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Turner Field itinerary by Wise Guides

Turner Field was ground zero for the1996 Summer Olympics, hosting the opening and closing ceremonies and various events before being converted into a ballpark. So, when you get to the park, stroll a block north and check out the Olympic cauldron and the rings that span Capital Avenue at Fulton Street, next to the site of old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium ... Walking back south toward Turner Field, the Green parking lot on the right displays the markings of the old park's diamond, and nearby there's a section of wall over which Hank Aaron's record-breaking 715th homer flew on the night of April 8, 1974. It's definitely worth a look. ... From there, make your way across Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard and into Monument Grove. Check out the statues of Aaron, Phil Niekro, Warren Spahn and Ty Cobb, who grew up 90 minutes northeast of Atlanta in Royston, Ga. The Braves' championships through the years in Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta are also immortalized. ... When you enter the ballpark gates, stroll through the Fan Plaza, a great place to hang out, grab a hot dog or a beer, and mingle with other fans. The stage features pre- and post-game entertainment, and close by is Tooner Field, a large play area that is a huge hit with younger fans. ... Next, hang a right into Scouts Alley. The little ones will love the interactive games, while the baseball purist will delight in the large replica scouting reports adorning the walls. Wonder what the scouts said about Chipper Jones or Tom Glavine? Here you can find out. ... Don't miss the Braves Museum and Hall of Fame, located near the end of Scouts Alley. A fan favorite, the 1995 World Series championship trophy, stands at the entrance. ... During breaks in the action, check out the team pictures from every Atlanta Braves team that circle the lower-level concourse as well as the many relics that made the move from the old park, including the banners from the team's championships and retired uniform numbers. ... After cheering the Braves to victory, slip out the southwest gate and head to The Bullpen Bar for some post-game barbeque and a cold brew. There's not much else in the area, so after you've waited out the traffic hop back on MARTA or in the car and head up to the Buckhead neighborhood with its many restaurants, bars and clubs.

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Atlanta Braves - User Comments Add your own

Question -- 2007-07-16

Are you still allowed to bring in unopened plastic containers of water or coke and food? The last comment regarding this was dated in 2001. We are about to go to a game and I would like to bring in water and coke.

CS

Characters -- 2006-05-02

I think they should have Characters everyday because it is the whole point of me bring my kids here to see the characters not just Johnny Bravo. So if you all could do any thing please help me.

Jennie Smith

Braves Games in general -- 2005-08-03

I have been to quite a few Braves games and enjoy them a lot. After reading some of the comments I decided I had to post my opinion.

Transportation to and from the game:

If all possible take a cab. If you are staying at a downtown hotel like I do, there is a $7.00 flat rate for rides anywhere downtown including Turner Field. I have never had any problems with riding the MARTA, time wise or obnoxious passengers, but a cab is a lot quicker and more comfortable. Plus since parking usually costs from $15 to $20, a round trip cab ride will cost you about the same and is a lot more convenient.

Concesions:

Like any sporting event, concessions are not going to be cheap but I have found that at Turner Field at least the portions are real good. I had a Philly steak sandwitch on the Lexus Level last time I went on July 4th of this year and it was enormous. One of their jumbo chili dogs will fill you up also. A beer will cost you $7.00 but at least it is 24 oz., about what you would pay at a nice dine in restaurant. I also like the 755 Club which is a sports bar with a good view of the field, air conditioned, and they sell alcohol (including liquor) after the 7th inning when the concessions quit. You can't buy 755 Club passes direct from the box office but they can be easily found on eBay.

The Stadium:

I think Turner Field is a real nice stadium and there are a lot of things that the women and kids can do. I'm there to watch baseball though so I have never patronized any of them. Bsaeball wise there really isn't a bad seat in the house.

Accomodations:

Priceline is the best way to stay in downtown Atlanta in style for a reasonable price. You can get a 4-Star hotel which would cost anywhere from $150 to $300 a night for $50 - $70. My favorite hotel is the Omni at the CNN Center, other nice hotels are the Hilton and the Marriot Marquis. The Westin is o.k. also but over rated in my opinion. The furnishings are a bit worn for a 4 star hotel.

After or before the game:

Fat Matts BBQ is great but get prepared to wait in a line and get it to go since you will probably not get a seat. Yes the food is that good. I also like Ted's Montana Grill, I recomend the Bison Burgers which are huge and taste great. The Hard Rock Cafe also has real good food. If you want to drink some beer and don't want to spend an arm and a leg, Hooters is the best bargain downtown at $7.00 a pitcher.

I hope this helps, enjoy the game.

