Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium stood at 521 Capitol Avenue SE in downtown Atlanta from 1965 to 1997, and for three decades it was one of the most talked-about ballparks in baseball — not for its architecture, but for what happened when a ball left the bat. Its high elevation turned routine fly balls into home runs, earning it the nickname ‘The Launching Pad’ and making it the stage for Hank Aaron’s most famous swing.
This guide covers everything the stadium is remembered for: why the ball carried so far there, the exact story of Aaron’s 715th home run, the stadium’s capacity and dimensions, its role in the 1996 Olympics, its 1997 implosion, and — with a fresh 2026 update — what’s actually being built on the site right now.
Quick Answer
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium (1965–1997) was a multipurpose stadium in downtown Atlanta nicknamed ‘The Launching Pad’ because its 1,050-foot elevation thinned the air enough to help fly balls carry farther, producing unusually high home run totals. It’s best known as the site of Hank Aaron’s record-breaking 715th career home run on April 8, 1974. The Braves and Falcons both played there until the stadium was imploded on August 2, 1997; the site later became a Turner Field parking lot and, as of 2026, is under construction as Georgia State University’s new baseball stadium.
Why It Was Called ‘The Launching Pad’
When it opened in 1965, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium sat roughly 1,050 feet above sea level — the highest elevation of any major league ballpark at the time, a distinction it held for 27 seasons until the Colorado Rockies joined the National League in 1993. At that altitude the air is measurably thinner, which reduces drag on a batted ball and lets fly balls travel farther than they would at sea level.
Combine that thin air with Atlanta’s hot, humid summers — heat also helps a ball carry — and the result was a park that consistently produced more home runs than most of its National League peers. The stadium’s outfield dimensions (330 feet down the lines, 402 to center, with power alleys that were shortened briefly in 1969 before being restored in 1974) were fairly ordinary; it was the atmosphere, not the fences, that made the difference. Sportswriters and players started calling it ‘The Launching Pad’ within its first few seasons, and the name stuck for the rest of its existence.
Hank Aaron’s Record-Breaking 715th Home Run
The stadium’s defining moment came on April 8, 1974, in front of a sellout home crowd and a national television audience. In the fourth inning, Hank Aaron drove a pitch from Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Al Downing over the left-field fence for his 715th career home run, surpassing Babe Ruth’s all-time record of 714 that had stood since 1935. Aaron finished his career with 755 home runs, a mark that stood as the all-time record for 33 years.
The ball landed in the Braves’ bullpen, where relief pitcher Tom House caught it and ran it to home plate to hand it to Aaron personally. A section of the outfield wall Aaron cleared was later preserved even after the stadium’s demolition, and a monument now marks the spot on the site where the ball landed — one of the most historically significant few square feet in American sports.
Stadium Facts: Capacity, Design & Dimensions
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium was designed by the architectural firms Heery & Heery and FABRAP, with Prybyloski & Gravino as structural engineers, and cost roughly $18 million to build — construction began in April 1964 and the stadium opened in April 1965, taking under a year to complete. Its circular, multipurpose bowl design was typical of the era’s ‘cookie-cutter’ stadiums built to host both baseball and football.
Baseball capacity was 52,007, while the football configuration (used by the Atlanta Falcons) expanded to 60,606. Outfield dimensions were 330 feet down both foul lines and 402 feet to straightaway center, with the power alleys briefly shortened in 1969 before being restored to their original distances in 1974.
Home of the Braves, the Falcons — and the Beatles
The Milwaukee Braves relocated to Atlanta and began play at the new stadium with the 1966 season, making it their home through 1996. The Atlanta Falcons, an NFL expansion franchise, played there from the team’s founding in 1966 until 1991, when they moved to the Georgia Dome.
The stadium wasn’t only for sports. On August 18, 1965 — just months after opening — The Beatles played their only Atlanta concert there to a crowd of roughly 34,000, part of the tour that made stadium concerts a viable format for touring rock acts.
World Series, an All-Star Game, and the 1996 Olympics
Beyond Aaron’s home run, the stadium hosted the 1972 MLB All-Star Game and consecutive Braves World Series appearances in 1991 and 1992. When Atlanta won the bid to host the 1996 Summer Olympics, a new track-and-field stadium — Centennial Olympic Stadium — was built immediately adjacent to Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, while the older stadium itself hosted the Olympic baseball tournament that summer.
The Braves played their final game at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium on October 24, 1996 (Game 5 of that year’s World Series, a loss to the New York Yankees), then moved next door into the reconfigured Centennial Olympic Stadium, which reopened as Turner Field in 1997.
Demolition and Final Years
With the Braves relocated to Turner Field, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium had no remaining tenant. On August 2, 1997, roughly ten months after its final game, the 32-year-old stadium was brought down by controlled implosion using about 1,600 pounds of explosives — the structure collapsed into rubble in well under a minute.
The cleared site became a surface parking lot for Turner Field, with a home plate marker, an outline of the stadium’s former footprint, and a monument marking the exact landing spot of Aaron’s 715th home run embedded in the pavement to preserve the location’s history.
What’s on the Site Today
After Turner Field itself closed as an MLB venue in 2016 and became Center Parc Stadium for Georgia State University football, the old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium footprint continued to serve as a parking lot for years. That’s changing: Georgia State broke ground on a new on-campus baseball stadium built directly on the historic site, with construction advancing through late 2025 and completion targeted for fall 2026.
The project includes direct tributes to the site’s history — Georgia State plans to relocate its Hank Aaron statue from Center Parc Stadium to the new ballpark’s entrance and install a commemorative marker in left field at the spot where Aaron’s 715th home run left the park, replacing the chain-link fence and block wall that had marked the location since the 1990s. For the latest news on the new stadium’s opening and any public access to the historic markers, check Georgia State University Athletics’ official site.
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium FAQs
Why was Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium called ‘The Launching Pad’?
The nickname referred to the stadium’s elevation of roughly 1,050 feet above sea level. At that altitude the thinner air reduced drag on batted balls, helping them carry farther and producing consistently high home run totals compared with most other National League parks.
When was Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium demolished?
It was demolished by controlled implosion on August 2, 1997, about ten months after the Atlanta Braves played their final game there on October 24, 1996. The cleared site became a Turner Field parking lot.
Did Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium host the 1996 Olympics?
Yes. While the newly built Centennial Olympic Stadium (later Turner Field) hosted track and field, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium hosted the Olympic baseball competition during the summer of 1996, its final season.
What is the significance of Hank Aaron’s 715th home run at this stadium?
On April 8, 1974, Aaron hit his 715th career home run at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium off Dodgers pitcher Al Downing, breaking Babe Ruth’s all-time record of 714. It remains one of the most famous moments in American sports history.
What is the capacity of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium?
The stadium held 52,007 fans in its baseball configuration and 60,606 in its football configuration, which was used by the Atlanta Falcons from 1966 to 1991.
What’s built on the site of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium now?
The site served as a Turner Field parking lot for decades. As of 2026, Georgia State University is completing construction of a new on-campus baseball stadium on the historic footprint, including a relocated Hank Aaron statue and a commemorative marker at the spot of his 715th home run.
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