World of Coca-Cola

State: Georgia. Type: brand museum and attraction devoted to The Coca-Cola Company, in downtown Atlanta at Pemberton Place, next to the Georgia Aquarium and Centennial Olympic Park. Current 92,000-square-foot building opened May 24, 2007, at a cost of about $97 million; the original World of Coca-Cola opened August 3, 1990, at Underground Atlanta. Operated by The Coca-Cola Company. Address: 121 Baker Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30313. Phone: (404) 676-5151.

The World of Coca-Cola is a museum and attraction in downtown Atlanta celebrating the history, advertising and products of The Coca-Cola Company, the beverage giant founded in Atlanta in 1886. The current 92,000-square-foot building opened on May 24, 2007, at Pemberton Place, a site named for Coca-Cola's inventor, pharmacist John Pemberton, and shared with the neighboring Georgia Aquarium and Centennial Olympic Park. It replaced an original World of Coca-Cola that had operated at Underground Atlanta since 1990 and drew about nine million visitors over 17 years. Across two floors of self-guided exhibits, visitors trace the brand's 130-plus-year story, view a vast collection of memorabilia and advertising, watch a 4D theater film, and see a working bottling-line demonstration. Two signature experiences anchor the visit: the Vault of the Secret Formula, a themed exhibit built around the closely guarded Coca-Cola recipe, and Taste It!, a tasting room where guests can sample dozens of Coca-Cola beverages from around the world. Interactive galleries on pop culture, art and the brand's global reach round out an attraction that typically takes about two hours to see and is one of downtown Atlanta's most popular stops, often paired with the adjacent aquarium.

The World of Coca-Cola is at 121 Baker Street NW in downtown Atlanta, at Pemberton Place, a roughly 20-acre development it shares with the Georgia Aquarium and directly beside Centennial Olympic Park in the Centennial Park District. It sits just blocks from where Coca-Cola was first created and is within walking distance of other downtown attractions and MARTA rail.

The attraction is fully indoor and climate-controlled, so weather does not affect a visit. Atlanta's humid subtropical climate brings hot, humid summers averaging around 81 degrees Fahrenheit with frequent thunderstorms, mild winters averaging about 45 degrees, and roughly 50 inches of annual rainfall, making an indoor attraction like this a good all-weather option.

Because it is indoors, the World of Coca-Cola works in any season and is a popular choice during Atlanta's hot summers or on rainy days. Weekday mornings tend to be less crowded than weekends, holidays and school breaks. Since it sits next to the Georgia Aquarium, many visitors plan both on the same day, and online ticketing helps avoid lines during busy periods.

The World of Coca-Cola first opened on August 3, 1990, at Underground Atlanta on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, where it operated for 17 years and welcomed roughly nine million visitors. To accommodate demand and consolidate downtown Atlanta's attractions, The Coca-Cola Company built a larger, purpose-designed facility at Pemberton Place, a 92,000-square-foot building constructed at a cost of about $97 million, which opened to the public on May 24, 2007, adjacent to the then-new Georgia Aquarium. The attraction chronicles the story of Coca-Cola, which was first concocted by Atlanta pharmacist John Pemberton in 1886 and grew into one of the world's most recognizable brands. Over the years exhibits have been updated; the on-site bottling line, once fully functional, has operated as a demonstration or simulation since around 2013.

The self-guided tour leads visitors through a series of exhibits: a loft displaying a large collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia and advertising, a 4D theater film, and a bottling-line demonstration that hands guests a commemorative bottle. Two of the most popular stops are the Vault of the Secret Formula, an interactive exhibit themed around the brand's closely guarded recipe, and Taste It!, a tasting room where guests can sample dozens of different Coca-Cola beverages from around the world. Galleries explore Coca-Cola's role in pop culture, art and advertising, and there are typically photo opportunities with the Coca-Cola Polar Bear character. Guided tours led by a Coca-Cola ambassador are available as an upgrade for those who want a more in-depth experience.

Signature exhibits include the Vault of the Secret Formula, the Taste It! beverage-tasting room featuring beverages from around the globe, the 4D theater, the bottling-line demonstration, the memorabilia loft, and pop culture and advertising galleries. The Bottle Cap Cafe is on-site, and the attraction's location at Pemberton Place puts the Georgia Aquarium and Centennial Olympic Park directly next door.

