Ballparks: 1871 - 2016

1871-1914

South End Grounds

Capacity: 6,800 (1888)
First Game: May 16, 1871
Last Game: August 11, 1914
Dimensions for SEG III: 250 L, 445 LC, 440 RC, 255 R
Other Names: Walpole Street Grounds, The Grand Pavilion, Boston Baseball Grounds

  • In their 44 seasons playing at South End Grounds, the team won 13 league championships and one World Series.
  • In 1894, South End Grounds was destroyed by "The Great Roxbury Fire." The team played at the Congress Street Grounds while South End Grounds was being rebuilt.
  • After the fire, the new South End Grounds was smaller than its predecessor. The most distinctive architectural feature was the spires atop the grandstand. Originally there were six, but the number was reduced to two when the park was rebuilt.
  • The Braves used Fenway Park to accommodate large crowds for a Memorial Day doubleheader in 1913 and the last two games of the 1914 World Series.
  • The Braves continued to play some home games at Fenway Park in 1915 until Braves Field was completed.
1915-1952

Braves Field

Capacity: 40,000
Groundbreaking: March 20, 1915
First Game: August 18, 1915
Last Game: September 21, 1952
Dimensions: 337 L, 355 LC, 390 C, 335 RC, 319 R
Other Names: The Wigwam, The Beehive, National League Park

  • Considered the largest ballpark in America when it opened.
  • Bigger than Fenway Park, Braves Field was used by the Boston Red Sox for games during the 1915 and 1916 World Series and on Sundays from 1929 to 1932.
  • The most distinctive feature of this park was the vast expanse of outfield grass from foul line to foul line. It wasn't until 1928 that the fences were moved in and home runs became commonplace.
  • The "Jury Box" bleachers in right field served as home to a rowdy group of fans who worshiped right fielder Tommy Holmes.
  • The Braves had to use Fenway Park for a short time after the 1946 home opener, when fans sat on a fresh coat of green paint that hadn’t completely dried. Consequently, many departed with green splotches on their clothes. The Braves apologized and paid more than $6,000 in cleaning bills to some 5,000 fans.
1953 - 1965

Milwaukee County Stadium

Approximate cost: $5 million
Capacity: 36,011-43,768
Groundbreaking: October 19, 1950
First Game: April 6, 1953
Last Game: October 3, 1965
Dimensions: 362 L, 392 LC, 402 C, 392 RC, 362 R

  • County Stadium was the first major league ballpark built with lights and the first to be completely financed by public funds.
  • On May 20, in only their 13th home game, the Braves passed their 1952 season attendance of 281,278 in Boston.
  • With less than a month’s warning that the Braves were moving to Milwaukee, and no off-season promotions or ticket sales, the team attracted a then-National League record 1,826,397 to County Stadium in 1953.
  • Milwaukee County Stadium hosted the 1957 and 1958 World Series.
  • The Braves World Championship season of 1957 saw attendance peak at 2,215,404, the all-time franchise record until it was surpassed in 1992.
1966 - 1996

Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium

Approximate cost: $18 million
Capacity: 52,769
Groundbreaking: April 15, 1964
First Game: April 12,1966
Last Game: October 24, 1996
Dimensions: 330 L, 375 LC, 402 C, 385 RC, 330 R
Other Names: The Launching Pad, Atlanta Stadium

  • Felipe Alou was the first Braves to bat at Atlanta Stadium, and his son Moises Alou of the Montreal Expos was the last (regular season)
  • In September 1966, the NFL’s expansion Atlanta Falcons joined the Braves as tenants until they departed to the Georgia Dome after the 1991 season.
  • A record crowd of 53,775 saw Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run on April 8, 1974, breaking Babe Ruth’s longstanding record. Aaron also hit his 500th (July 14, 1968), 600th (April 27, 1971) and 700th (July 21, 1973) home runs at Atlanta Stadium.
  • Atlanta Stadium became Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in 1976 when Ted Turner bought the team.
  • Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium was host to one World Series title (1995), four pennants (1991, 1992, 1995 and 1996) and seven division championships (1969, 1982, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995 and 1996).
  • Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium was imploded on August 2, 1997, and the site converted into a parking lot for Turner Field.
1997 - 2016

Turner Field

Approximate cost: $252 million
Capacity: 49,586
Groundbreaking: July 10, 1993 (for Olympic Stadium)
First Regular Season Game: April 4, 1997
Dimensions: 335 L, 380 LC, 400C, 390 RC, 330 R
Other Names: The Ted, Olympic Stadium

  • Turner Field was transformed from the 80,000 seat Olympic Stadium used for the 1996 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
  • The Olympic Stadium took approximately three years to build and the transition to Turner Field took just seven months.
  • When Turner Field was built, the majority of funding came from the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG). No money came from the taxpayers.
  • Turner Field featured 58 private suites, three party suites and the 755 Club.
  • Beneath the turf was over three miles of drainage pipes with a one million-dollar state-of-the art computerized drainage system that could drain 102,000 gallons/hour of water from the field.
  • Turner Field now serves as Georgia State University’s football stadium.
2017 - Present

Truist Park

Approximate cost: $672 million
Capacity: 41,084
Groundbreaking: September 16, 2014
First Regular Season Game: April 14, 2017
Dimensions: 335 L, 385 LC, 400C, 375 RC, 325 R

  • Truist Park was originally named SunTrust Park when it opened in 2017. It officially changed names on January 14, 2020, after the merging of SunTrust Bank and BB&T.
  • The Braves built the ballpark and mixed-use development (The Battery Atlanta) simultaneously, which was the first time a team had ever accomplished such a feat. They were completed in just 2 ½ years after the initial groundbreaking.
  • The ballpark was developed by the Braves in partnership with the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority.
  • Due to the unique cantilever design, a higher percentage of seats are closer to the field than any other ballpark in the major leagues, and no seats have an obstructed view.
  • The outfield wall consists of a variety of different heights beginning at 6 ft high at the left field foul pole to 16 ft high at the right.
  • There are 4,000 premium seats and a variety of different group spaces, including Below the Chop, The Home Depot Clubhouse, Hank Aaron Terrace, and the Xfinity Rooftop.
Inside History