T.J.

Park Early -- 2005-05-24

Make sure to get there very early becuase they might have the worst parking in baseball. IF you cant find one behind the stadium, be willing to park in someone's yard! It's an okay park, the Braves hall-of-fame is nice, but not worth anyone who isnt a Braves fan to check it out. It isnt too fan-friendly. I noticed there wasnt one beer man that walked up and down the upper deck both games I went to.

Bob

MARTA again, and concession prices -- 2004-08-27

Just went to my second game of the year at Turner Field, and had to come back to modify my earlier comments about taking MARTA (i.e., that's it's a good idea for very small groups but a bad one for groups of three or more). I've now (reluctantly) come to the conclusion that it's a bad idea no matter what.

I went to the game on the anniversary of Hank Aaron's 715th HR back in April, and since I was by myself I took MARTA from the Chamblee Station. I'd left with plenty of time to spare, hoping to get there a bit early. Unfortunately, no southbound trains arrived for nearly a half-hour, burning much of my cushion. On the way home, the same thing; no trains for an impossibly long time, and extended stops between stations due to "single-tracking" (running both north- and southbound trains on one set of rails so that maintenance/repair can be done on the other, so that it took me over two hours to get home after the game. Nevertheless, I chalked it up to just one bad night and didn't worry about it too much.

Last night, I was taking my son to the game, and since he's still young enough to be interested in trains and such, I thought it'd be a good idea to take MARTA. I've rarely been more wrong. First off, the turnstiles into the Chamblee Station failed to dispense transfers for either of us. Then we again waited upwards of thirty minutes for the train (long enough for three northbound trains to come and go). When a train did finally arrive, it was packed with all of the people who'd been accumulating during the long delay, so we had to stand wedged into a corner the whloe way. Between Midtown and North Avenue Station, an apparently disordered man on our car started yelling at another man who was sitting there -- don't know what started it, but the yeller pushed his way up and down the aisle of the car between his target and the door to the driver's compartment several times. He started to get off at North Avenue, then got back on and continued his tirade -- most of this time, he was less than ten feet from me. He finally got off when we did at Five Points. We then followed the Braves shuttle signs all the way through Underground to the shuttle bus loading area, only to find out that without transfers, we couldn't board without paying another $1.75 each. We declined, and walked from Underground to the Stadium (about a mile). The upshot was that after arriving at the Chamblee MARTA station at 5:10 pm, we arrived in our seats at 7:25 for a 7:35 start (though we did take a few minutes to grab a hot dog and drink in the plaza area before heading to our seats).

After the game, we caught the shuttle as usual from the corner of Georgia Ave and Washington St and were dropped off on the west side of Five Points Station -- so far so good. We then waited at least 25 minutes for the next train; stopped just north of Midtown Station for a single-tracking delay; stopped again between Arts Center and Lindbergh and, once we started again, crept along at no more than 10-15 mph into Lindbergh. The game ended at about 10:45, and it was 12:35 by the time we got home, only about 10 minutes of which was the drive from the MARTA station home.

In short, I can no longer in good conscience recommend anyone to take MARTA to Braves games, regardless of the number of people in the party. It's just less hassle to deal with the traffic, and the only time I've ever had any trouble getting a spot in one of the stadium lots was for the fifth game of the NLDS against the Cubs last year (even then I was able to get a spot, albeit for $15-$20, in a private lot directly across Capitol Ave.

I didn't really buy much on my first trip this year, but this time around I noticed that the prices seemed significantly higher than in past years -- and they weren't cheap then. Soft Drinks and bottled water at $4 each, most of the sandwich options between $6 and $8, $4 for fries, etc. My son and I had a BBQ sandwich, a hot dog, a Coke, a Dove ice cream bar, a Freshens frozen yogurt, and two bottled waters, and the damage for that was $36.25.

Scott Walker

One of the best parks in the Majors -- 2003-08-21

It's amazing to think that this beautiful ballpark was actually converted from the 1996 Olympic Stadium. Turner Field is a great place to watch a game. The place looks great, with somewhat of a retro look. The field is in great shape, the views from most seats are good, and the view past the outfield walls is nice, especially if you can see downtown Atlanta. I like the plaza area when you first walk into the park, even though some people think it's a bit much. The huge picture of Hank Aaron's 715th home run ball that you see in the plaza area is wonderful. The statues of Hank Aaron, Phil Niekro, etc. that are on display in the courtyard area just outside the entrances to the park are a nice touch.

All in all, this park does not get its proper due when people talk about the best new parks. This is one of the nicest parks in the big leagues; when you get a quality product like the Braves on top of that, it's a great place to be.

