When Were the Atlanta Braves Founded? A Local’s Guide to the Team’s Origins

If you live in Atlanta, visit regularly, or are just getting into local sports history, understanding when the Atlanta Braves were founded can be a little confusing. The team has deep roots that go back long before it ever played a game in Georgia.

Here’s the key answer up front:

• As a franchise, the Braves were founded in 1871 as the Boston Red Stockings.
• As an Atlanta-based team, the Braves have been here since 1966, when the franchise moved to Atlanta and became the Atlanta Braves.

Both dates are important, especially if you’re trying to put the team in context as part of Atlanta’s identity and history.

The Origins: 1871 – Long Before Atlanta Braves Baseball

The Braves are often described as one of the oldest continuously operating franchises in professional baseball.

• Founded: 1871
• Original City: Boston
• Original Name: Boston Red Stockings

Over the decades, the team went through several name changes and relocations:

• Boston Red Stockings
• Boston Beaneaters
• Boston Braves
• Milwaukee Braves
• Eventually: Atlanta Braves

This long history is why, when you hear broadcasters or historians talk about the Braves’ legacy, they reach all the way back to the 19th century, even though Atlanta didn’t get the team until much later.

When Did the Braves Become the Atlanta Braves?

For Atlanta residents and visitors, the more practical question is: When did the Braves actually come to Atlanta?

• Relocation to Atlanta: 1966
• First Season as the Atlanta Braves: 1966 MLB season

In 1966, the franchise moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta, making it the first Major League Baseball team to play in the Deep South. This move is a major milestone not only for local sports but for the wider history of professional baseball in the region.

From that point on, the team has been known as the Atlanta Braves, and has become one of the city’s most recognizable institutions.

Quick Timeline of the Braves’ Journey to Atlanta

Here’s a simple summary to keep the key dates straight:

If you’re talking about MLB franchise history, 1871 is the founding year.
If you’re talking about Atlanta sports history, 1966 is the key date.

Why the Braves’ Founding Matters in Atlanta

For people in Atlanta, the Braves are tied closely to the city’s identity:

• They were the first major professional sports team to settle in Atlanta.
• They helped establish Atlanta as a major-league city in the eyes of the rest of the country.
• Generations of Atlantans have grown up watching the Braves, especially during the 1990s and 2000s, when the team regularly competed for division titles.

Understanding that the franchise predates Atlanta by nearly a century helps explain why:

• The team has such a deep archive of records and legends.
• You’ll sometimes hear about famous players and moments from Boston or Milwaukee linked to the Braves.

Where the Atlanta Braves Play Today

If you’re in Atlanta and want to connect this history to something you can actually visit, the home of the Braves is:

Truist Park
755 Battery Ave SE
Atlanta, GA 30339

The ballpark is in the Cumberland area, just outside the city limits but very much part of the greater Atlanta experience. The surrounding development, The Battery Atlanta, has restaurants, shops, and entertainment that stay busy even when there’s no game.

While Truist Park is a modern stadium, the team’s branding and in-park displays often highlight the long franchise history, including:

• Early days in Boston and Milwaukee
• The 1966 move to Atlanta
• Atlanta-era stars and championships

If you go to a game, these references help you see how the 1871 founding connects to the team you’re cheering for today.

How to Talk About the Braves’ Founding as an Atlanta Local

If you’re trying to sound accurate and informed in a local conversation or with out-of-town visitors, here’s how to phrase it clearly:

• For general history buffs:
  “The Braves franchise was founded in 1871 in Boston, but they’ve been the Atlanta Braves since 1966.”

• For an Atlanta-focused answer:
  “Atlanta has had the Braves since 1966—that’s when the team moved here and became the Atlanta Braves.”

Both statements are correct; the best choice depends on whether you’re focusing on baseball history overall or Atlanta’s sports history specifically.

Common Questions Atlantans Ask About Braves History

Are the Atlanta Braves the oldest team in Major League Baseball?

The Braves are often described as one of the oldest continuously active franchises in MLB because their history goes back to 1871. Some other teams also trace their roots far back, but the Braves are consistently mentioned among the earliest.

For an Atlanta fan, this simply means your local team carries more than 150 years of baseball tradition, even though only part of that time has been in Georgia.

How long have the Braves played in Atlanta compared to other cities?

If you compare the franchise’s time in each city:

• Boston: roughly 80 years
• Milwaukee: about 13 years
• Atlanta: since 1966 (multiple decades and counting)

At this point, Atlanta has been the team’s home longer than Milwaukee but shorter than Boston, though the Atlanta era now includes many of the team’s most memorable playoff runs and championships.

Have the Braves always used the name “Braves” in Atlanta?

Yes. Since the team arrived in Atlanta in 1966, it has been known as the Atlanta Braves. Earlier versions of the franchise used different names, but the “Braves” identity has been in place for more than a century overall.

How This History Shapes the Atlanta Fan Experience

Knowing when the Braves were founded can deepen how you experience the team in Atlanta:

• When you walk into Truist Park, you’re not just watching a local team—you’re seeing the current chapter of a franchise that started in 1871.
• When people talk about the Braves’ “long history” or “historic franchise,” it includes eras in Boston, Milwaukee, and now Atlanta.
• When you hear that the Braves are an important part of Atlanta’s culture, that specifically ties back to the 1966 relocation, which helped launch Atlanta into the national sports spotlight.

So if you’re in Atlanta, you can think of the founding in two layers:

• 1871 – The birth of the franchise that would one day become your local MLB team.
• 1966 – The moment that franchise officially became the Atlanta Braves, starting the chapter that matters most to the city today.