Season Opener: Spring in Cincinnati

But before that color pops, the 'Nati has some baseball business to take care of. "I think Opening Day has something for everyone," says Dan Fischer, who started coming to the parade and the game with his dad and brother 25 years ago. He tosses a baseball to his son inside the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, then pauses. "My mom and my sisters, they're not baseball fans," he says. "But they still get something out of it—tradition ... family ...  renewal ...  hope."

Even if you're not a fan, the fever is infectious. Bars open early, TV crews broadcast the 2-mile-long parade, and visitors fill the classy Reds museum, located inside the steamboat-theme ballpark along the river. They snap pix of the 4,256 baseballs mounted on the stairwell wall, each representing a hit by record-holder Pete Rose, and see famous photos of catcher Johnny Bench holding seven baseballs in one huge paw.

Pictured: Visitors can wind their way from the Reds' gift shop to the engaging Hall of Fame and Museum.