Attraction of the Week: Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta
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Centennial Olympic Park commemorates the 1996 Olympic Games which took place in Atlanta. Who could forget the iconic (and tragic) Games this year? 96 marked the 100 year anniversary of the first Olympics held in Athens, Greece.
It’s hard to believe that events which are widely popular today like beach Volleyball officially became a sport this year! Or, that Michael Phelps was not yet a household name. While Phelps won no medals in his first games (the 2000 games at the age of 15), this quickly changed. Phelps now holds the most medals overall (28) and the most gold medals (23).
Like pretty much everyone else, I love watching the Olympics, and thus, taking my picture by the iconic rings and exploring the historical sites was first on my must-do list in Atlanta. I enjoyed numerous weekend roadtrips to the city while living in nearby Greenville (an easy 3 hour drive). Along with exploring this park, you can enjoy many recreational, historical, and entertainment based attractions. Almost everything is walkable, so it’s nice to park once and explore. Check out my handy guide to the city’s best attractions, no matter your interest.
The iconic moment when Muhammad Ali lit the torch
One of the highlights of this year was the extravagant (and very lengthy) opening ceremony. Boxer and former gold medalist Muhammad Ali lit the cauldron to officially kick off the games. Even today, the moment Muhammad lit the torch, is considered the most memorable moment of all time.
In my opinion, the legendary ’96 opening ceremony comes in as one of the best, right up there with Beijing (2008), London (2012), and Sydney (2000).
1996: A record breaking year!
This was a year of record breaking feats. Michael Johnson set a record in the 200m, with his 19.32 second sprint beating the world record by 0.34 seconds. He also was the first male sprinter to win a gold medal in both the 200 and 400m.
And, who could forget the Magnificent Seven – the best gymnastics team ever? And, the iconic moment when Kerri Strug hopped on one leg after landing a vault on an injured angle, thus securing the first all-around gold medal for the US team? As a gymnastics fan (and former competitor) myself, this was one of the most memorable Olympics for me.
The athletes were not the only ones setting records. The ’96 Games themselves were recording breaking. A record breaking 10,000+ athletes from 197 countries competed, which is quite the difference from the original 14 represented in the 1896 Olympics.
This year’s games also broke records in terms of attendance numbers, with 8.3 million tickets sold, thus landing the Games a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.
A nostalgic blast to the past: relive the games
Tragedy strikes
Unfortunately, this was also a time of great tragedy due to the July 27th terrorist bombing during a free concert at Centennial Park. The bombs killed one person and injured over 100. This happened on the 9th day, and afterwards, athletes continued to compete, not allowing the tragedy to destroy their spirit.
These games will be remembered as a time of both great devastation and great triumph. Despite the horrible tragedy, US Olympians managed to attain 44 gold, 32 silver, and 25 bronze medals, for a total of 101. This year marked the awarding of the most medals since the 1984 Games.
Centennial Park: The centerpiece of downtown ATL
This public park opened just prior to the Olympics, and quickly became a gathering place for the millions of visitors in town for the games. To this day, the park remains a lasting legacy to the ’96 games, in addition to a very popular congregating place for visiting tourists. This would be my first recommended stop for all new visitors.
The park is pretty small at just 21 acres, and yet, always packed. From here, you can walk to most of the city’s most popular attractions including The Georgia Aquarium, The World of Coca Cola, and The Center for Civil & Human Rights.
This park is a great place to relax in between visiting bigger downtown attractions which are quite tiresome due to the crowds. To be honest, you will need a recovery period as these touristy sites can be insanely busy on the weekends! The Georgia Aquarium was one of the most packed tourist attractions I’ve ever been to. The wait for the shows was outrageous (we waited over and hour and a half for the dolphin show), although it was also one of the best I’ve visited.
If you take a quick stroll around, you will notice a few nice tributes:
Free events are on the lineup year-round including a huge 4th of July celebration and 4th Saturday Family fun days.
The Skyview
The skyline views from this park are pretty fantastic, especially at night! If you want even better views, take a ride up 20 stories on the SkyView Ferris Wheel, featuring incredible views of the city via climate controlled gondolas.
We enjoyed the ride, but it wasn’t anything I would pay a lot of money for (thankfully, we found a deal on Groupon). It wasn’t as spectacular as the Navy Pier Centennial Ferris Wheel in Chicago or the Linq High Roller in Las Vegas or anything, but a fun add on while visiting the downtown.
The Fountain of Rings is the largest interactive fountain to incorporate the rings. A free synchronized show runs daily at 12:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m (hours current as of 2026).
The Olympic rings
The highlight of the park, however, is the park’s newest feature. A 23 foot wide, 11 foot tall, 5000 pound sculpture of the iconic rings has become one of the most popular photo opps in the city. You will see tourists taking all sorts of crazy photos here. Expect a line, especially during the busier summer months. I had a great time taking a few fun pics – definitely a great free souvenir to commemorate my trip.
Additional details
The park is located at 265 Park Ave. Hours are 7am-10pm. The visitor center is open from 9am-4pm.
Various parking lots are located in the vicinity. I recommend parking at the Georgia Aquarium and walking over as it is one of the cheapest lots in the area.
Where should I eat? There are a number of touristy restaurants downtown. Personally, I love the food and ambiance at Hard Rock Cafe. I know it’s touristy, but I don’t really care. They serve the best mac and cheese anywhere and I loved the rock n’ roll shop.
