Last Updated June 12, 2023
There’s something about the excitement of Spring Training baseball. Maybe it’s the sunny skies and warm weather. Or perhaps it’s the optimistic feeling of having a fresh start. “This will be our year!” Growing up as a baseball fan just outside of Atlanta, the Braves were my team. I remember going to my first game at the old Fulton County Stadium when I was just a little guy. And as a lifelong baseball fan, I’ve always wanted to attend Spring Training to soak up that atmosphere and excitement.
A few years ago Liz and I decided to move to Venice, Florida because we fell in love with the charming beach town and the lifestyle in Venice. Florida is a mecca for Spring Training on the East Coast, so I knew there were so many spring training teams in the area. I was curious who the nearest team was to Venice. We were driving down the road and I grabbed my phone to do a quick search. Imagine my excitement when I discovered that the nearest team to us is the Atlanta Braves – and they had just signed a 30-year deal and built a brand new facility a few miles from our house in the Wellen Park!
As if it couldn’t get any better. We found our dream town on the beach, and my Atlanta Braves were just down the road!
Baseball Spring Training in Florida (and the Grapefruit League)
Spring Training really is an event. Those with a passion for America’s Pasttime often travel down to Spring Training to support their favorite team. And with so many facilities clustered within a small area, it’s also a fun way to tour around different facilities, watching games and soaking up the warmth of the sun and laid-back vibe.
Spring Training in Florida is like a baseball vacation!
Major League Baseball Spring Training has been a tradition here in Florida for around 130 years! And today it’s called the Grapefruit League. Over the years, all but a handful of MLB teams have held their spring training’s in Florida. Currently, there are 15 teams that call Florida their spring home. Here’s a quick list of the teams and their location:
- Atlanta Braves – North Port / Venice, Florida
- Baltimore Orioles – Sarasota
- Boston Red Sox – Fort Myers
- Detroit Tigers – Lakeland
- Houston Astros – West Palm Beach
- Miami Marlins – Jupiter
- Minnesota Twins – Fort Myers
- New York Mets – Port St. Lucie
- New York Yankees – Tampa
- Philadelphia Phillies – Clearwater
- Pittsburgh Pirates – Bradenton
- St. Louis Cardinals – Jupiter
- Tampa Bay Rays – Port Charlotte
- Toronto Blue Jays – Dunedin
- Washington Nationals – West Palm Beach
If you look on a map, there is a high concentration of teams in the southwest Florida area. Honestly, Venice is located in the heart of the Grapefruit League! So it’s a fantastic location to be able to travel around and experience Spring Training at a variety of different venues and watch different teams play each other. I enjoy taking baseball trips with my friends to professional stadiums, but many baseball fans make the trek down here to Spring Training and turn it into a vacation too.
As a local, I love that I live right in the center of Spring Training. And of course, Go Braves!
Where is the Braves Spring Training Location?
The Atlanta Braves used to have their Spring Training in Orlando. However, just a few years ago they built CoolToday Park, which is a new stadium between the towns of North Port and Venice, Florida in Sarasota County. It’s actually about 35 miles southwest of Sarasota itself. The stadium is actually in the heart of a master-planned community called Wellen Park.
The Wellen Park community is still in development but when completed, it will have more than 14 different neighborhoods, golf courses, and a downtown area with dining and shopping. There will also be a lake where people can rent kayaks and canoes to explore as well as a boardwalk and miles and miles of walking and biking trails.
Search Wellen Park Real Estate for Sale
Having the stadium in the heart of this area means that it will be easily accessible to both locals and visitors. In fact, those who live in the neighborhood will be able to walk and ride their bikes to the stadium…or even drive their golf cart! (now that’s the dream!!!)
CoolToday Park – Home of the Atlanta Braves Spring Training Facility
CoolToday Park opened in March 2019. The first game was played on March 24, 2019 with the Atlanta Braves going head-to-head against the Tampa Bay Rays in which the Braves came out on top 4-2. The land where the stadium stands was actually donated by Mattamy Homes, a private developer and one of the main developers within the Wellen Park community. And the Wellen Park developers also ran the construction and development of the stadium.
Interesting fact, the dimensions of the outfield actually mirror those of Truist Park, where the Braves play their home games in season!
Not only is CoolToday Park a new Spring Training facility, but it’s also one of the nicest. In fact, the stadium looks and feels more like an MLB stadium. First off, it’s quite large. CoolToday Park has 6,200 fixed seats but can accommodate up to 8,000 people overall. The stadium features a wide concourse that stretches 360 degrees all the way around the facility, making for some really great views.
You can also peek down into the bullpen to watch them practice. And there’s an area in the back of the stadium where you can look down at the players coming in and say hi – maybe even tossing down a ball for an autograph!
There are plenty of standing-room areas all the way around the field, with rails and ledges to lean on and large enough to act as a small table, which we actually quite like. They are perfect for perching up with something to eat or drink while watching the game from different angles as we move around the field. You’ll also find an upper level with additional seating as well as special event areas and lounges throughout.
Then there’s the berm, a grassy area beyond 3rd base where people can bring blankets and relax while watching the games — perfect for Spring Training! Just be sure to bring sunscreen, as it can get a bit hot out there.
The Atlanta Braves Spring Training Facility spans over 90 acres of land, so it’s quite a large area. It also includes 6 baseball practice fields as well as numerous other mixed-use fields.
