Atlanta’s Olympic Games Legacy: What Locals and Visitors Should Know

Atlanta’s connection to the Olympic Games is much more than a moment in sports history. The 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games reshaped parts of the city, left landmarks you can still visit today, and continue to influence how Atlanta hosts major events.

If you live in Atlanta, are planning a visit, or just want to understand how the Olympics changed the city, this guide walks through the key places, history, and ways to experience Atlanta’s Olympic legacy today.

A Quick Overview of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games

Atlanta hosted the Centennial Olympic Games from July 19 to August 4, 1996. The city saw:

• New venues and housing built or upgraded
• Major improvements to downtown infrastructure
• The creation of Centennial Olympic Park as a centerpiece
• Global attention that helped position Atlanta as a major convention and sports city in the U.S.

Many Atlantans still remember the crowds, the international visitors, and the lasting changes to downtown. For visitors today, the Olympics live on through parks, stadiums, public art, and museums.

Key Atlanta Olympic Sites You Can Visit Today

Centennial Olympic Park

Location: 265 Park Ave W NW, Atlanta, GA 30313

Centennial Olympic Park is the most visible and accessible reminder of the Atlanta Olympic Games. It was built as a gathering place for spectators and now serves as a downtown green space surrounded by major attractions.

What you’ll find there:

• Fountain of Rings – The iconic Olympic rings fountain is a favorite for kids in warm weather and a key photo spot.
• Brick paths and commemorative markers – Many bricks are engraved with donor names and messages, a fundraiser from the 1990s.
• Open lawns used for festivals, concerts, and community events.

The park is bordered by:

• Georgia World Congress Center
• State Farm Arena
• CNN Center area (redevelopment underway in recent years)
• College Football Hall of Fame
• World of Coca‑Cola
• Georgia Aquarium

For residents, it’s a practical, central place to bring out-of-town guests and walk between multiple attractions in a single day.

Georgia World Congress Center & Olympic Legacy

Location: 285 Andrew Young International Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA 30313

The Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) campus was a major hub during the games, hosting competition venues and media operations. Today, it remains one of the largest convention centers in the country.

The GWCC complex anchors a broader “Olympic legacy” area that includes:

• Centennial Olympic Park
• Mercedes‑Benz Stadium (built later but on former Olympic-related grounds)
• State Farm Arena

If you attend a convention, trade show, concert, or game on this campus, you’re moving through the same general area that served as a centerpiece during the 1996 Olympics.

Atlanta Olympic Stadium → Turner Field → Center Parc Stadium

One of the most interesting transformations from the Olympics is the main Olympic stadium’s evolution.

Location: 755 Hank Aaron Dr SE, Atlanta, GA 30315

If you visit Center Parc Stadium now, you’re standing where the Olympic flame once burned and where landmarks like the men’s 100m final took place. Georgia State University remodeled the venue for football, but remnants of the Olympic era remain in the surrounding area, including some commemorative markers and design elements.

Olympic Cauldron and “The Giant Olympic Ring”

Near the stadium area in Summerhill, you can still see a portion of the Olympic cauldron structure. This is a favorite quick stop for those specifically interested in Atlanta Olympic history.

Locals often pair a visit to the cauldron with:

• A walk around Summerhill’s Georgia Avenue (restaurants and shops)
• A stop by Center Parc Stadium for photos

Parking and walking conditions can change as redevelopment continues, so it’s wise to check maps or local guidance before you go.

Other Atlanta Olympic Touchpoints

While some venues have been repurposed or demolished, traces of the games remain in:

• Public art and sculptures – Various Olympic-themed pieces scattered around downtown and near former venues.
• Street names and signage – References to “Olympic,” “Torch,” or related themes in some corridors.
• Campus and community facilities – Some training venues were located on or near university campuses and sports complexes that are still in use.

If you’re deeply interested, local historical societies and tours sometimes highlight these less obvious sites.

Experiencing the Olympic Story at Nearby Attractions

While Atlanta doesn’t have a standalone “Olympic museum” on the scale of some other host cities, several attractions help tell parts of the story.

College Football Hall of Fame

Location: 250 Marietta St NW, Atlanta, GA 30313 (across from Centennial Olympic Park)

This attraction primarily focuses on college football, not the Olympics. However, it provides context on the broader sports culture in the U.S. South, which is part of why Atlanta was eager and ready to host international events like the Olympic Games.

Georgia Aquarium & World of Coca‑Cola

These attractions sit where large parts of the Olympic spectator and entertainment zones once stood. They’re not Olympic exhibits, but visiting them gives you a sense of how downtown’s Olympic footprint evolved into a year-round tourism district.

