WORLD OF COCA-COLA | ATLANTA, GEORGIA
The world of Coca-Cola is the perfect blend of cutting edge technology, history, interaction and of course an amazing coca-cola tasting room, which features every flavour of drink owned by the company from around the world. Piece together clues to the 132-year-old secret formula for everyone’s favourite drink. Get closer than ever before to the vault containing the secret recipe, view more than 1,200 never-before-displayed artefacts and get a behind-the-scenes look at the bottling process.
Fun for all the family and affordable, it is an attack on your senses. We visited in April with our then, 5 month old son, George and everyone really enjoyed it. There were plenty of babies for George to interact with, children of all ages, races and religions playing together and learning. Atlanta has a lot to offer, 10 minutes away is the cool neighbourhood of Little Five points, which is well worth a visit. Right across the street from Coca-Cola is the number one attraction in town, award winning Georgia Aquarium, which is worth a visit!
BOOKING YOUR TRIP
BEST TIME TO VISIT
Located in downtown Atlanta, Coca-Cola world provides hours upon hours of fun for all the family. Designed to educate, entertain and challenge its visitors, you can easily lose track of time. Popular with children and families, school holidays are the busiest times. If you are visiting during holidays and the summer months, arrive before 11am to experience smaller crowds.
LOCATION
World of Coca‑Cola is located next to the Georgia Aquarium at Pemberton Place in downtown Atlanta’s Centennial Park District. The address you will need for you GPS or Google Maps (if walking) is: 121 Baker Street NW Atlanta, GA 30313 – 1807.
DRIVING
Southbound via I-75/85: Exit 249C Williams St. Turn RIGHT onto Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd. Parking garage is on the LEFT at the second traffic light.
Eastbound or Westbound via I-20: Exit I-75/85 North and follow Northbound via I-75/85 route.
Northbound via I-75/85:Exit 249D Spring St./W. Peachtree St. Turn right onto Spring St. ramp toward Centennial Olympic Park Dr. Bear right onto Centennial Olympic Park Dr. Take immediate left at traffic light onto Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd.Parking garage is on the left at the first traffic light.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: MARTA stop W1: Dome/GWCC/Philips Arena/CNN Center. MARTA stop N1: Peachtree Center. It is approximately a 10 minute walk from either station, visit MARTA to help plan your trip.
BUSES AND LARGE VEHICLES: Buses and vehicles larger than 7’H x 8’W x 16’L will qualify as oversized and cannot be accommodated in the Pemberton Place Parking garage. Instead campervans/RVs can use the Georgia World Congress Center bus marshalling yard. Bus Parking passes may be purchased in advance through the GWCC Bus Parking web page. Select your date of visit and enter the access code WOCCBUS. Buses should drop-off and pick-up passengers in the bus lane along Baker St.
OPENING HOURS
World of Coca‑Cola is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and occasionally for private events. Opening and closing times are subject to change, so the hours on the dates on your intended visit.
Monday: 10am-5pm
Tuesday: 10am-5pm
Wednesday: 9am-6pm
Thursday: 9am-6pm
Friday: 9am-6pm
Saturday: 9am-7pm
Sunday: 10am – 6pm
TICKETS
Most visitors purchase a general admission ticket, which gets your access to all levels for the entire day and costs an affordable $17 or around £15. I always recommend purchasing tickets in advance, especially when travelling with children. Children aged 2 and under go free. 3-12 is $13 and a Senior ticket (over 65) are available for just $15. General admission tickets bought online mean you avoid the queue to get inside, purchase yours here as well as the below for each ticket holder:
- Admission to the World of Coca-Cola in downtown Atlanta
- See art, films, exhibits and memorabilia about The Coca-Cola Company
- See vending machines and advertising campaigns from Coke’s history of more than 125 years
- Taste over 100 different beverages at the Freestyle machine
- Take a photo with the famous 7-foot Coca-Cola Polar Bear
Advance ticket purchase will allow you to skip the ticketing window line and proceed directly to the main entry line. Simply select the day you would like to visit, complete your ticket purchase and enter at any time during normal operating hours. Be prepared to present the credit card or debit card used to purchase your tickets. Staff require that you present the actual card used to purchase the tickets and may also request you present your picture ID.
