Atlanta Fulton County Stadium

The first football game ever played at Atlanta Stadium was between the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers on August 14, 1965. The Falcons made their debut at the stadium on August 27, 1966 against the San Francisco 49ers. Later renamed Atlanta Fulton County Stadium, the stadium had a football capacity of 60,000. Three tiers of blue wooden seats circled the entire grass field. In order for the stadium to be transformed to a football field, seats which would have been located in right field during a baseball game were pushed behind the grandstands in order to make a football field. Atlanta Fulton County Stadium underwent few many changes during its existence. In 1977, the stadium was given a new look, with new seats. All of the wooden blue seats were replaced by blue, orange, and red plastic seats. A new scoreboard/ video board was placed below the stadium roof. The stadium remained the same until it closed. Beginning in 1984, a new stadium for the Falcons was discussed. The Falcons wanted a new football only facility, because they no longer wanted to share the stadium with the Braves. By 1988, talks intensified on building a new stadium, and in 1989 approval came from the state, the Atlanta City Council, and Fulton County Commission to build a dome stadium. The Atlanta Falcons played their last game at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium on December 15, 1991. The following year they moved into the Georgia Dome. The Braves continued playing at the stadium until the end of the 1996 season. On August 2, 1997, Atlanta Fulton County Stadium was imploded. It is now the site of a parking lot for the Braves current home, Turner Field.