Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium

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Lore & Background

The stadium's history began during Ivan Allen Jr.'s 1961 mayoral campaign, promising a facility to secure an MLB team. After failing to lure Charlie Finley's Kansas City Athletics in 1963, the city secured a verbal commitment from the Milwaukee Braves in 1964. Construction on the cleared Washington–Rawson neighborhood site finished on April 9, 1965, at a cost of $18 million. That November, the Braves signed a 25-year agreement to play there starting in 1966. The Falcons joined as an NFL expansion team that same year. In 1975, the venue was renamed Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium after the county threatened to withdraw financial support, though records vary on whether this coincided with Ted Turner's 1976 purchase of the Braves.

In Their Own Story

The Falcons called this venue home for 26 years, beginning in 1966 alongside the transplanted Braves. The stadium hosted the team through their formative decades until the completion of the Georgia Dome allowed them to move in 1992. While the Falcons departed after the 1991 season, the Braves remained for five more years, playing at the site during the 1996 Summer Olympics baseball competition while on a three-week road trip. Following the 1996 World Series and the Olympics, efforts to preserve the stadium as a soccer venue failed. Home plate was removed on April 4, 1997, by Hank Aaron for installation at Turner Field, followed by demolition of the interior before the structure was imploded on August 2, 1997.

Reader's Guide

The Falcons' tenure at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium spanned from their expansion year in 1966 until their move to the Georgia Dome in 1992. The stadium offered a seating capacity of 60,606 for football games. Fans witnessed the team share the venue with MLB's Braves for over two decades. Notable events included the Falcons' early years as an expansion franchise and their eventual departure for modern facilities. The site is now a parking lot for Turner Field (now Center Parc Stadium), featuring an outline of the old stadium, though plans are in place to construct a new baseball stadium on the specific footprint by 2026.

Did You Know?

• The stadium was originally named Atlanta Stadium before being renamed Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium in 1975.
• Construction was completed on April 9, 1965, and the Milwaukee Braves played an exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers that same night.
• On August 2, 1997, the stadium was imploded after home plate had been removed and taken to Turner Field by Hank Aaron.
• The Atlanta Falcons shared the venue with the Braves for 26 years before moving to the Georgia Dome in 1992.