Food and Drink in the Stadium
As you can expect, there is a lot of great food and drink to be had around the stadium. You’ll find the typical burgers and hot dogs, as well as stalls dedicated to seafood and chicken. There’s also the Salsa Supreme, where you can get some amazing tacos and “kitchen sink” nachos. There’s also the smokehouse where you’ll find tasty southern BBQ as well as a deli. And of course, there’s also a Chick-fil-A too.
But our absolute favorite is the Tomohawk Tiki Bar! Just past the 3rd baseline on the left on the concourse is a lovely outdoor seating and bar area where you can enjoy delicious food and some great drinks. The Tiki Bar is open during games, but also when the Braves are away or non-game days as well (read on below to learn more about the Tiki Bar during other times of the year).
Braves Spring Training Schedule
Spring Training typically begins around the mid-to-end of February and lasts until just before the regular season is set to begin. So typically there is around 4 weeks of Spring Training. Oftentimes, Spring Training coincides with Spring Break – which also adds to the appeal and makes it easier for fans to combine their vacations with some baseball fun.
This year in 2022, the season was a bit delayed. We actually had tickets for opening weekend. They were planning a big event with concerts and all kinds of festivities. After they got things sorted out, the first game this year was held on Friday, March 18th.
As a result of the delay, they’ve packed a lot of games in – pretty much every all the way through April 5th. They currently have 18 games scheduled, 8 of them being here at home at CoolToday Park and the others spread out nearby here around Florida.
ATTEND A GAME WITH US! Watch Our Spring Training Video Below
Watching a Game! How to Buy Braves Spring Training Tickets
Ticket prices for games at CoolToday Park to watch the Atlanta Braves range in price quite a bit. You can pay as little as $15 to just get in the building and walk around with standing room areas or have a seat on the grass in the berm area. Prices go up from there to around $65 – depending on the game and the seats you choose. There are also season ticket packages available for those who want to attend as many games as they can!
The best place to find updated information about the Braves Spring Training Schedule is and to buy tickets directly is to visit their website. You can also go out to the stadium in person and buy tickets from their box office as well.
Braves Spring Training Hats, Clothes & Other Merchandise
As you can imagine, Spring Training is a great time to purchase some gear for the season. But this is also where you can find a number of specialty Atlanta Braves merchandise. Items such as flip flops, fans, tank tops, towels and more. They also have a wide variety of apparel such as hats, t-shirts, jackets and golf shirts, including some you can’t find anywhere else.
In fact, the Atlanta Braves have a unique logo for Spring Training (it’s their stylized “A” with palm trees flanking both sides). I love this logo, because it represents my team but in this tropical paradise we call home. Being a fan (and a bit of a shopper) I’m excited to see that they are getting more and more merchandise down here with this special Spring Training logo!
Watch Games Year-Round at The Tomahawk Tiki Bar
There are so many things that we enjoy about CoolToday Park and the Braves Spring Training stadium. But a real gem for us is the Tomohawk Tiki Bar! As mentioned above, this is a great place to grab some food and drink during a game. What we really love about it is that the Tiki Bar is open not just during games. It’s actually open almost every day year-round!
When it’s a nice day out, we’ll often go out to the Tiki Bar to grab lunch. We enjoy sitting outside to soak up the great weather, but also to look over the beautifully manicured green field. Even without a game being played, there’s still such a fun vibe about being in the baseball stadium!
They will also turn on the big screen and show sports news and highlights. And of course, if the Braves are playing you can watch it on the big screen right there. They’ll also turn on the sound so everyone can hear and enjoy the game. This is actually where we came to watch some of the World Series games too!
Another perk of the Tiki Bar is that on certain nights of the week they will have music as well as trivia too. So it’s a legit spot in town to hang out and grab dinner with a bit of baseball too.
Lastly, the food here is quite good. Liz loves their nachos but I’m a huge fan of the shrimp po’ boy sandwich. It is SO good!!!
Beyond Spring Training – Other Fun & Events at CoolToday Park
Even though Spring Training only lasts about a month or so, the CoolToday Park facility is used throughout the year for number of things. During the winter season, there is a weekly Farmers Market held here on Wednesdays. It’s a convenient place to grab some fresh fruits and veggies as well as some baked goods and prepared foods too.
They also have outdoor concerts out on the grassy event lawn, just outside the stadium. These are perfect to bring the family and kiddos to hang out and listen to some tunes under the perfect Florida night sky. Other festivals are held here too. For example, we attended a Grilled Cheese festival a few months back (that was a ton of fun!) and they also have 5k races and other local events too.
As the Wellen Park development continues to mature, we see the stadium area becoming even more integrated in the community with local events and activities.
READ MORE: Things to do in Venice, Florida
Enjoying the Atlanta Braves Spring Training in My New Home!
Atlanta holds fond memories for me. It’s my home and where I grew up. It’s where Liz and I met, and the old Turner Field in Atlanta is where she and I used to go to watch Braves games together when we were dating. Now that we live down here in Florida and I no longer live in Atlanta, I love that I can still feel the emotions surrounding my favorite baseball team right here just a few minutes from my beach home here in Venice.
As a baseball fan, I love that I can enjoy my tropical paradise year-round and also be in the center of baseball Spring Training and all the Grapefruit League teams around us. Actually, with so many teams so closeby, it’s a hard decision to figure out which games to go to and when. I can’t really fit it all in unless I stopped working, but this time of year is also my peak season as a realtor in Venice.
Perhaps I can combine the two by taking some clients out to a Spring Training game with me. Are you up for it?
Just let me know if you want to join me for a Spring Training game!
