Braves unveil All-Star Legacy Project sensory space at Truist Park

ATLANTA -- Fans at Truist Park will now have access to a sensory-friendly environment.

On Wednesday, as part of a media tour of the ballpark ahead of the 2025 All-Star festivities, the Braves cut the ribbon on the sensory space behind section 218. The sensory space unveiling is one of multiple Legacy Projects hosted by the Braves during All-Star week.

A sensory-friendly environment minimizes overwhelming sensory input, offering comfort and accessibility to individuals with diverse sensory needs and preferences.

The space, named “Braves Haven All-Star Sensory Lounge,” is in a room next to a guest services office on the concourse outside of the Xfinity Club.

It is Braves and baseball-themed, with a wall that emulates the outfield wall and sky at Truist Park, featuring a 400-foot mark on the decoration outfield wall and a mural of a blue, yet cloudy, sky. Its interior features a framed Braves jersey and a chair resembling a baseball glove. There is also a TV for fans to watch the game without having to be among the sometimes hectic sights and sounds of a Major League ballpark.

Braves President and Chief Executive Officer Derek Schiller explained why the Braves added the space to Truist Park.

“Since we opened the ballpark there seemed to be an increasing demand [from] people that might have some sensory difficulties that want to come experience a baseball game but need a place to have a little time out,” Schiller said.

Schiller said the concept was fan-driven.

“Whatever the situation they’re dealing with, whether it’s needing a little bit of quiet time or lower lights or lower audio. We’ve been accommodating, we just didn’t have a specific place to do that," Schiller said.

Danielle Bedasse, Braves vice president of community affairs and executive director of the Atlanta Braves Foundation, played a crucial role in the sensory room.

“It really was an important piece of the puzzle for us in our legacy project planning,” Bedasse said. “I always wanted to make sure we did something here at the Battery or at Truist Park that enhanced our space and made it accessible for all of our fans. This has been a longtime goal and initiative of our guest services team, [and] our leadership team to make sure we have a space so everybody and anybody can come and enjoy the game. Whether that is a Hometown Hero with PTSD who wants to take his kids to the fireworks on Friday night or a family with [someone] with autism. We have the opportunity to have that space.”

Matt Olson and his wife, Nicole, also played a major role in the sensory space. Matt, whose longtime friend with autism is Reece Blankenship, made a donation to the Atlanta Braves Foundation which allowed for a "Matt Pack.” Every home game, a family impacted by autism is invited to enjoy a complementary, sensory-friendly game at Truist Park.

“They have six seats here at the ballpark that are fully accessible,” Bedasse said. “[Matt and Nicole] donate to every game to families dealing with autism. We’ve had a great opportunity to build that over the last two years. [The sensory space] is kind of an extension of that passion and a great way to enhance accessibility of our ballpark.

“When Matt came to the Braves one of the things he said he was passionate about was supporting families facing autism -- not just kids but non-verbal adults. He has a friend in Reece Blankenship that he has grown up with, [the sensory space] was kind of a natural extension.”

Though Schiller didn’t know how many MLB stadiums offer a sensory space, Braves Haven is not the first of its kind in an MLB ballpark. At the start of the 2025 season, there were 23 Major League ballparks that provided sensory rooms, sensory-friendly areas and bags/kits to make baseball games more welcoming for those with autism and sensory needs.

The Braves partnered with MLB for the project, but the creation of the sensory space was in-house.

“This was a Braves-specific project that we ultimately applied into being part of the All-Star Legacy Project list,” Schiller said. “We talked about this project with Major League Baseball and came together with them. They ultimately agreed this was a great Legacy Project.”

Schiller explained why they chose the specific location for the sensory space.

“We looked at a number of different spaces,” Schiller said. “You try to be relatively centrally-located. This is, in some terms, the middle level of the ballpark. It’s easy to find. It’s near home plate. We ultimately repurposed the space that we already had and built it and created this.”