TA

Ho Hum -- 2002-05-02

I was unimpressed with the Atlanta area and equally dismayed with Turner. Teds billions could have done so much with a state of the art modern retro "ball park" but instead you are forced to go broke in a boring, round, unasthetic,emotionally void stadium. If you do find yourself stuck in Atlanta, go to Stone Mtn. National Park.

Terry Fair

Public Transportation -- 2002-04-24

If you are riding MARTA to the game, watch out for their attempt to con you into wasting an extra half hour getting there. MARTA decided they were going to route everyone through Underground Atlanta to board a Braves shuttle, instead of just getting on right at the Five Points train station as in the past. The Braves raised a fuss, so MARTA compromised and agreed to run shuttles from both locations. I attended my first game of the year tonight, and found all signs and workers directing people to the Braves shuttle pointing everyone toward Underground. I would guess 90% of the people walked an additional 1/2 mile instead of going the other way and getting on the shuttle right there. I actually like Underground, but be aware that going that way will cost you 20-30 minutes. Go up the stairs to Fulton Street and board a shuttle there instead if you want to go straight to the game.

Scott Lange

Ushers -- 2001-10-16

I agree, the ushers were VERY aggressive and somewhat hostile in clearing the park after the game. I don't like being squashed in huge crowds jamming the hallways; seems to me to be slightly dangerous as well as uncomfortable. Sent a note to the Braves web site afterwards, but all I heard back was "We appreciate your input," which I don't really believe because the note also contained about a dozen all-cap promotional ads for upcoming games.

That said, I had no other problems with the park and enjoyed my day very much. Sure, the main entrance has a rather garish, amusement park field (my sister turned to me as I stared at it all and said, "By the way, I hear there's also a ball game today."), but I don't think it does any harm and once you get to your seats you don't even notice it.

JLP

Chop House -- 2001-08-16

My review of the Chop House: Even though it's a "restaurant" environment, the food is no better than what you can get at the concession stands, yet it's more expensive. Service was slow. On the plus side, if you have a general admission ticket and arrive early, the Chop House is a good place to sit, and as long as your keep ordering food, they won't kick you out (but don't expect a great meal).

PT

Terrace Level -- 2001-08-16

If you're concerned about the quality/view of a seat in the Terrace Level, don't be. There are televisions throughout the area, many easily seen from your seat. Also, it's covered, so you won't get drenched in case of rain. For the money, it's the best ticket at the Ted.

PT

Nice Park -- 2001-08-15

I went to Turner Field the year it opened (1997) and it was a great baseball experience. The park was clean, has great sightlines, and had a good baseball "feel" to the place. The fans were great, and the fans sitting next to us bought us a beer when they found out we were on our honeymoon. The view of the Atlanta skyline over the centre field bleachers is nice as well. It was a night game, so the scene in the streets after the game was nothing to write home about. All and all, an excellent ballpark.

Domination

-- 2001-08-04

A very nice park to watch a baseball game...nice concession areas and great seat angles.

Don't know if I like all that other stuff on the left field grandstand roof area though!.

RC

Amplifications and clarifications -- 2001-07-30

Most of the earlier comments about Turner Field are accurate enough, as far as they go; there are a few additional points that seem worth making, however.

One is about MARTA. If you're in a group of two or less, MARTA still makes good sense. If there are three of you, it's a wash, and with four or more, you're better off paying to park ($1.75 MARTA fare X 2 trips X 4 people = $14, as opposed to $8-$10 to park). Even taking the hassle of traffic into consideration, you're paying at least $4 more and getting no closer to the stadium than you can by paying $10 and parking in the Green Lot. I hate saying this, because I've always been a big proponent of taking MARTA to games, but the last few MARTA fare increases have made it a losing proposition for a family-sized group.

If you do park in the Green Lot, take a few minutes to walk around the far side of it, paying attention to the markings painted on the asphalt. The Green Lot is on the site of Atlanta-Fulton County stadium, and the layout of the old playing field is marked on it, as is the spot where Hank Aaron's 715th home run landed.

One disagreement I have with some earlier comments concerns the upper-level seats. While they're a long way up, the very steep pitch of the upper deck means that they're still a lot closer to the field than at a lot of stadiums (Atlanta-Fulton County included). The experience of watching a game from the upper level is certainly different from that in the field, terrace, and pavilion levels, but not bad at all. You see a lot more of the movement of the fielders relative to one another during plays, for instance. I've had seats in practically every part of the stadium over the last few years, and I can honestly say that even from the last row of the upper deck, you can see the action and enjoy the game.

