Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Centennial Olympic Park was created for the 1996 Summer Olympics, and it transformed a section of downtown Atlanta into an urban green space that has become one of the city's most important public gathering places. Spanning 21 acres, it was the largest urban green space created in the United States in 25 years at the time, a significant urban planning achievement. The park was designed not as a remote recreational area but as an integrated part of downtown, accessible and central, where residents and visitors could gather daily.

The most iconic feature of the park is the Fountain of the Rings, described as the world's largest interactive fountain. The fountain features Olympic rings, 251 jets shooting water 12 to 35 feet in the air, and choreographed water shows running four times daily. The fountain is more than decoration; it's an invitation to public participation. Visitors, especially children, run through the water, interact with it, get wet, engage with the space in ways that are joyful and unselfconscious.

The creation of the park sparked a remarkable cascade of development. Between 1996 and 2016, approximately $2.2 billion in new development was attracted to the surrounding area. The Georgia Aquarium, one of the largest in the world, was built nearby. The World of Coca-Cola, a museum devoted to the global beverage brand, established itself adjacent to the park. The College Football Hall of Fame was constructed close by. The park became a magnet for cultural institutions and entertainment venues.

In 2019, Centennial Olympic Park underwent a major renovation that added the Paralympic Plaza, a space honoring Paralympic athletes and disabilities rights. The renovation extended the park's boundaries and enhanced its role as an inclusive public space. The park has become so essential to Atlanta's identity that it's hard to imagine downtown without it.

Beyond its features and attractions, Centennial Olympic Park represents a particular vision of urban public space: open, accessible, welcoming, filled with people and life. It shows what a city can achieve when it prioritizes public gathering places over private consumption.