Turner Field
- Good for Kids: Yes
29 Reviews for Turner Field
I spent the Forth of July at Turner Field and besides the heat, I had a good time. What could be more American than going to a baseball game on the 4TH? It's not the nicest stadium I have been to, but the staff was very friendly. I also thought the prices for the concessions were not too bad. Not saying $6.00 for a Corona Light is good, but I have spent a lot more at the places like the Staples Center.
My only complaint was all the stupid stuff they did between innings. I know they have to for the TV commercial breaks, but it did get kinda silly. The kids all seem to enjoy it though, so maybe I am just being an old grump?
The Braves won the game and since it was the 4TH, of course there were fireworks! It really was a nice evening at the ballpark.
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I haven't been to many MLB stadiums, so I can't really judge it against the others.
I like certain things about the stadium (beer isn't TOO overpriced, Skip & Pete's BBQ, and a good view of the game no matter where you sit) but there are a lot of negatives.
I went to the game last night with my Dad as a late Father's Day treat (hey, he's writing a book and EXTREMELY busy, don't knock either of us), and I remarked about how there's no MARTA rail station anywhere near Turner Field.
He said they purposely built the stadium there so that they could generate more parking revenue to keep people from taking mass transit.
Aside from that, drunken rednecks, overpriced Chick-fil-A (dude, you're getting ripped off. $4.50 for a sandwich is ridiculous) and the over-commercialization of the park kind of bring it down.
Not to mention that before they won two in a row earlier this season, I had been something like 0-20 in games I attended (including the longest game in Turner Field history).
I guess it helps now that my brother lives off Ponce so we can take back streets to the lots and avoid most of the pre-game traffic.
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Ah...Turner Field. One of the few baseball stadiums I've been to where it could be a tie game in the bottom of the frame with bases loaded and a full count, and the crowd is more interested in completing the wave than watching the game!!!
"Booooo! That guy over there in section 425, row 4, seat 2 didn't do the wave, how dare he!!!!"
So 1980's of you Braves fans...
and the chop? Come on...really.
It's a nice stadium overall (construction, sight lines, etc), but the concessions are among the worst in baseball: not enough choices, bad beer selection, and they can't even cook a brat correctly (but no fear, after we all turn into cannibals, I'm sure Ted Turner will serve up some nice human parts for us).
Also, not having MARTA connect to the stadium pretty much tells you how Atlanta politics are. Which rocket scientist made this decision?
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A nicely designed stadium but I cringe everytime i hear the name "Turner Field." One man's ego gone out of control. I will say it's easier to say than Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. My main complaint is not so much with the design of the stadium as much as the general headache getting to and fro, the rather depressing area, and like Robert said, the general apathy of the fans.
Marta runs a bus connection but it's an absolute joke. Expect to wait at least 30 minutes to even get on a bus once the game ends. If you drive, plan to shell out $10 for a parking spot. Some stadiums in other cities are located within easily walkable distances from the central city or at least have a transit stop nearby. As I said. Marta's attempt at serving the stadium is laughable. The Braves(and Falcons until the 90's) have played in this area since the mid 60's and Marta was established in the 70's. ?!!! Wouldn't it have made sense to build a stationat least in the area. "Marta: It's f&%king retarded." And forget about walking from downtown at night. It's a hike and I never feel all that safe near the stadium.
Yes, the area around the stadium can legitimately be referred to as the ghetto. Are any other stadiums in such blighted areas? I guess the options were limited. I think the old Crackers site on Ponce(Whole Foods), would have been a better choice but we're stuck now. At least the neighborhood is starting to improve.
Lastly, the apathetic fans, and I include myself in that category. We have a reason to not really care. What is it? 13 division championships and 1 World Series Title? I'm sorry but that's not good enough. And you guys were the first team to lose the WS to a freaking Canadian team!!!!!!!!!! They don't even play baseball up there!!!! I actually would rather see the lovable losers that were the baby blue Braves of the 80's than the old, worn out has beens of 91. Sure we have fresh blood but will anybody argue that the current Braves are anything but hanging on to the glory years of the early 90's?
And jeez, get rid of Bobby Cox.
So yeah, that wasn't really about the stadium.
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When I first got to Turner Field, I thought it seemed decent. As the game wore on, I was pretty sick of several things:
- No one seemed to care. Granted, I think this was Game 2 of the 2008 season and the Pirates were in town, but only ~15,000 fans in a stadium at least three times that size screams apathy. Did I mention it was a PERFECT night for baseball? 70 degrees, no bugs. Ahh Spring.
