ATLANTA, Ga. — It took less than a year to build. It hosted some of the biggest moments in Georgia sports history. And on Aug. 2, 1997, it disappeared in seconds.
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Twenty-nine years ago today, the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium was imploded, making way for what would become Turner Field.
The stadium opened in 1965 after being built in just 50 weeks at a cost of about $18 million. With seating for 52,796 fans, it was originally built to lure a Major League Baseball team to Atlanta—and it worked.
The Milwaukee Braves relocated to Atlanta in 1966, becoming the city’s first major professional sports franchise.
That same year, the expansion Atlanta Falcons also began calling Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium home. The NFL team played there for more than 25 seasons before moving into the new Georgia Dome when it opened in 1992.
Over three decades, the stadium hosted countless memorable moments, but none bigger than April 8, 1974, when a record crowd of 53,775 fans watched Hank Aaron hit home run No. 715, breaking Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record in one of baseball’s most iconic moments.
The stadium also hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics, serving as the baseball venue. But even before the Games ended, plans were already in motion for its next chapter.
After the Braves played their final game at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium on Oct. 24, 1996, crews began transforming neighboring Centennial Olympic Stadium into a baseball park. That venue reopened in 1997 as Turner Field, becoming the Braves’ new home.
With Turner Field ready, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium was demolished on Aug. 2, 1997. The footprint of the old stadium is now largely a parking lot for what is today Center Parc Stadium, home to Georgia State football.
Fans visiting Center Parc Stadium can still stand where home plate once sat and look across the parking lot to a preserved section of the original outfield wall marking the spot where Hank Aaron’s historic 715th home run cleared the fence.
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