To establish my credentials as a serious baseball fan, I suppose I should be critical of all of the baseball-theme-park aspects of Turner Field. To be honest, however, I'm glad they're there. For one thing, the revenue from non-baseball-fans who still come out to the ballpark and spend their money helps ensure that there's at least one quality team out there on the field. For another, as the parent of two kids under the age of five and as the husband of a non-fan, I'm grateful that there are so many things for the kids and wife to do to amuse themselves when their interest in the game itself begins to wane -- if the other activities weren't there, I'd probably get to go to even fewer games than I do. And I myself appreciate the number of air conditioned places to escape from the heat for a while during a hot July or August game.

My four-year-old son is a big fan of the Coca-Cola Skyfield area, located at the end of the upper-deck section straddling the left-field foul pole. He gets a big kick out of running the baseline with all the other kids, and likes playing in the dugout (complete with bats, balls, and batting helmets), on the pitching mound, etc. There's also a group of Paul Bunyan-sized adirondack chairs placed facing away from the park with a great view of downtown Atlanta. His favorite part, however, are the misters placed every six feet or so around the perimeter, and they are great for cooling off a bit. The Skyfield area also used to be the cheapest place in the park to get a Coke -- $1.75 for a 20 oz. bottled Coke, as opposed to $2.50 or more for a fountain drink elsewhere. This may have changed -- I haven't bought a Coke up there in the last year or so.

For a family with small kids, my favorite place to sit is in sections 149-151, in the outfield pavilion, in the last few rows. This is straightaway center field, giving you more or less the same perspective as the center field TV camera. The advantages are that you're pretty close to the field, have a reasonable chance of catching a long home run ball, and are literally only a few steps away from the restrooms, food court, Braves Clubhouse Store, and Scouts Alley interactive game area, so that when the kids need to take a break, you can get back and forth from your seats easily. You also don't have to contend with the extremely steep steps in the upper deck sections (not a trivial concern with two small kids and two armloads of food, drink, and other paraphernalia). It's also about as close as you'll get to the action for $18/seat.

Other things I like about Turner Field include the open concourse area at the top of the lower level, which makes it easy to walk around and see the field from nearly any angle, and to keep up with the game while you're getting refreshments, as well as the quality and variety of food available. The food's expensive, but at least they backed off on bringing in your own, so you have the option of spending as much or as little as you want.

I have to second the other comments about the agressiveness of the security staff in shooing people out of the main grandstand area immediately after a game, however. At one game the first year, the security staff refused to allow us to wait outside one of the restrooms for the rest of our party -- we had to walk back to the end of the concourse and hope they'd be able to find us, which they did. I shudder to think what would have happened if it'd been an older child who'd gone to the restroom alone -- the security guard was completely unsympathetic, and I'm not sure it'd have made any difference to him if it had been a child. Moral of the story -- do your business before the end of the game, or use one of the restrooms near the gates by the plaza.

Scott Walker

Stadium Size -- 2001-07-25

This stadium is the most awesome place I have ever been. I could live there! Well, maybe if the prices weren't so extreme, but the stadium has a place for all ages to hang-out. If you have never been to a major league baseball game, this would be a GREAT place to see one!

jayme

tickets -- 2001-07-20

I showed up having never been to Atlanta and meandered down to Turner Field. I got a heck of a deal from a scalper on Capitol avenue - Luxury box for $20. I'd definitely buy tix this way again. You'll need to save your money because the food is good but extremely high priced...

scotth

Something to think about when considering going to The Ted -- 2001-07-09

I was on vacation in Atlanta and decided to go catch a game at Turner Field. I can tell you this much, if you're going to go remeber this:

1. Eat before going to the ballpark (this goes without saying).

2. Take the MARTA to the game (big savings and less hassle with crazy Atlanta drivers). 3. If you're going to get upper-level seats, get the $1 Skyline seats or the $5 Pavilion seats and then move to a better seat. If you're not on the lowest-level of seating in the upper level (read: right on the railing or 1 or 2 rows up from the railing), then it looks like you're watching the game from miles away. You'd be better off catching the game on TV than paying $12 for that horrible view.

If you can't spring $27+ for a ticket, then I'd suggest checking with people outside the stadium to see if you can score some 200-level(201 - 218, 220, 222, or 224) or 100-level seats (119-123 are same price as 200-level seats) on the cheap. Make sure to take a ballpark map with you and happy hunting.

