Oakland at Riverfront before completing a stunning four-game sweep on the road.
A Venue Built for Record Books
Riverfront accumulated milestones at an extraordinary pace even outside the World Series. On April 4, 1974, Hank Aaron slugged his 714th career home run there, tying Babe Ruth’s longstanding record before breaking it four days later in Atlanta. Eleven years later, on September 11, 1985, Pete Rose collected his 4,192nd career hit at Riverfront, surpassing Ty Cobb’s all-time record before a roaring home crowd — a moment now marked by a rose garden near the stadium’s former footprint.
The stadium also hosted MLB All-Star Games in 1970 and 1988. The 1970 game, played before President Richard Nixon, is best remembered for the jarring collision at home plate between Pete Rose and Indians catcher Ray Fosse, a play replayed countless times since. Pitcher Tom Browning added to the venue’s legend on September 16, 1988, throwing a perfect game against the Los Angeles Dodgers — still the only perfect game in Reds history.
The Freezer Bowl and Two Super Bowl Runs
Riverfront’s football history was just as dramatic. On January 10, 1982, the Bengals hosted the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship with a game-time temperature of −9°F and a wind chill estimated at −37°F — a game forever known as ‘the Freezer Bowl’ and one of the coldest in NFL history. Cincinnati won 27-7 in front of 46,302 shivering fans and advanced to Super Bowl XVI, where they fell to the San Francisco 49ers.
The Bengals returned to the AFC Championship at Riverfront seven years later, beating the Buffalo Bills to reach Super Bowl XXIII — another heartbreaking loss to the 49ers, this time on a last-minute Joe Montana touchdown drive. Those two conference title games remain the high-water mark of football at the stadium.
Concerts and Other Historic Events
Beyond baseball and football, Riverfront Stadium doubled as one of Cincinnati’s biggest concert venues. The Rolling Stones played there twice, in 1989 and again in 1994, and acts including the Eagles, Paul McCartney, and New Kids on the Block sold out the bowl through the 1980s and 90s. (Riverfront Stadium is often confused with the neighboring Riverfront Coliseum — an indoor arena, later renamed Heritage Bank Center — which hosted Elvis Presley and was the site of the tragic 1979 Who concert crowd crush; that was a separate building next door, not the stadium itself.)
The stadium also had a somber chapter: on Opening Day 1996, home plate umpire John McSherry collapsed and died on the field early in the game against the Montreal Expos, a moment that led to lasting changes in how MLB handles medical emergencies during games.
Decline, Renaming, and Demolition
By the mid-1990s, the stadium’s cookie-cutter multipurpose design had fallen out of favor as both the Reds and Bengals pushed for dedicated facilities. The venue was rebranded Cinergy Field in September 1996 under a naming-rights deal with regional energy company Cinergy. The Bengals departed after the 1999 season for the new Paul Brown Stadium, and seating capacity was reduced to roughly 40,000 in 2001 to ease the Reds’ final transition into a baseball-only building.
The Reds played their last game at the stadium on September 22, 2002, a 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies that closed 32 years of history. On December 29, 2002, approximately 1,275 pounds of dynamite reduced the structure to roughly 100,000 cubic yards of rubble in seconds. The cleared site was incorporated into the footprint surrounding Great American Ball Park, which opened across the street on March 31, 2003.
Visiting the Site Today
Nothing of Riverfront Stadium still stands, but its former footprint is marked for visitors. A bronze home plate marker sits on the lower level of the Central Riverfront Garage, close to where Riverfront’s diamond once stood, and a rose garden between Great American Ball Park and the Reds Hall of Fame commemorates the landing spot of Pete Rose’s record-breaking 4,192nd hit.
Fans wanting the fuller story — game-used equipment, World Series trophies, and exhibits on the Big Red Machine era — can visit the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, which sits on Joe Nuxhall Way a short walk from where Riverfront Stadium once towered over the river.
Riverfront Stadium Cincinnati FAQs
When did Riverfront Stadium open and close?
Riverfront Stadium opened on June 30, 1970, and hosted its final game on September 22, 2002. It was demolished by implosion on December 29, 2002.
What teams played at Riverfront Stadium?
The Cincinnati Reds (MLB, 1970–2002) and Cincinnati Bengals (NFL, 1970–1999) were the primary tenants. The Bengals moved to Paul Brown Stadium for the 2000 season; the Reds played out their final two seasons at the renamed Cinergy Field before shifting to Great American Ball Park.
What was the ‘Freezer Bowl’ played at Riverfront Stadium?
The Freezer Bowl was the AFC Championship game played on January 10, 1982, at Riverfront Stadium with a game-time temperature of −9°F and an estimated −37°F wind chill — among the coldest games in NFL history. Cincinnati beat San Diego 27-7 in front of 46,302 fans and advanced to Super Bowl XVI.
How many World Series were played at Riverfront Stadium?
Five: 1970, 1972, 1975, 1976, and 1990. The Big Red Machine won it all in 1975, 1976, and 1990.
Why was Riverfront Stadium renamed Cinergy Field?
In September 1996, the stadium was renamed under a naming-rights deal with Cincinnati energy company Cinergy. It kept that name until it closed after the 2002 season.
What replaced Riverfront Stadium?
Great American Ball Park, the Reds’ current home, opened on the same riverfront in March 2003, a few months after Riverfront/Cinergy Field was imploded.
Can you still visit the site of Riverfront Stadium?
Yes. A bronze home plate marker in the Central Riverfront Garage and a rose garden near the Reds Hall of Fame mark the former playing field, just west of Great American Ball Park.
How big was Riverfront Stadium?
Capacity varied by era — roughly 51,500 to 52,392 for baseball and up to 59,754 for football at its peak in the 1980s, before shrinking to about 40,000 for the Reds’ last two seasons.
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