Braves Bus Tour

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Lore & Background

The ballpark was built in the Southeastern Atlanta neighborhood of Summerhill, across the street from the former home of the Braves, Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, which was demolished in the summer of 1997 and replaced with a parking lot. The parking lot is painted with the field location and configuration of the old ballpark. The section of the outfield wall with the monument marking where Hank Aaron's 715th home run went over it was reinstalled in its original location, and still stands today. From 2002 to 2004, the failed Fanplex entertainment center was located adjacent to the stadium's parking lot. The stadium contained 5,372 club seats, 64 luxury suites, and three party suites. The most popular name choice among Atlanta residents for the new stadium at the time of its construction (according to a poll in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) was Hank Aaron Stadium. After the ballpark was instead named after Ted Turner (and subsequently nicknamed 'The Ted' by fans), the city of Atlanta renamed the section of Capitol Avenue on which the stadium sits Hank Aaron Drive, giving Turner Field the street number 755, after Aaron's home run total.

In Their Own Story

The morning sun hit the chrome of the bus parked outside the community center in Marietta. A small crowd gathered, children clutching worn baseballs and parents holding cameras. The side door hissed open, revealing a glimpse of navy blue jerseys. For a moment, the noise of traffic faded; it was just the team and the town. A player stepped out, signing a cap with a quick flourish before climbing back in. As the engine rumbled to life, the bus rolled on, leaving behind smiles and a promise that the Braves were always part of the neighborhood.

Reader's Guide

Turner Field hosted the NLDS a total of 11 times (1997–2005, 2010, 2013), the NLCS four times (1997–1999, 2001), one World Series (1999), one NL Wild Card Game (2012, the first in baseball history), and the 2000 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The Braves played the final game at Turner Field on October 2, 2016, a 1–0 win over the Detroit Tigers. The franchise allowed its lease on the facility to expire at the end of the calendar year. In 2017, the team moved to the newly constructed SunTrust Park (now called Truist Park), located in nearby Cobb County. The stadium was reconfigured for the second time, redesigned for college football in 2017 as Center Parc Stadium for Georgia State University. Architecture firm Heery was responsible for both stadium conversions. The stadium is the second former Braves ballpark to be converted to a college football stadium, the first being Braves Field when it was renovated into Nickerson Field in 1955.

Did You Know?

• Turner Field was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium for the 1996 Summer Olympics.
• The stadium's street address is 755 Hank Aaron Drive, after Aaron's home run total.
• The Braves moved less than one block from Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium to Turner Field in 1997.
• The stadium hosted the first NL Wild Card Game in baseball history in 2012.