- Nothing about this place associated it with Atlanta. Quite frankly, given the outfield wall, the team was pretty proud of the fact its moved around from year to year - before Atlanta, it was Milwaukee, which came after Boston, etc., etc... And there weren't any unique food options like the garlic fries at pac bell or pork sandwiches/crab fries in Philly. Based on a few other reviews maybe I should have looked harder, but the in-seat menu was totally limited.
- Why doesn't the train come here? I have to get to the Five Points station, then take a shuttle? This is stupid. When they were deciding where to put the new field, I would think this would have been a greater consideration.
That being said this is a new, clean ballpark, which makes it a comfortable place for baseball. Maybe sterile is the right word.
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This is another place, close to Grant Park, where I have mixed experiences - but I know I will keep going back.
It's a good mile walk from GP - so much easier than sitting in traffic for day games - and night games if with a group.
It's great you can get in for so cheap and I've always had a ton of fun at the Chop House. You go in expecting to pay a lot for food and drinks - so that is not a complaint. But we went this past Sunday and my mom thought that service had greatly improved...I did not have such a great experience when I went up.
I bought one of those Mastercard 4 ticket packs (you know - 4 tix, 4 hot dogs, 4 drinks, parking pass, and program). I think its a pretty good deal. I paid the $2.50 to print tickets online to avoid standing in line - but come to find out that you still have to stand in line to get the vouchers for everything except the tix and parking pass. So just beware if you are doing that! Weekends are very busy in the will call line.
So we go to redeem our vouchers at one of the 4 given locations. Dude working first says we can't use them there - but once we got confirmation that we could - they were out of hot dog buns! Of all things! So we waited like a whole inning. So TERRIBLE customer service.
But I still give it 4 stars because I love the people watching and just being outside with a cold beverage watching the Braves.
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Ok this review is kid-centric since we were here with the kids.
This is not an intimate stadium. It feels really big, like old stadiums, like you're far away from the players.
That being said, it is a great place for kids. Our 3 and 7 year old can get pretty bored during a slow game (our 8 year old could sit with his dad and watch the game forever). It was great to have a place to take the 2 younger boys when the game got boring. We walked over to the Cartoon Network area. There is a pitching game, a climb-n-slide, and lots of interacive games - with their favorite characters from Chowder, Dexter's Laboratory, etc. So every other inning or so we'd get up and walk over there for a few minutes.
Plus there is a penny squisher. Anyplace there's a penny squisher and a climb-n-slide gets a thumbs up from my kids. And our dancing 7 year old got on the big screen between innings - that was probably the highlight of his life so far. We got $6 seats - so nice to take the family to a ball game without breaking the bank. Overall it was a fun time.
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In so many ways, the Braves organization is living in the past, and in my opinion, Turner Field is a glaring example. Once the centerpiece of Atlanta, this converted Olympic venue is in sore need of an upgrade. Take some of that Coca Cola bankroll and let's spruce this place up already. While you're at it, ditch the annoying Tomahawk Chop.
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Awesome place to catch a baseball game. It is much better than some of the other parks around the country based on sight lines.
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Atlanta Braves or Turner Field? Can I really review one without the other? Can you truly separate the two or, like rum and Coke, the Olsen twins and Republican Congressmen and homoerotic scandal, will they forever be enmeshed? Is distinguishing between the two like analyzing the individual ingredients of a cake after it's been baked? Perhaps. So excuse me if I am unable to demarcate the line between the the Braves, the Ted and baseball itself.
The stadium itself is just fine. Plenty of concessions and the jumbotron is cool. I've had seats both close to home plate and close to the ozone layer. I've sat with the other Lexi on their level. (By the way, if you own a Lexus and you can park in the upclose Lexus lot, but you Porsche owners have to park with the rest of us plebes.) The rather large kids section looks fun for the age appropriate and the statues of Braves past are well placed. But.....but....
In short, baseball sucks. There I said it. The only thing I tend to cheer on during baseball season is its end. As a football fan, it's hard for me to cheer on a game where perfection means NOTHING HAPPENS. (No hitter anyone?) Though I understand the chess match of numbers, the unique combination of strategy and skill played out with each out and every inning, baseball moves with all the thrill of continental drift. Evolution moves faster than the average baseball game. I'd rather look at color swatches at Ikea with the girlfriend than watch baseball. I'd rather watch artsy foreign films with subtitles. I'd rather watch SOCCER. And yet, like any good Atlantan, I've been to several games at Turner Field. The promise of beer and foot long hot dogs is a good a lure as any. And despite my dislike of the game, I try to cheer my little heart out. As paying fans (even in the $5 seats), it's the least we can do.
