When Did the Braves Move to Atlanta? A Local’s Guide to the Team’s Arrival and Legacy

If you live in Atlanta or are visiting and getting into local sports history, you’ll quickly learn that the city’s identity is closely tied to the Atlanta Braves. Understanding when the Braves moved to Atlanta—and why—helps explain a lot about how Atlanta became a major-league sports city.

The Short Answer: When Did the Braves Move to Atlanta?

The Braves moved to Atlanta for the 1966 season.
Their first regular-season home game in Atlanta was played on April 12, 1966, at what was then called Atlanta Stadium.

Before that, the team had been the Milwaukee Braves, and even earlier, the Boston Braves. The move to Atlanta made the Braves the first Major League Baseball franchise in the Deep South.

How the Braves Ended Up in Atlanta

From Boston to Milwaukee to Atlanta

The Braves are one of baseball’s oldest franchises, and they’ve called three cities home:

By the mid-1960s, team leadership was looking for a growing, enthusiastic market with room for a modern stadium and a regional fan base. Atlanta, positioning itself as the “capital of the New South,” wanted a major-league team to match its growth and ambitions.

Why Atlanta Was So Attractive to the Braves

For someone living in or visiting Atlanta today, it’s easy to see why the city made sense:

• Rapid population growth in the 1960s
• A strategic location with highway and rail connections
• A strong push from local leaders to bring big-league sports to town
• Plans for a new stadium ready before the team even officially arrived

City and civic leaders essentially built the stadium first, helping convince the team’s ownership that Atlanta was serious about baseball.

Atlanta Stadium: Where It All Started

When the Braves arrived in 1966, they played at Atlanta Stadium, which later became known as Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium.

• Location: Just south of downtown Atlanta, near what’s now the Georgia State Stadium area.
• First Atlanta Braves season: 1966
• Nickname: Often called “The Launching Pad” because it was known as a hitter-friendly park.

If you’re in Atlanta today, you can’t visit the original stadium, because it was demolished in the late 1990s. However:

• The old stadium site is near the intersection of Hank Aaron Drive SE and Georgia Avenue SE.
• There are marker outlines in the parking lot showing where the old field stood, including home plate and some bases, giving locals and visitors a physical sense of where those first Atlanta Braves games were played.

👉 Tip for locals and visitors:
If you’re a baseball fan, stopping by this area can be a quick, meaningful detour—you can literally stand where the 1966 Atlanta Braves took the field in their first season here.

The Braves’ Timeline in Atlanta: Key Stadium Moves

Once the Braves got to Atlanta, the city’s relationship with the team continued to evolve.

1. Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium (1966–1996)

• Years as home stadium: 1966–1996
• Hosted early Atlanta Braves legends and some of the team’s most iconic moments.
• Located near downtown, with easy access from Interstate 75/85.

2. Turner Field (1997–2016)

Turner Field started as the main stadium for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. After the Olympics, it was converted into a baseball park.

• Years as Braves home field: 1997–2016
• Location: 755 Hank Aaron Drive SE, Atlanta, GA 30315
• Located just south of downtown, in the same general area as the old stadium.
• After the Braves moved, it was converted again and is now Center Parc Stadium, used by Georgia State University football.

If you’re exploring Atlanta sports history:

• The Hank Aaron statue that once stood at Turner Field has since been moved to the Braves’ current stadium, but the area remains an important chapter in the city’s baseball story.

3. Truist Park (2017–present)

While Truist Park is technically in Cobb County (in the Cumberland area, near the intersection of I-75 and I-285), it is still considered the home of the Atlanta Braves and a core part of the metro Atlanta experience.

• Address: 755 Battery Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30339
• Opened: 2017
• Anchors The Battery Atlanta, a mixed-use district with restaurants, shops, and entertainment.

For Atlanta residents and visitors, Truist Park is now the practical way to experience the team that moved here in 1966, with a modern stadium and year-round activity around it.

What the Move Meant for Atlanta

Atlanta Becomes a Big-League City

When the Braves arrived in 1966, Atlanta gained:

• Its first major professional sports franchise
• A chance to showcase the city on national television
• A way to promote Atlanta as a modern, forward-looking Southern city

For locals, this move helped shape Atlanta’s reputation as a sports hub, paving the way for:

• The Atlanta Falcons (NFL)
• The Atlanta Hawks (NBA)
• Later teams like Atlanta United FC (MLS) and the Atlanta Dream (WNBA)

A Regional Fan Base Across the South

For decades, the Braves have been branded as “America’s Team” by many baseball fans, in part because of nationally televised games. But from an Atlanta standpoint, their move here in 1966 made them:

• The default team for much of the Southeastern United States
• A unifying sports identity for Georgia and surrounding states
• A familiar presence for generations of Atlantans growing up with Braves games on TV or radio

If You’re in Atlanta Today: How to Connect with Braves History

Even though the original 1966 Atlanta Stadium is gone, you still have several ways to experience the Braves’ Atlanta story firsthand.

1. Visit the Old Stadium Site Area

• Head toward Hank Aaron Drive SE near the former Turner Field/Center Parc Stadium.
• Look for the outlines and markers in the parking lot that show where Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium once stood.
• You can stand approximately where historic home runs and early Atlanta Braves games took place.

This is a quick, low-cost outing that is especially meaningful for baseball fans who want to connect the 1966 move to physical space.

2. Explore Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta

Even though Truist Park opened in 2017, it celebrates the franchise’s full history, including the 1966 move to Atlanta.

At or around Truist Park, you’ll find:

• Team history displays and murals
• References to classic moments and players from the Atlanta era
• Statues and plaques honoring Braves legends

You don’t have to attend a game to walk around The Battery Atlanta and soak in the atmosphere, but game days do give the fullest sense of how central the Braves are to modern Atlanta sports culture.

3. Local Transit and Driving Tips

If you’re planning to explore Braves-related locations in metro Atlanta:

• Downtown/Old Stadium Area:

  • Accessible via I-20 and the Downtown Connector (I-75/85).
  • Limited MARTA rail stops nearby, but local bus routes often serve the area.

• Truist Park / The Battery Atlanta:

  • Accessible via I-75 and I-285 in Cobb County.
  • Several CobbLinc and MARTA bus connections serve the area, especially on game days.
  • Many Atlantans plan extra travel time due to traffic near the Cumberland area on event days.

Quick Reference: Braves and Atlanta at a Glance

Key facts for Atlanta residents and visitors:

• Year the Braves moved to Atlanta:

  • 1966

• First Atlanta home game:

  • April 12, 1966, at Atlanta Stadium

• Original Atlanta stadium name:

  • Atlanta Stadium (later Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium)

• Subsequent home fields in Atlanta:

  • Turner Field (1997–2016)
  • Truist Park (2017–present, in metro Atlanta)

• Why it matters locally:

  • Made Atlanta a major-league sports city
  • Helped define Atlanta’s modern identity in the Southeast
  • Created a long-standing tradition for generations of Atlantans

For anyone trying to understand Atlanta’s sports culture, knowing that the Braves moved to Atlanta for the 1966 season is a key piece of the story. Whether you’re walking the old stadium grounds near Hank Aaron Drive or catching a game at Truist Park, you’re experiencing a legacy that began the moment the Braves made Atlanta their home.