The attraction is in downtown Atlanta, reachable from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) about 10 miles south via MARTA rail or car. By transit, MARTA rail stations at Dome/GWCC/CNN Center and Peachtree Center are nearby, and the Atlanta Streetcar stops at Centennial Olympic Park. By car it sits just off the downtown Connector (I-75/85), with an on-site parking garage; oversized vehicles such as RVs and buses are directed to the Georgia World Congress Center marshaling yard.

The World of Coca-Cola is open seven days a week and closes only on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. As of research, typical hours were around 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays with extended evening hours (to roughly 8:00 or 9:00 p.m.) on weekends, though hours are subject to change and vary by date. Online ticket sales end one hour before closing. Confirm current hours at worldofcoca-cola.com before visiting.

Standard general admission is self-guided. As reported by Atlanta travel guides at the time of research, adult tickets ran roughly $21 to $26, seniors about $19 to $24, and children ages 3 to 12 about $17 to $22, with children 2 and under free; a guided ambassador-led tour was about $45 per person. Active-duty, reserve and retired members of the U.S. Armed Forces receive free admission with a military ID. An Atlanta CityPASS bundles the attraction with other top sites at a discount. Prices vary by date, so confirm current pricing on the official website.

The average visit is about two hours, enough to see the exhibits, watch the 4D film and sample beverages in the tasting room; visitors taking a guided tour or lingering in the galleries may spend somewhat longer.

The attraction is in downtown Atlanta's Centennial Park District, which has a wide range of hotels within walking distance or a short drive, from major convention and business hotels to mid-range chains. Additional lodging is available in the downtown core near the convention center and in Midtown a couple of miles north. Staying nearby lets visitors combine the World of Coca-Cola with the adjacent Georgia Aquarium and Centennial Olympic Park on foot.

The on-site Bottle Cap Cafe offers refreshments, and the surrounding Centennial Park District and downtown core have numerous restaurants within walking distance, including options near the CNN Center area. For a broader selection, Midtown to the north and food halls such as Ponce City Market on the BeltLine provide many more choices. Many visitors eat before or after touring, often combining the visit with the neighboring aquarium.

The Georgia Aquarium is immediately next door at Pemberton Place, and Centennial Olympic Park is directly adjacent, making a combined downtown day easy. The College Football Hall of Fame and the CNN Center area are close by, and a short drive or MARTA ride reaches the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park and Midtown attractions such as the Fox Theatre and Piedmont Park.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is about 10 miles south and connected to downtown by MARTA rail. The nearest MARTA rail stations are Dome/GWCC/CNN Center and Peachtree Center, and the Atlanta Streetcar stops at Centennial Olympic Park nearby. Rideshare and taxis are widely available, making transit a practical alternative to driving and parking downtown.

All guests pass through a security checkpoint on arrival, and weapons including guns and knives are prohibited, so plan to leave prohibited items behind, as no coat or luggage check is offered. Keep track of children in busy exhibit areas, and, for driving visitors, keep valuables out of sight in the parking garage. Standard downtown-city awareness applies when walking outside the attraction. For any emergency, dial 911.

Bring your tickets or booking confirmation (advance online purchase is recommended), a card or mobile payment for on-site purchases and parking, and a phone or camera for photos with exhibits and the Polar Bear. Because there is no luggage check, travel light and avoid bringing prohibited items through security. Comfortable shoes help for the self-guided walking route.

Buy tickets online in advance to save time, and note that online sales close an hour before the day's closing time. Plan the visit around the roughly two-hour average and pair it with the adjacent Georgia Aquarium and Centennial Olympic Park for an efficient downtown day; a CityPASS can cut costs if you plan to see several attractions. Members of the Armed Forces should bring a military ID for free admission. Using MARTA rail avoids downtown parking and traffic.

For any emergency, dial 911, the nationwide emergency number in the United States. The attraction's general information line is (404) 676-5151 (also 1-800-676-COKE).

World of Coca-Cola - https://www.worldofcoca-cola.com

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.