It's funny. The very first MLB game I ever attended was Game 1 of the 1999 World Series. As with any championship, there was pomp, there was circumstance. There were fireworks and jet flyovers. And yet I've seen more crowd excitement when Florida plays Kentucky in a midseason football crap-a-thon. Where was the yelling? The screaming? The rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth , expletive-laden reminders that the word "fan" is derived from "fanatic?" I've seen sorority girls in sun dresses react with more violence towards a loss than Braves fans in that Game 1 Yankee debacle. When the Braves fell behind the Yankees, I witnessed people getting up to get more beer and Dippping Dots. This, my friends, is the only time you will ever hear me say, "What the HELL?" in response to getting beer and Dipping Dots. If your team falls behind, a fan jumps into the game. They howl, they (ahem) yelp, they practically will the ball to do his bidding. The fan does not rely, for example, on the rally cap, for a cap worn askew only makes the wearer look even dumber than being a baseball fan in the first place.
Yes, being in Florida, I didn't grow up with a baseball team of my own. I've never been inculcated in the culture, so I'm most likely horribly misguided in my need for crowd noise. But I have heard fans of other baseball teams react with horror to the anti-antics of Braves fans. If such is the case, shame on you all. Some of these folks, Mets fans for example, blame the lack of overt hostility on the timeworn excuse of "Southern hospitality." However, I've been to many SEC games. I know that's not true. When Auburn falls behind Alabama, "hospitality" is the word furthest from my mind. Are Braves fans really so inured to the "so close, yet so far" Atlanta Braves that the Home Depot Tool Race gets more attention than the game itself? I ask this question and I don't even LIKE baseball.
So people, enough with the niceties. Quit that idiotic 'Nole knockoff Tomahawk Chop. Get into the game. Scream at every opposing player. Inquire forcefully into his parentage. Remark loudly how each player might have untoward relations with his mother. Make baseball more than a place for $12 beer and florescent orange nachos. Let's make baseball more like FOOTBALL.
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I LOVE the Braves and I LOVE Turner Field!
Turner Field is very easy to get to by taking one of the shuttle buses located outside of The Underground.
There are so many options for food at this park. My husband had a full bbq meal and I had a Chicago dog in the South. Cool!
A great stadium for parents who want to take their kids. Get there early so they can play in the Cartoon Network themed area.
There is a Coca Cola bottle that shoots fireworks for homeruns which is much cooler than Shea's Apple Hat thing ;)
I went to a game on Memorial Day and the giveaway was a limited edition Pennant! All I ever got at Shea was a cheesy magnet.
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My favorite ball park...why? It's well planned out, great food, and great location to walk to while parking at the local hospital.. (1 mile each way..great walk)...Loved my Ted...even had season tickets to watch my Braves...
The fans are wishy washy since ATL is a migratory town that attracts everyone and anything...
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Being the sport enthusiast that I am I had to write a review about Turner Field. This is a great place to watch a baseball game, or if you are not interested in baseball you can just hang out with some buddies in the 755 Club or at the Budweiser Pavilion.
Turner Field was originally constructed for the 1996 Olympic Games, but after a large amount of revenue was generated, the rich and powerful Ted Turner decided that he wanted to build a stadium that had his name in the title. Turner Field was then modified so that baseball games could be played there, and the previous stadium old school Atlantan's know as "Atlanta Fulton County Stadium" was demolished. So now in its place there is a massive parking lot that extends almost half way around the Turner Field.
My personal favorite part about the stadium is the gigantic screen in the outfield, which I was told is the biggest HD screen in the world, or something to that effect.
Unfortunately, the crowd that attends most Atlanta Braves games are fair weather fans for the most part. A majority of them will get up and leave if the Braves have sealed a victory or are on the verge of defeat. Personally, it does not make any sense to me to pay money for a ticket and not stay for the whole show. Not to mention it probably does not put the Braves in a good mental state when their fans leave and give the impression that they are giving up on the team to beat traffic.
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I've been only once (I'm from out of town), but Turner Field was/is a fine place to catch a baseball game. Not too much to add to the other reviews here--- it's just a clean and comfortable ballpark. I got a kick out of the fireworks shooting from the giant Coke bottle.
My only beef: lack of food vendors in the stands. I'm Chicago White Sox fan and at Comiskey, there's a huge emphasis on concessions. Turner Field, not so much. Where are the beer guys? Even the concourse is half-empty w/mostly shuttered food stands.
