A ballpark that I visited more than any other, Turner Field was the home of the Atlanta Braves from 1997-2016. During it’s 20 season usage, I was able to catch some memorable moments and witness some heated games versus the Mets play out on the field.
This stadium has went from Centennial Olympic Stadium to Turner Field and now Georgia State Stadium. I personally have only had the opportunity to attend it as a baseball venue for the Braves.
Here are my thoughts on Turner Field.
Pros
The first thing that stood out about Turner Field was the location. The stadiums position within the city keeps it out of most of the high traffic areas that their other venues are located in. This alone makes it easy to navigate around the area. The parking for Turner Field is also plentiful and will have no issues finding somewhere to park your vehicle.
The Braves fans are also fans that I had the best opportunity to be around and I can say that they are local to their team. The Braves at one point were the most consistent team in baseball in regards to winning their division and making the playoffs. Unfortunately, it only resulted in one World Series victory but the fans support as if they won five or more during that 14 year run as division champions.
The stadiums food options were also plentiful and fit every persons needs. The stadium restaurant located in center field also provides a great place to watch the game and get a great meal. The prices were a little high for some concessions but they did provide a free drink refill if you have a souvenir cup. This is one of the concession bonuses you have to search for at stadiums.
The ticket prices were generally well priced for Braves games. The local fans were rather generous on the resale ticket market and would tremendously drop prices so if you lived within a 2 hour window you could snag a 100 level seat for less than $20.
The presence of Hank Aaron at the stadium is also an added feature. The commemoration of home run 715 is showcased all over the ball park. The first statue is in the main Turner Field parking lot which was previously Fulton County Stadium. The second statue is in front of the main stadium gates and there are lots of plaques inside the ballpark.
Cons
The biggest team advantage was the biggest fan disadvantage at Turner Field. Since the field was built to serve as the Olympic Stadium, it was not constructed to display high powered baseball. This was a true pitchers park as the outfield walls were miles away from the plate.
This stadium housed three hall of fame pitchers in Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz and they took advantage of the amenities. If you are a fan of home runs and moon shots this isn’t the park you are looking for.
The concession pricing could also be more affordable and the concourse activity stations could offer more. Outside of the fast pitch station there were not many fan interaction station in the ball park.
Overall Game Day Experience
I would give Turner Field an 8.5 out of 10. Very nice venue with a die-hard group of fans that outwardly display their pride. The is not a bad seat in the ballpark as it has great views all around. A lot of food choices but some were rather pricey for what they were offering.
Turner Field also has a lot of parking options that are easy to locate and not expensive. The local area around the stadium provides for easy access to the interstate so exiting is not as difficult as most parks.
