What Happened to the Former Coca‑Cola Museum in Downtown Atlanta?

For years, the original World of Coca‑Cola museum in downtown Atlanta was a familiar landmark near Underground Atlanta and the Georgia State Capitol. If you remember visiting it on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW, you might be surprised to see that the old building is now gone.

The former museum site has been demolished, and the space is part of a broader wave of redevelopment in downtown Atlanta. Here’s what Atlantans and visitors often want to know about what happened, what’s there now, and where to go instead.

A Quick Overview: Old vs. New World of Coca‑Cola

Where Was the Former Coca‑Cola Museum in Downtown Atlanta?

The original World of Coca‑Cola opened in downtown Atlanta in the 1990s near:

• Underground Atlanta
• Georgia State Capitol
• MARTA’s Five Points and Georgia State Stations

Longtime residents often remember it as being along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW, within easy walking distance of many downtown office buildings, hotels, and government buildings.

That location served as the main Coca‑Cola museum until the company decided to relocate and upgrade the attraction.

Why Was the Former Museum Demolished?

The old museum building was eventually closed, left vacant, and later demolished. Several practical and planning-related reasons contributed to this:

• Relocation of the attraction: Coca‑Cola moved the museum experience to a new, larger facility near Centennial Olympic Park, creating the current World of Coca‑Cola.
• Modern visitor expectations: The older building wasn’t designed for the kind of large, highly interactive, multimedia experience the company wanted to offer.
• Downtown redevelopment: That part of downtown has gone through waves of reinvention and reuse, with older single‑purpose buildings making way for new projects, mixed‑use development, or reconfigured land use.
• Maintenance vs. reuse: Rather than leaving a high‑profile structure vacant, property owners and city planners often support either adaptive reuse or demolition to prepare for future projects.

For someone returning to Atlanta after several years, this can make the area feel almost unrecognizable compared with the more tourist‑oriented cluster now around Centennial Olympic Park.

What’s There Now?

The specific uses of the former museum parcel have shifted over time as part of larger downtown plans. As is common in Atlanta, land near major transit and civic centers is often:

• Cleared for redevelopment
• Combined into a larger mixed‑use or institutional project
• Used for parking or staging while long‑term plans are finalized

If you’re trying to track the exact current use of the site, your best bets are:

• 🏙️ City of Atlanta Department of Planning
  55 Trinity Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30303
  Phone: 404‑330‑6150
  They can provide zoning and land‑use information.

• 🗺️ Fulton County Board of Assessors (Property Records)
  235 Peachtree St NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30303
  Phone: 404‑612‑6440
  Property lookup tools can show ownership and current classification.

Locals who live or work near Underground Atlanta and the Capitol area will also notice that the broader district continues to evolve with student housing, government offices, and commercial spaces reshaping the streetscape.

Where Is the World of Coca‑Cola Now?

The Coca‑Cola museum experience did not disappear—it moved and expanded.

The current World of Coca‑Cola is located in the Centennial Olympic Park / Luckie Street area, a short distance from the original site but in a very different kind of tourism district.

Current World of Coca‑Cola (as of the latest widely known location):
121 Baker St NW
Atlanta, GA 30313
Phone (general info line, subject to change): typically available through Coca‑Cola’s official visitor information.

It sits within Atlanta’s key attractions cluster, near:

• Georgia Aquarium
• Centennial Olympic Park
• National Center for Civil and Human Rights
• College Football Hall of Fame
• CNN Center area (and State Farm Arena a short walk away)

For both residents and visitors, this area has effectively become Atlanta’s main tourist core, replacing the role the older downtown core once played for casual sightseeing.

How to Visit the Current World of Coca‑Cola from Downtown

If you’re standing in “old downtown” near the former museum area (Underground Atlanta, City Hall, Georgia State), getting to the new World of Coca‑Cola is straightforward:

By MARTA

• Take rail from:
  • Five Points Station, or
  • Georgia State Station (walkable to Five Points)
• Exit at Peachtree Center or CNN Center/GWCC/State Farm Arena (depending on your rail line and preferred walk).
• Follow signs or street‑level directions toward Centennial Olympic Park and Baker St NW.

Typical walking time from Peachtree Center is about 10–15 minutes through the heart of downtown.

By Walking from Central Downtown

If you’re already in the Peachtree Street corridor (e.g., near the Westin Peachtree Plaza, Ritz‑Carlton, or major office towers):

• Walk west toward Centennial Olympic Park.
• Use Andrew Young International Blvd or Alabama St / Marietta St as a simple walking path.
• Follow signs for Georgia Aquarium—the World of Coca‑Cola is directly adjacent.

By Car

Common approaches:

• Use major streets like Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd NW, Luckie St NW, or Baker St NW.
• Expect structured parking garages or lots serving the aquarium and park area.
• Parking rates and availability vary by day and event schedules at State Farm Arena and the Mercedes‑Benz Stadium, so checking current conditions before driving is helpful.

Why the Move Matters for Downtown Atlanta

The demolition of the former Coca‑Cola museum building is part of a bigger story about how downtown Atlanta is changing:

• Tourism concentration: Attractions are more tightly clustered around Centennial Olympic Park, which simplifies planning for visitors and makes it easier to spend a full day walking between major sites.
• Shift in “old” downtown: The area around Underground Atlanta, the Capitol, and the courts has tilted more toward government, academic (Georgia State University), and residential use, with nightlife and tourism fluctuating over time.
• Redevelopment opportunities: Clearing older single‑use sites like the former museum opens land for:
  • Mixed‑use developments (residential, retail, office)
  • Institutional or university expansions
  • New public or private projects that better match current needs

For residents, this can bring new housing, retail, and streetscape improvements, but it also means the loss of some nostalgic landmarks—like the original Coca‑Cola museum.

If You Remember the Old Museum and Want to Revisit That Experience

Many Atlanta natives and long‑time visitors have strong memories of the former museum—especially:

• The old tasting room
• Historic advertising displays
• Early bottling exhibits

While the building itself is gone, much of that spirit and content has been reimagined at the current World of Coca‑Cola. The newer location generally offers:

• More interactive exhibits
• Updated brand history presentations
• Expanded tasting experiences
• Improved accessibility and flow for large crowds

If your goal is to share “what I did as a kid in Atlanta” with your own family, the new museum is the closest equivalent, even though the setting and layout are different.

How to Stay Updated on Future Development at the Old Site

If you’re specifically interested in what will replace (or has replaced) the old Coca‑Cola museum site, a few local resources are especially useful:

• 🏛️ City of Atlanta – Department of City Planning
  55 Trinity Ave SW, Suite 3350
  Atlanta, GA 30303
  Phone: 404‑330‑6150
  Can provide information on zoning, redevelopment proposals, and planning studies for the area.

• 📜 Atlanta City Council & NPU System
  Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs) around downtown often review and discuss redevelopment plans. Attending meetings or reviewing agendas can show you what’s proposed or under review.

• 🧭 Central Atlanta Progress / Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (business and civic groups)
  These organizations frequently share updates on major projects and strategic planning for downtown.

In summary:
The former Coca‑Cola museum building in downtown Atlanta has been demolished, and the company’s museum experience now lives on at the World of Coca‑Cola near Centennial Olympic Park. For anyone living in, visiting, or returning to Atlanta, plan your Coca‑Cola‑themed stop in the Baker Street / Aquarium area—and expect the old site closer to Underground Atlanta to look very different from what you remember.