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My only other experience with a big-league park is Fenway, and Turner Field is defnitely cushy by comparison (no surprise there!). However, I'd trade in a second the Boston townies screaming at the outfielders for the drunk UGA kids who came so close to plummeting off the side of the upper deck.
I'm also shocked that nobody's been killed by a homer flying into their skull as they hang out at the Budweiser Pavilion. Not the smartest place to put an open patio if you ask me.
Nice place, but make sure you bring an (adult) friend and be prepared to move to a quieter spot.
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The Braves did a nice job of turning this yard, which housed the 1996 summer olympics, into a baseball facility. And with all the history that has taken place here in it's brief existance along with 9 division titles and 1 WS appearance since it's inaugural year in 1997, the place is anything but electric. The grand entrance beyond CF provides a huge concourse for fans to gather before and after games as well as a snazzy food court. It's a good thing too, because the surrounding area around the Ted really isn't much. If you don't plan on driving, a free shuttle will take you to the stadium from the subway station in Underground Atlanta. It's a good thing too because the neighborhood around is not a place you want to take an evening stroll.
A Hall of Fame museum as well located behind LF which has a display of an old sleeping car from the days when ballplayers traveled by rail. Also, for the kids, there is the skyfield in the upper level down 3rd base, which has a patch of grass that goes from home to first, for kids to run aruond. And should you want to take in more history, across the street are remnants of old Fulton-County stadium, with the outlines of the old playing field layed out in the exact dimensions. It is now a parking lot, so if you plan on bringing the family with you and showing your kids that tire mark where Hammerin' hank rounded the bases when he hit # 755, come out early. Perhaps you will be in awe as well.
It's too bad the fans here aren't as passionate as they should be. There are a number of reasons for this though, from the number of transplants who reside here, to maybe the 14 consecutive division titles dulling the local fan base. Heck, we'd kill to have a playoff team every season here in L.A. I got to see my boys in Blue for a couple of games back in May and there were actually some good sized crowds here. Now while I was glad that no one gave me a hard time for cheering on my Boys in Blue, I would have thought that I'd get a little fun razzing from the locals. Heck, not even a tomahawk directed towards me.
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Turner Field makes baseball (a sport I have little to no interest in for the most part) an actually fun experience. Even the $5 seats provide an excellent view of the game- there's not really a bad seat in the house, as far as I've been able to tell. The seats are better than some other sporting venue seats I've sat in-- you don't get up complaining about how your ass hurts which is nice.
They use their enormous TV screen (supposedly one of, if not THE largest, in the world outdoors) to keep you entertained with games, facts, and videos while you're waiting for the teams to set up between innings.
The concessions in the main areas of the stadium leave something to desired, of course. You already know you're going to pay an arm and a leg, but there's surprisingly tiny variety among the choices-- pizza, chicken, dog, burger. To find the stands that have anomalies, you usually have to do some walking. Funnel cakes should be available at every corner.
To counteract that, though, you're allowed to bring your own food in, which is a nice surprise. So if you are the type that can plan ahead just a bit (which I'm usually not), you can bring your cheap eats from home and avoid all that stuff.
In the parking lot you will be provided the opporunity to buy 'COLE BOTTLE WATAH!' for one dollar at least 10 times between the venue and your car. But I kind of like that.
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FUN! FUN! FUN!
the stadium was great. very clean, employees friendly and helpful. It seemed like every time we stopped to ask where something was or how to find a particular item we were looking for, EVERY person who helped us always ended the conversation with "Enjoy the ball game". My experience here may have been one of the very few southern hospitality encounters in Atlanta.
We had awesome seats, above 3rd base dugout just a few rows back. The field is beautiful and extremely well kept. i loved it!
Tons and tons of options for food. Whether you are in the mood for dining, pizza, hot dogs, sandwiches, or even Moe's.. you are covered here. However, might I recommend a good 'ol Georgia Dawg from the hot dog stand just to your left as you enter the stadium!!
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Not the best ballpark in the US by any means, but definitely a decent one with all things considered. When it was built, it was incredibly cutting edge but unfortunately looks out of date in comparison to some of the newer parks across the country. One thing this place has going for it is the giant giant giant screen.
Another nice thing is that tickets are rarely sold out. The best deal is to pay six bucks for an upper level ticket and go hang out in the Chop House and drink beer with people in their 20s-30s. You will have to stand up the whole time, and you'll pay more for your beer than you will for your ticket, but it's a fun atmosphere.
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A great place to go have fun watch a game and let loose. I used to work for the engineering department so I've been in almost every single room & suite in the stadium. So unless your on the super upper deck you should be in an happening spot. If you ever have the privilege to get a sky box or go to an event at the ballroom your in for a special treat.