• Georgia Aquarium: 225 Baker St NW, Atlanta, GA 30313
• World of Coca‑Cola: 121 Baker St NW, Atlanta, GA 30313

Many locals will spend a half day around the park, aquarium, and World of Coca‑Cola while pointing out the remaining Olympic features to guests.

How the Olympics Changed Atlanta

For someone living in or visiting Atlanta today, the effect of the games is easiest to see in a few key areas.

Downtown Revitalization

Before 1996, the area that is now Centennial Olympic Park was largely a mix of parking lots and underused parcels. The games motivated:

• New public spaces
• Streetscape improvements
• Growth in hotels, restaurants, and attractions around the park

This laid the groundwork for Atlanta’s identity as a major convention and sports destination.

Transportation and Infrastructure

During and after the Olympic Games, there was attention on:

• MARTA (rail and bus) as the backbone for moving large crowds
• Road improvements and better wayfinding signs
• Enhanced connections between downtown, Midtown, and the airport

For current residents, this set a precedent for relying on MARTA for stadium events, large conventions, and festivals—something you’ll still see on game days at Mercedes‑Benz Stadium and other major venues.

Sports and Event Culture

Atlanta already had professional sports teams, but the Olympics helped:

• Prove the city could host global-scale events
• Attract more national tournaments, championships, and large concerts
• Support bids for future events like college football championships, Super Bowls, and soccer matches

If you regularly attend big events around the GWCC, Mercedes‑Benz Stadium, or State Farm Arena, you’re benefiting from systems and experience that began in the Olympic years.

Visiting Atlanta’s Olympic Sites: Practical Tips

Whether you’re local or in town for a weekend, it’s easy to build an “Atlanta Olympic Games” theme into your plans.

1. Start at Centennial Olympic Park

• Transit: Take MARTA to GWCC/CNN Center or Peachtree Center stations and walk.
• Driving: Public parking decks and lots surround the park; rates vary by event and time of day.
• What to do:
  • Walk the park and view the Fountain of Rings
  • Look for Olympic-themed plaques or markers
  • Relax on the lawn if the weather is good

2. Add Nearby Attractions

Within a short walk of the park, you can visit:

• Georgia Aquarium
• World of Coca‑Cola
• College Football Hall of Fame
• State Farm Arena (if there’s a game or tour available)

This gives you a sense of how the Olympic core has been transformed into an entertainment and tourism hub.

3. Visit Center Parc Stadium and the Olympic Cauldron

If you have extra time or specific interest in the Olympic stadium site:

• Drive or rideshare to Center Parc Stadium (Hank Aaron Dr SE area).
• Look for the cauldron structure and nearby commemorative elements.
• Walk or drive through Summerhill to see how the neighborhoods around the former Olympic and Braves stadium area are changing.

This is more of a focused visit for people who care about the games’ physical legacy rather than a general tourist stop.

Atlanta Olympic Games FAQs for Locals and Visitors

Can you still see the Olympic rings in Atlanta?

Yes. The Fountain of Rings in Centennial Olympic Park forms the Olympic rings in its water jets, and you can find ring motifs in parts of the park’s design and nearby displays.

Are any original 1996 Olympic venues still in use?

Yes, but many have been repurposed:

• The main stadium is now Center Parc Stadium for Georgia State University.
• Various indoor venues and arenas that hosted events have since been modified, renamed, or replaced but still serve sports or entertainment functions.

Is there an official Olympic museum in Atlanta?

There isn’t a large, standalone Olympic museum in downtown Atlanta. Instead, the story is spread across:

• Centennial Olympic Park’s design and plaques
• The cauldron and stadium site
• Occasional exhibits or displays at local institutions

How can I learn more about the games’ impact on Atlanta?

For a deeper dive, many Atlantans turn to:

• Local history centers and archives (such as the Atlanta History Center)
• Public libraries in the Fulton County and Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System
• Exhibits or talks that occasionally feature the 1996 Games, especially around major anniversaries

Why the Atlanta Olympic Games Still Matter Today

For someone in Atlanta, the 1996 Olympic Games are not just a past event—they help explain:

• Why downtown looks and functions the way it does
• How Atlanta built its reputation as a global events city
• Why major sports and entertainment facilities are clustered near the GWCC and Centennial Olympic Park

If you live here, exploring these sites can give you a better feel for your city’s recent history. If you’re visiting, weaving the Atlanta Olympic Games legacy into your itinerary is an easy way to connect big global history with the neighborhoods and streets you’re walking today.