By Dan Klepal
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Saturday afternoon visitors stream into the Great American Ball Park. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

Hanzley Butler, a union ironworker who worked on the ballpark (left), and Daniel Whitehurst get a view from the seats where they will be sitting during a game later this summer. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

Reds chief operating officer John Allen, left, and owner Carl Lindner uncover home plate during dedication ceremonies at the Great American Ballpark. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

At every turn Saturday, the more than 100,000 visitors to Great American Ball Park's open house were greeted with respectful nods to the past and high-tech glimpses at the future.

The ballpark threw its doors open to the public for 12 hours and will do so today from noon until 6 p.m., showing off the structure that cost taxpayers $280 million - not including about $85 million in infrastructure improvements that add to the ballpark's bottom line.

A vast majority of visitors were thrilled with what they saw:

• A pristine natural-grass playing field with seats closer to the field and angled toward the infield.

• Concourses twice as wide as Cinergy Field's, many of which are open to the field so fans can keep an eye on the game while buying a snack.

• Mosaics that pay tribute to the 1869 Red Stockings and the 1970s Big Red Machine.

Fans also saw the high-definition video replay board and the third-largest scoreboard in Major League Baseball; a replica of the Crosley Field analog clock on the high-tech scoreboard; famous baseball quotes above the luxury suite doors, including "Pair up in threes" by Yogi Berra and, "I'd go through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball," by Pete Rose; and a rare glimpse of the Reds locker room and training facility that includes three indoor batting cages.

"I'm in awe; it's just amazing," said Kevin Trippel, 30, of Independence. He was sitting in the new park's cheapest seats - $5 - in the upper deck with friend Brian Lange, 31, of Colerain Township. Lange visited new ballparks in Pittsburgh and Houston last year and said each pales in comparison to Great American.

"These are $5 seats and they are amazing - you get a great view of the river, you can see the scoreboard and the seats are angled toward home plate," Trippel said. "And what's more amazing is I can afford to sit here on a regular basis."

Marilyn Willenbrink, 61, said the ballpark is wonderful for a different reason - it's accessible to the handicapped.

Willenbrink, of Fort Mitchell, uses a motorized scooter and said she often was separated from her friends at Cinergy Field because she had to sit down the left field line.

She came to the new ballpark expecting the worst and was amazed. Seats reserved for friends of the handicapped are spaced out in pairs along the first-level concourse. Folding chairs will be added for groups larger than three. And there are electrical outlets that will allow Willenbrink to charge her scooter's battery as she watches the game.

"I've never seen such accommodations for the handicapped," Willenbrink said. "It's wonderful."

Fans couldn't have asked for a better day to tour the ballpark, as the sun shone brightly and temperatures hovered around 60 degrees. Dan Ames, 59, of Clifton sought out the worst seat in the house to enjoy his lunch - a cheese sandwich, pretzels and free ice cream provided by Reds owner Carl Lindner. Ames sat in Row R, Seat 3, in the top row of the upper deck down the third-base line.

Ames admitted he's no baseball fan but is a taxpayer and wanted to check out what his tax dollars bought.

"The cheap seats have one of the best views because I can see the Licking River flow into the Ohio," he said. "And I'd like to thank Carl Lindner for the ice cream. At long last, something reasonably priced in a ballpark."

Avondale resident Sandra Coleman's 4-year-old son, Quentin, also enjoyed the ice cream. Sandra Coleman used to skip school to see the Reds play at Cinergy Field. "We'd pick a day and all come down," said Coleman, now a teacher.

But she won't be skipping to come down to the new ballpark. "We'll be out of session soon," she said.

Politicians and Reds management kicked the day off with a dedication ceremony. Gov. Bob Taft said the new ballpark ushers Cincinnati's proud baseball history into the 21st century.

"We see here today one of the more major milestones of the transformation of Cincinnati's riverfront," Taft said. "The State of Ohio is proud to be part of this project, that came in on time, under budget and with this superb result."

Lindner thanked taxpayers for their support of the project and called the ballpark the "latest gem in the Queen City's crown."

"This is a wonderful baseball facility that showcases Cincinnati's rich baseball history. It will bring us new memories, new championships and, hopefully, a new World Series," Linder said.

Even some critics were won over. Cincinnati Councilman Jim Tarbell, a longstanding supporter of a Broadway Commons site for the new ballpark, said he was impressed with the finished product.

"I like it. It really feels like a ballpark," Tarbell said. "For a brand-new ballpark, it has a nice, intimate feel to it."

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E-mail dklepal@enquirer.com

If you go

What: Day Two of Great American Ball Park's open house.

When: Noon-6 p.m. today. Gates close at 4:30.

Cost: Free.

Parking: Free at all county-owned lots: Lot A, Third and Plum streets; Lot B, Race and Second streets; Lot C, Pete Rose Way; Lot D, between the Roebling Suspension Bridge and Paul Brown Stadium; Lot E, Mehring Way; Great American Ball Park garage; and the East Garage, 443 Pete Rose Way.

Miscellaneous: Most areas of the ballpark will be open to tours, including facilities that are typically off-limits to the public, such as the Reds clubhouse, workout room and batting cages.