Gwinnett Field
Lawrenceville, GA
Review by Gary
Gwinnett County, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, has a long history of minor league baseball, dating back to 1895, but no team for fifty years until 2009 when baseball returned with the arrival of the relocated Richmond Braves, who had played at The Diamond for 43 years. The ballpark, originally named Coolray Field, was renamed Gwinnett Field for the 2026 campaign when the sponsorship agreement ended.
There is a lot of space in the ballpark to see the action. With 360-degree views of the field, fans can choose from over 10,000 seating options, of which 7,243 are of the fixed seat variety. Over 2,700 fans can bask on the berms of the General Admission outfield grass, while another 270 deep-pocketed folks can luxuriate on the club level. Assorted benches, Adirondack chairs, and picnic tables can also be had to watch the Triple-A Stripers (The Braves were rebranded in 2017).
As there is a 30’ x 40’ video board in right-center field and a sleek 6’ x 42’ LED board along the left field wall, fans sitting on the outfield berms need to use an app, radio or keep score manually to track the game status as there are no other scoreboards in the ballpark. While the stadium boasts two restaurants, two party decks and an outdoor play area, there are no concessions in the outfield, so the berm seaters must hike to find food around the main concourse.
Gwinnett Field’s wide walkways have helicopter-sized ceiling fans overhead to help keep the crowd cool as they stand in line for concessions. The concourse is covered down each baseline with a straight roof that meets at a sharp angle at home plate, leaving those in the best seats uncovered during day games. While the sharp angle looks nice, the lack of shade could really be felt on a warm April day as many fans huddled in any shady area that could be found.
Since Gwinnett Field was built, two different multifamily housing buildings were constructed beyond the outfield boundaries, affording residents whose balconies face the diamond great views of the events occurring on the field. However, the fans sitting around the infield have an uninspiring view of these apartments as the ballfield’s backdrop.
Sadly, there was no sign of the one hundred-plus year history of Gwinnett baseball on display around the main level of the stadium, which seemed to lack any character. Maybe when the Braves find a new sponsor, they will have some extra petty cash to adorn the park with more personality.
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2026
301
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