The Atlanta of today owes much to the 1996 Summer Olympics. In preparation for the games, the city transformed a seedy neighborhood into a tourist-friendly destination, creating Centennial Olympic Park as the center of all activity—including, unfortunately, the tragic bombing that marred the entire event. Today, the park is still a hub, now for tourist attractions rather than medal presentations. Surrounded by everything from the Georgia Aquarium and World of Coca-Cola to CNN Center, the College Football Hall of Fame, and the Center for Civil and Human Rights, it often hosts concerts, movies, and popular events like the Music Midtown Festival. It’s also home to a playground and the Fountain of Rings, which puts on daily water shows.
Centenial Olympic Park, fountains. Atlanta. Georgia, USA
Walter Bibikow / agefotostock
Caroline Eubanks
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The Park Created For The Olympics
Centennial Olympic Park is a spacious area in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia. This public park was created for the 1996 Summer Olympics and it is so beautiful! Being a Florida native, I was not used to the fact that it was somewhat chilly and that I got to see Cherry Blossoms everywhere. I was there with a whole bunch of other people who are from Florida and live there with me and they were all taking photos of the Cherry Blossoms, kind of silly but it is a rarity to us. There were tall structures of all sorts symbolizing the 1996 Summer Olympics and it’s just a big spacious park for you to play frisbee with your dog or soccer with your kids. It is also very close to the CNN Studio and The World of Coca-Cola!
Fun Place to hang Out!
This is a great place to hang out and it is near everything from World of Coke to CNN to the Aquarium. Worth a visit if you are in downtown Atlanta.
