Long before the gleaming glass of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta's sports identity was forged in a circular, concrete bowl known as Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. While its time was finite, its impact was monumental, serving as the birthplace for major league sports in the Deep South and hosting some of the most historic moments in sports and music history.
Opened in 1966, the stadium (originally named Atlanta Stadium) was the result of a concerted effort by city leaders, particularly Mayor Ivan Allen Jr., to put Atlanta on the national map. Built at a cost of $18 million in just over a year, the stadium was a revolutionary "cookie-cutter" design, meant to accommodate both baseball and football. This dual-purpose design was crucial for luring two professional franchises to the city: the Milwaukee Braves of Major League Baseball and the expansion Atlanta Falcons of the NFL.
Designed by two Atlanta-based architectural firms, Heery & Heery and FABRAP, the stadium was a no-frills, concrete-and-steel structure. Its circular, multi-level design was a common architectural trend for sports venues in the 1960s and 70s. While it lacked the unique features of a modern ballpark, its simplicity served its purpose, with seating for over 50,000 for baseball and over 60,000 for football.
The stadium’s elevation, over 1,000 feet above sea level, made it a "hitter's park" for baseball, a characteristic that earned it the affectionate nickname "the Launching Pad" due to the high number of home runs hit there.
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium was the backdrop for a host of indelible memories:
Hank Aaron's 715th Home Run: On April 8, 1974, in front of a packed house, Braves legend Hank Aaron hit his 715th career home run, breaking Babe Ruth's long-standing record. This historic moment solidified the stadium's place in baseball lore. Today, the spot where the ball landed is commemorated with a small wall in the parking lot that now occupies the stadium's footprint.
A World Series Stage: The stadium hosted the 1991 World Series, a thrilling, seven-game classic between the Braves and the Minnesota Twins that many consider one of the greatest World Series ever played.
The Beatles' Visit: Even before its sports teams took the field, the stadium played host to music royalty. In 1965, the Beatles played a concert there, proving that Atlanta was already a "big league" city.
An Olympic Venue: In 1996, the stadium had a final, glorious hurrah as the host for the baseball competition of the Centennial Olympic Games.
The stadium's time as the home for Atlanta's teams came to a close in the 1990s. The Falcons moved into the Georgia Dome in 1992, and the Braves prepared to move into what would become Turner Field after the 1996 Olympics. Following its last baseball game, a World Series game in October 1996, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium was imploded on August 2, 1997.
The site is now a parking lot for Georgia State University's Center Parc Stadium (the former Turner Field). While the building is gone, its legacy lives on as the place where Atlanta became a major force in the world of sports. A commemorative marker stands where home plate once was, ensuring that this hallowed ground will always be remembered.