Coca-Cola Olympic City
Encyclopedia
Coca-Cola Olympic City was an 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) plaza in downtown Atlanta, Georgia
, adjacent to the city's Centennial Olympic Park
. It was built in concurrence with the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games
in Atlanta. Managed by Orlando based Baker Leisure Group, the featured three key areas that displayed Olympic based virtual reality sports attractions.
The first area allowed patrons to play a h-o-r-s-e style game call, "HOOPS" against Grant Hill. The area also allow patron to test their baseball skills by striking out Cecil Fielder in a pitching simulator or hitting a home run against Tom Glavine in a batting simulator.
The second area allowed patrons to ride mountain bikes on simulated competition course, race against Jackie Joyner-Kersee in a 40 yards (36.6 m) dash, perform gymnastics on a balance beam with Mary Lou Retton and race in a simulated wheelchair race as a Paralympian.
The third area included an Olympic themed theater show that took patrons through a 15 minute story about the history of the Olympic Games and the Spirit of the Games. The area also featured actual Olympic artifacts from the International Olympic Museum in Lussanne, Switzerland.
Other areas of Coca-Cola Olympic City included the Champions Challenge Obstacle Course and an open air theater that feature live shows for the Coca-Cola Olympic City Kids.
donated 9 of its 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) of property at the site to The Marcus Foundation
for use as the site of the new Georgia Aquarium
, which opened in November 2005. The company also made plans to construct its new World of Coca-Cola
on the remainder of the property; the attraction opened in May 2007. The area was christened Pemberton Place
after John Pemberton
, inventor of Coca-Cola and dedicated to the people of Atlanta.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, adjacent to the city's Centennial Olympic Park
Centennial Olympic Park
Centennial Olympic Park is a 21 acre public park located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA that is owned and operated by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. The park was built by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games as part of the infrastructure improvements for the Centennial...
. It was built in concurrence with the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta. Managed by Orlando based Baker Leisure Group, the featured three key areas that displayed Olympic based virtual reality sports attractions.
The first area allowed patrons to play a h-o-r-s-e style game call, "HOOPS" against Grant Hill. The area also allow patron to test their baseball skills by striking out Cecil Fielder in a pitching simulator or hitting a home run against Tom Glavine in a batting simulator.
The second area allowed patrons to ride mountain bikes on simulated competition course, race against Jackie Joyner-Kersee in a 40 yards (36.6 m) dash, perform gymnastics on a balance beam with Mary Lou Retton and race in a simulated wheelchair race as a Paralympian.
The third area included an Olympic themed theater show that took patrons through a 15 minute story about the history of the Olympic Games and the Spirit of the Games. The area also featured actual Olympic artifacts from the International Olympic Museum in Lussanne, Switzerland.
Other areas of Coca-Cola Olympic City included the Champions Challenge Obstacle Course and an open air theater that feature live shows for the Coca-Cola Olympic City Kids.
Post-Olympics Developments
The area was left vacant after the plaza's closure. In 2002, The Coca-Cola CompanyThe Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia...
donated 9 of its 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) of property at the site to The Marcus Foundation
The Marcus Foundation
The Marcus Foundation, the Marcus Niziak Childhood Brain Tumor Fund, is a public foundation established in memory of Mark S. Niziak, Jr. who died of a brain tumor shortly after his fifth birthday. The purpose of The Foundation is to promote and fund clinical research relating to the treatment of...
for use as the site of the new Georgia Aquarium
Georgia Aquarium
The Georgia Aquarium, located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, at Pemberton Place, is the world's largest aquarium with more than of marine and fresh water housing more than 120,000 animals of 500 different species...
, which opened in November 2005. The company also made plans to construct its new World of Coca-Cola
World of Coca-Cola
The World of Coca-Cola is a permanent exhibition featuring the history of The Coca-Cola Company and its well-known advertising as well as a host of entertainment areas and attractions...
on the remainder of the property; the attraction opened in May 2007. The area was christened Pemberton Place
Pemberton Place
Pemberton Place, located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, just north of Centennial Olympic Park and near the Luckie Marietta district. It is home to the Georgia Aquarium and the new World of Coca-Cola, and the scheduled location for the Center for Civil & Human Rights...
after John Pemberton
John Pemberton
John Stith Pemberton was a Confederate veteran and an American druggist, and is best known for being the inventor of Coca-Cola.-Early life:...
, inventor of Coca-Cola and dedicated to the people of Atlanta.