Olympic legacy lives on in Atlanta, Georgia

One year to go, yet fifteen years later, the Olympic challenge will reside in London while the Olympic legacy still shines on Atlanta, Georgia in the form of the city’s Centennial Olympic Park.

In 1996, Atlanta became the third city in the United States to host the Summer Olympics, launching its status as an international city and a premier travel destination.

The 21-acre Centennial Olympic Park was developed to serve as the world’s gathering place during the Centennial Olympic Games. It was the largest centre city park to be developed in the United States at that time.

The Centennial Olympic Park was developed entirely with private funds.  The estimated $78 million cost was provided by the sale of 475,000 engraved commemorative bricks by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, funds raised by the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and local philanthropic foundation grants. The park has also been the recipient of several major land donations and in-kind services from the community. The Centennial Olympic Park is owned by the state of Georgia and operated by the 11-member Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCC).

Today, the park includes a signature plaza with a dramatic Olympic Ring fountain; a court of 24 flags, one Olympic and 23 flags honouring the host countries of the modern Games; a natural amphitheatre; a six-acre lawn and pathways of commemorative bricks. It is also the location of the world’s largest aquarium which opened a new Dolphin Tales exhibition in May and the new World of Coca-Cola which features more than 1,200 artifacts from around the world. In addition to the CNN Center, there are also numerous restaurants and new hotels.

Another large improvement in the city for the Olympics was the Centennial Olympic Stadium which was used for the track and field events as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. After the conclusion of the Olympics, the stadium was transformed into Turner Field and is now home to the Major League Baseball team.

During the 7 days of the Olympic Games, over 2 million people visited Atlanta. This increase in tourism has had a lasting effect on Atlanta. The Centennial Olympic Park attracted investment in housing and hotel while the tourism industry increased steadily during the five years following the Olympics. Today Atlanta remains a key cosmopolitan city, a gateway to the Deep South and the entrance to the state of Georgia. In the UK, the city is featured by over 60 tour operators.

For more information on Georgia, visit: georgiatourismusa.co.uk