The experience is usually fun, bring your wild sports loving friends or just your straight wild friends. Get some drinks, dogs, nachos etc... and let looose! In between breaks and such run around the tunnels and the outdoor area near the main bars, it'll feel almost like an amusement park.
P.S. Either do some grilling and tailgating or arrive about mmmm 25mins before the game starts to maximize your fun.
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Awesome baseball experience. I have season tickets for section 427, one of the best deals 249.00 for the year. The best deal fro parking is to park at the IBEW lot, Northwest of the stadium. It's only 5.00 and it goes to the troops.
Food at the stadium is good but overpriced. I like to go for the Chicago Dogs. You can bring your own food in, so cook up some dogs at home and bring em in for the game, just no cans or glass bottles. It's also usually a better deal to buy the drinks or peanuts outside the stadium on the way in.
The neighborhood around the stadium isn't as bad as some people put it. Just don't hang around when there's no game, the cops patrol it pretty well before, during and after the games.
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Two things that hurt The Ted. First, the stadium was one of the first of the "new" baseball stadiums. When it debuted, it was cutting edge. Since then, many other parks have been built and most if not all of them have improved on the Atlanta design.
Second, Turner Field was originally Olympic Stadium, the main stadium for the 1996 Olympic games. What Atlanta did was they built a giant Olympic arena, then after the games, they tour half of it down and converted it to a baseball stadium. The result is that Turner Field still feels big. Many of the new baseball parks are intimate. They are "parks." This is a "stadium." It's not intimate. It's not cozy.
But the Ted does have a few things going for it. Ticket prices will go up this year, but they're still way cheaper than in most cities (poor Red Sox fans). And the jumbotron in center field, I mean, it's just the coolest thing I've ever seen. The first time I saw it in action I almost fell over the railing. It is that big and the picture quality is that good. Amazing.
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I'm sorry I have never been inside this ballpark but I must say that the surrounding area (not to be overlooked when judging a ballpark) is not very nice. It is a large park surrounded by $12 or so parking lots and no bars or restaurants. I did manage to find some streets without signs that I don't think you will get a ticket on very close. Also I peeked through a fence on the other side from Hank Aaron Drive and talked the some of the Florida Marlins about how fucking cold it was out.
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As ballparks go, this one isn't too shabby. They've made some major renovations in the last two years to keep this park in the top tier of major league venues. It's kind of sad that it hasn't even been open for ten years and they already need to give it a face lift, but that's major league sports for you.
The biggest addition to the park is the 70 foot tall HD screen in center field. When it was installed, it was the biggest HD screen ever built. It had to be shipped across the Pacific in pieces. The screen is mesmerizing, the picture quality is amazing and watching replays on it you feel like you're practically on the field from any spot in the stadium.
The food is typical ballpark food prices, so be prepared to spend a ton of money if you eat and drink a lot during the game. There's a nice range of dining options, especially varieties of hot dogs. Although there's something weird about getting a Chicago style dog in the middle of Atlanta.
Parking prices went up this year and I wouldn't be shocked if they jump again next year. You can usually get cheap seats at the ticket counter before a game and creatively find a closer spot to watch the action from.
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Turner Field is aesthetically pleasing, clean, and comfortable. The employees are easy to find and parking could be much worse. Of course the food and beverages are pricy, but that's expected from this kind of venue. And let's face it; you don't have much choice if you want to watch a live Braves game. Turner Field is a fun place to take a date or a group of friends. Personally I am a fan of any location where I can drink beer in daylight without judgment.
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Being one of the best fields I have been to. My husband is the Braves fan.
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Turner Field really is a nice ballpark. It's well maintained, clean, and well laid out. The food isn't fantastic (except for the 755 Club), but it's ballpark food, you know? The seats are wide and whether you're on the lower or upper level, you'll have a nice view of the game.
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I always enjoy a Braves game! I don't keep up with the team much...Atlanta is pretty much a city of fairweather fans...but there is always something special about seeing them in person. Last game, I got to see cutie Francoeur catch several fly balls close up. I bought some peanuts for like 6 bucks and some cotton candy for 4. I was pissed because they had no lids anywhere for the huge soda I bought. I was seriously concerned about sloshing it all over nearby fans, but I made it back across the row OK.
Visit Count: 16
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I was really impressed with Turner Field. The tickets weren't expensive but I still had a great view of the game. In fact, it looked like all the seats were decent seats.
The staff was exceptional. Though it was freezing and raining everyone I encountered was friendly and upbeat. I found it a little odd to go to such a cheerful place in less than ideal conditions.
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