Truist Park, the home ground of the Atlanta Braves, inspires baseball fans with its eye-catching construction and enchanting features. Located in Cumberland and 10 miles from downtown Atlanta, the baseball stadium unveils a fascinating view of the Atlanta metropolitan skyline.

Inaugurated in 2017, Truist Park symbolizes the most-recent revolution in the baseball experience. Within a short span of its history, it has become witness to exciting events, inspiring victories, and a remarkable crowd of fans. The ballpark boasts various amenities and a plethora of adventurous things to enjoy for baseball fans of all ages.

Truist Park – Baseball in StadiumsHistory of Truist Park 

Before the construction of Truist Park, Turner Field was the home to the Atlanta Braves. Turner Field was originally constructed for the Summer Olympics organized in 1996. After the Olympics, the stadium was completed transformed into a baseball park according to the MLB field requirements.

However, the Braves had to confront a number of issues even after renovations. The expenses to improve structures as well as fan experience in the coming years were very high at $350 million, which was much more than the maintenance expenditure on a new stadium. Despite having to spend so much money, the Braves had no control over the commercial development to augment facilities around. Also, the parking around the stadium was not enough, and the traffic congestions reduced the number of fans coming to watch a game at Turner Field. The Braves had a lease of the stadium for 20 years and negotiations to extend it hit a roadblock in 2013. Atlanta’s mayor rejected the demand by the home team to renovate, as the city had already diverted funds to construct Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the NFL franchise the Atlanta Falcons.

The continued demand for a new baseball-only stadium led to an agreement on a site next to the highway interchange in 2013. The Braves announced that the new park would have a seating capacity of 41,149 and a parking capacity of 11,000 vehicles. It would have a shuttle service and an entertainment district consisting of shops, restaurants, and bars.

Naming Rights and Modifications

Populous designed the new stadium by the Atlanta Braves and construction began on September 16, 2014. Truist Park hosted an exhibition game on 31st March 2017.

Truist Park’s earliest name was SunTrust Park. In 2019, SunTrust Bank bought the naming rights for 25 years. However, the BB&T bank acquired SunTrust Bank and this resulted in the formation of a new entity Truist Financial Corporation. Accordingly, the baseball stadium became Truist Park.

The 2018 season saw the addition of 16 four-person tables to the already-existing 80 semicircular tables. The capacity of the Delta Sky360 Club with premium seating arrangement also expanded. A 264-room hotel and two-dozen shops and restaurants overlooking the ballpark came up in The Battery area.

Features of Truist Park 

The mesmerizing design of Truist Park cast a spell on the visitors. Its eye-catching features lure the fans while amenities and concessions make it more appealing. The cantilever design places the seats close to the playing field and provides a better view of the game to fans. The baseball stadium has the highest percentage of seats closer to the field than any other MLB ballpark. The 27-meter-wide canopy and air conditioners provide a cool environment in the hot summer. LED lights make the enticing ambiance of Truist Park more charming.

Next to the center-field wall, this Atlanta baseball stadium has Chattahoochee Falls, a water feature surrounded by boulders and evergreen trees. A similar sculpture at Colorado’s Coors Field inspired the Atlanta Braves to replicate the water feature at Truist Park. It also features a 50-ft fountain that splashes dancing waters as the video scorecard changes with home runs and wins.

Truist Park does not have a Braves museum like the one at the Turner Field. However, it does have a Monument Garden, which displays 300 art pieces commemorating historic moments of the Atlanta Braves. Lights, audio, and water elements enhance the attraction of this garden that features images, vintage baseball cards, and brick mosaics. Hank Aaron’s statue in the Monument Garden depicts him in action during his 715th home run, which broke Babe Ruth’s record, on April 8, 1974. A sculpture of 755 baseball bats stands next to the statue to honor Aaron’s 755 career home-run record. It also includes a bat and ball he had during his 715th home run at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

The ballpark has two robust 100-GB bandwidth Wi-Fi networks and 10,000 to 14,000 users use it during every game day. Video display kiosks installed all over the ballpark provide information and instructions to the fans and keep them up-to-date.

The Battery Atlanta

The Battery Atlanta is a commercial hub located next to Truist Park. When the Atlanta Braves began designing their new home stadium in 2013, there was a plan to build a $400 million complex hosting hotels, shops, restaurants, entertainment facilities, and workspace amenities next to the ballpark. It was named the Battery Atlanta in 2015.

Comcast signed a deal in 2015 to open its Southeast regional headquarters there. Omni Hotels & Resorts opened a 16-story hotel with a two-story restaurant and a pool deck enabling a thrilling view of the Truist Park field. Concert promoter Live Nation developed Coca-Cola Roxy, a multipurpose entertainment center. Many big retail brands and casinos too started their outlets. Papa John’s Pizza moved its global headquarters to the Battery Atlanta in 2020.

Purely Baseball Things To Know

• The Atlanta Braves won the 2021 World Series title, the 2021 NL Pennant, and NL East Division titles for consecutive years from 2018 to 2021 while playing at Truist Park.
• The first exhibition game saw the Atlanta Braves beating the New York Yankees 8-5 on March 31, 2017.
• The inaugural game at Truist Park was between the University of Georgia (1) and the University of Missouri (6) on April 8, 2017.
• The opening game was attended by 33,025 spectators.
• The first MLB game saw the Atlanta Braves beating the San Diego Padres 5-2 on April 14, 2017.
• Hank Aaron, the former Braves great and the MLB record holder for 755 home runs, threw the first ceremonial pitch at Truist park.
• Ender Inciarte scored the “first out, first hit, first run, and first home run” for the Atlanta Braves at their new home.

• Julio Teheran got the first win at the ballpark. His statistics on that day include 105 pitches, 5 hits, 2 runs, 4 walks, and 5 strikeouts spread over 6 innings.
• On October 7, 2018, Ronald Acuna Jr became the youngest MLB player to hit a grand slam. It was the first grand slam in Truist Park. He scored it against the Dodgers at the age of 20.
• On September 25, 2020, Freddie Freeman hit a 495-ft homer against the Red Sox. It was the longest hit in the ballpark. Ronald Acuna Jr hit a 473-ft homer a month before him.
• The baseball stadium has foul ball netting to protect spectators.
• Truist Park found mentions in the Hardball Times for its “the compact beauty of the stadium and its exciting approach to combining baseball, business, and social activities.”
• Baseball America admired the ballpark for providing “excellent sightlines for pretty much every seat.”

Non-Baseball Events

Truist Park hosts college football games. In 2018, it was the venue for NCAA Division I Football Championship. The baseball stadium is also a regular on the list of places for big-ticket concerts. Billy Joel was the first to perform at the ballpark in April 2017.