hiddenATLANTA

Centennial Olympic Park

Strolling Through Atlantas Olympic History

estled amid the skyscrapers of bustling Downtown Atlanta, Centennial Olympic Park is an oasis in the citys concrete jungle. Originally designed for the 1996 Olympic Games, this 21-acre park has become one of the most recognized landmarks in the state of Georgia. Easily accessible by MARTA, Atlantas public rail line, the park offers as much history as entertainment. Opened to the public in 1998, it features by Muriel Vega granite from each of the five continents represented in the Olympics, and serves as home to several commanding sculptures, including the Gateway of Dreams, which honors Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games. The visitor center, staffed with volunteers, provides guests with $5 audio walking tours, free wireless Internet and a locator for the nearly half-a-million bricks that pave the park, engraved with messages from donors. The parks most popular attraction, the Fountain of Rings, is the worlds largest interactive fountain, with 251 water jets lining its five connected rings, shooting streams of water in a synchronized show with music and lights four times a day, year-round. During the summer, children run around the fountain as an alternative to crowded pools. The fountain area also features the official flag of the Olympic Games and the flags of host cities of past Summer Olympics. Bring a picnic lunch or grab a fresh-grilled burger and fries from Googie Burger, adjacent to the fountain, and relax on the sweeping Great Lawn while admiring the eight magnificent 65-foot Hermes towers that encircle the park. Each November, Holiday in Lights transforms the park into a wondrous landscape dotted with thousands of lights. In the midst of that glittering display youll find a canopied outdoor ice rink in December and January. Admission for 90 minutes of rink time is $7 and skate rental is $2. Student and group discounts are available. The park is also neighbors with the new World of Coca-Cola, the CNN Center and the Georgia Aquarium, making it easy to switch gears throughout the day and enjoy different facets of Atlantas history. The park is open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. For more information, visit www.centennialpark.com. N

50 | Newcomer Magazine | www.newcomeratlanta.com

PHOTO: Courtesy of the Georgia Department of Economic Development