Out of town ballpark visitor

Turner Field -- 2001-06-08

As an Atlanta resident who has been to Turner Field over 50 times in the 5 years its been open, I have this advice to people coming for the first time.... 1. If you don't have a parking pass, and don't mind paying 8-10, there a plenty of parking spots. Otherwise, take MARTA. 2. As for the food, its excellent, but completely overpriced. If you are going for a one-time thing, and feel like splurging, go for it, because its terrific. Otherwise, bring your own...if you get there early enough, monument grove is a wonderful place to sit and have a picnic, and you do not need a ticket to enter it. 3.If you do not have tickets, but have some cash, there are always plenty of scalpers lined up on Capitol Avenue. Scalping has been made legal in Georgia in the past couple months as long as you are more than 15oo feet from the venue. 4.Get there early- There are tons of games and prizes, as well as the Skip Caray pregame show which is brodcast live from the plaza... 5. Most of all, enjoy watching the Braves, because they are a terrific team thats fun to watch...

Andrew Bashuk

TNT-TBS- WWF SuperStationBallPark -- 2001-06-04

They sure did a better job converting an Olympic style stadium into a baseball park better than the Expos or the Indians (their old park was built for the 1932 Olympics that never came). Needs more character, but loads better than the dump called Fulcon-County. Kind of sad that Hank Aarons old grounds is no more, while the Babe's is still standing. Speaking of Hammering Hank, this ballpark should have been named after him instead of mega-ego Ted Turner. When Ted named it after himself, I wanted to hurl!

David Bryant

Great Park -- 2001-05-26

I am a HUGE Braves fan and recently I attended a game at Turner Field(or the Ted as it is sometimes called). I had nosebleed seats but I loved the attractions and the staff was extremely nice. Food prices are a bit extreme but it is a great experience. I was glad to have the chance to yell at the Braves in person rather than through the TV!!

Alan Parrish

Tips on the "Ted" -- 2001-05-26

As stated above, Marta to the stadium is the best bet. Fare is $1.75 to 5 Points station with a free shuttle tranfer. Doraville, Chamblee and Brookhaven stations have easy access to interstate system and generally aren't too crowded. Take a picnic dinner! Good grub is available at the Ted, but outrageously priced. You can bring in unopened sodas in plastic containers and any kind of food. Beats the hell out of spending $10 for a dog, fries and soda. Visit the plaza behind the centerfield wall. This area has a 15 foot diamondvision monitor and a food court. Excellent babe watching area. Avoid the chophouse. Overcrowded and no seating. Overall, the Ted is a great place to watch a ballgame. Enjoy.

Cincy Sam

General Information -- 2000-09-25

Getting there: There is a lot of parking available near the stadium at $10 during the 2000 season. Unfortunately, that leads to excruciating traffic jams leaving the ballpark. You can avoid the traffic by riding a MARTA train to the Five Points station and boarding a Braves shuttle bus. Unfortuanately, the shuttles don't begin until one hour prior to game time, so if you want to catch batting practice you need to walk from Five Points (about a mile) or drive.

Tickets: 99% of the tickets in the dugout, field, and terrace levels are sold to season ticket holders (read: corporations) before the season starts, so if you buy from the box office you are stuck with the bleachers or the upper deck. There are dozens and dozens of scalpers on Capitol Avenue as you approach the park.

Once inside: The gates open 2.5 hours before game time, but for the first hour or so you are only allowed to sit in the bleachers. Ushers tend to be fairly strict on people trying to sneak into seats they don't hold tickets for. Like anywhere else, food and drinks are expensive, but at least the quality is respectable. Beware trying to stick around too long after the game; ushers will usher you right on out within ten minutes after the game ends.

Scott Lange

755 Club -- 2000-09-25

Like many new stadiums, Turner Field has a swanky club. This one is named for Hank Aaron, obviously. A season ticket holder sold me both his ticket and a pass to the club. You are taken up to the club in a private elevator while a club employee reads the pitcher matchup and other interesting tidbits about tonight's game.

Unbeknownst to me, you were expected to have reservations in order to get a table. Like the naive country hick that I am, I waltzed into the buffet area and loaded a plate with some of the best food, I had ever seen. They also served specialties of Montreal (the Braves opponent that night), to go with the stir fry bar, a sundae bar, a wet bar, and more antipasto than at Tony and Tina's Wedding.

Upon exiting the buffet area, it became apparent to me that something wasn't quite right, so I dumped my plate somewhere and slinked off to my seat, where I paid $10 for a beer and hot dog.

I think the point of the story is that I'm certainly not a luxury box kind of guy. Just think, if I was a corporation, I could have eaten there and written off the whole thing to boot.

Sean Forman

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