PARKING
Coca-Cola world has its own parking (don’t get it mixed up with the Aquarium parking (listed as the number 1 attraction in Atlanta, it gets crazy busy). The address you will need for your GPS/Google Maps is 126 Ivan Allen Jr Blvd NW Atlanta, GA 30313. Parking costs $10 for up to 4 hours and $15 for 4+ hours. You pay via a machine so can use cash or card.
ACCOMMODATION
DINING
There are no dining facilities on the premises. Plenty of coca-cola but no food! So eat before, bring your own lunch or step outside and grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants within a 3 mile radius.
NAPPY CHANGE FACILITIES
All toilets have baby change facilities and toddler friendly facilities. Family friendly bathrooms can be found on every floor.
STROLLER ACCESS
Family friendly and stroller friendly – the perfect combination! Most areas (aside from the theatre room) have ramps and no stairs. Once inside the main area, there are plenty of ‘stroller parks’ – a safe place for you to leave your stroller and explore with your baby/child in your arms. When you reach the theatre to watch a short film about Coca-Cola, a member of staff will collect your stroller. They take it down in the lift for you so that it is there at the bottom of the theatre steps when the film finishes.
TIPS
- Arrive before 11am to experience smaller crowds
- Book online to avoid queues
- The average visit time is approximately 2 hours
- You can take the Atlanta Streetcar to get there, the stop you need is Centennial Olympic Park
- World of Coca-Cola is included in Atlanta CityPASS where you can save 41% off Atlanta’s 5 top attractions. Pre-purchase your CityPASS here or from the Coca-Cola ticketing windows for the same price.
UPON ARRIVAL
COCA-COLA WORLD
The first room you enter is the Lobby. A large wide room where the crowds gather and you cannot progress any further until staff allow you. You are given a free drink of your choice and can use the bathroom. Families with strollers have a separate area to queue. A member of staff will count you down and then the doors open on a timer and the fun begins.
You rush through (down a ramp) and are greeted by an enthusiastic speaker in ‘The Loft’ who talks (about 5 mins) about the centre and what to expect. Every inch of red wall is covered in memorabilia from as early as 1896.
From there, a short film clip in a theatre stands between you and the rest of the centre. If you have a stroller, members of staff will take your stroller in the lift for you whilst you enjoy the movie. When it’s finished your stroller will be at the bottom of the theatre for you!
Once the PR stunt is over, you then enter a massive foyer with several different areas for you and the kids to explore. You will see the stroller parks next to the vault and there are hundreds of photo opportunities.
Choose from:
- The Loft
- Coca-Cola Theatre
- Vault of the Secret Formula
- Milestones of Refreshment
- Bottle Works
- Coca-Cola Polar Bear
- 4-D Theatre
- Coca-Cola Portrait Wall
- Pop Culture Gallery
- Perfect Pauses Theatre
Walk the stairs or use the elevator and make your way to the best bit (in my opinion) the tasting room! Sectioned by country, you can drink as much as you want from anywhere in the world. I even found a bacon flavoured drink?! In the far left corner, there are interactive machines where you place your cup, and then swipe through a catalogue to select your preferred flavour. This room is crazy, loud and busy so be prepared! And with over 100 flavours you might want to ensure you have allocate enough time to indulge.
SHOP
You can enter the sop without an admission ticket, if you simply want to pick up a piece of memorabilia. For ticket holders, it is well signposted and part of your exit. They have a huge array of products, from t-shirts, lip balm to soft toys and cola-cola gift sets. You might need half an hour to browse properly!
