Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia: Local History, Legacy, and What to See Today

The 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia changed the city in lasting ways. If you live in Atlanta, are visiting, or just want to understand what the Olympics meant for the city, you can still see and experience that legacy all over town.

This guide walks through:

• How and why Atlanta hosted the Olympics
• The major Olympic sites you can visit today
• Lasting changes to Atlanta’s parks, transportation, and neighborhoods
• Tips for exploring Olympic history around the city

How Atlanta Became an Olympic City

Atlanta hosted the Centennial Olympic Games in the summer of 1996, marking 100 years of the modern Olympics. At the time, Atlanta was rapidly growing and wanted to be seen as a global city, not just a regional hub.

Key points about Atlanta’s Olympic story:

• The city beat out several major international competitors for the games.
• Many venues were built or upgraded across downtown, Midtown, and the metro area.
• The Games brought worldwide attention, major infrastructure projects, and long-term changes to how people experience the city.

If you’re in Atlanta now, you’re benefiting from decisions made in the early ’90s—especially when you walk through Centennial Olympic Park, use MARTA to get around, or visit some of the major sports facilities.

Centennial Olympic Park: The Heart of Olympic History Downtown

Centennial Olympic Park is the most visible reminder of the Olympics in Atlanta and a must-visit if you want to see the legacy up close.

Location:
265 Park Ave W NW
Atlanta, GA 30313

What to Look For in Centennial Olympic Park

• Fountain of Rings
  The iconic Fountain of Rings is built in the shape of the Olympic rings and is one of the most photographed spots in the city.

  • Kids often play in the fountains on hot days.
  • Light and music shows are often scheduled throughout the week.
  • It’s a central meeting point if you’re exploring downtown.

• Monuments and Markers
  Around the park you’ll see:

  • Plaques and markers describing the 1996 Games, key events, and participating nations.
  • Sculptures and artwork installed to honor athletes and the Centennial Olympics.

• Green Space and Event Lawn
  What used to be a run-down area of parking lots and industrial spaces became more than 20 acres of public parkland.

  • The lawn is used for concerts, festivals, and community events.
  • Locals use the park for lunchtime walks, picnics, and casual meetups.

Nearby Attractions with Olympic Ties

Centennial Olympic Park is surrounded by some of Atlanta’s biggest attractions, many of which were built or revitalized as part of the Olympic push:

• State Farm Arena (originally the Olympic indoor basketball venue area)
• College Football Hall of Fame
• Georgia World Congress Center (hosted events and media operations)
• CNN Center area (served as a major media hub)

You can easily walk between these locations using the park as your starting point.

Olympic Venues You Can Still Visit or See in Atlanta

Many Atlanta Olympic venues were designed to have a life after the Games. Several are still in heavy use today—often rebranded or repurposed but still recognizable.

Here’s a simple overview of the most notable ones:

Center Parc Stadium (Former Olympic Stadium)

Location:
755 Hank Aaron Dr SE
Atlanta, GA 30315

Originally built as the main Olympic Stadium for opening/closing ceremonies and track and field, the venue was later converted into Turner Field for the Atlanta Braves and is now Center Parc Stadium, home to Georgia State University football.

What you can do here:

• Attend a Georgia State football game in the fall.
• Drive or walk around the Summerhill neighborhood to see:
  • New restaurants and shops
  • Streetscapes and sidewalks upgraded over the past few years
  • Murals and public art highlighting the area’s changing identity

You’ll still find subtle nods to the stadium’s Olympic past in the surrounding streets and older signage.

Georgia Tech Aquatic Center and Campus Facilities

Georgia Tech Campus Main Address:
North Avenue NW
Atlanta, GA 30332

Georgia Tech served as a major Olympic site, including:

• Georgia Tech Aquatic Center – hosted Olympic swimming and diving. The complex has since been updated and is used by students, teams, and occasionally public events.
• Olympic Village – much of the athlete housing became Georgia Tech student housing, expanding the campus and supporting Midtown’s growth.

If you’re visiting:

• Walk through Tech Green and surrounding areas to see how the campus expanded after the Olympics.
• Look for plaques or building markers noting Olympic use.

Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC)

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

The GWCC was heavily used during the Olympics for:

• Press operations
• Sporting events
• Support services for the Games

Today it’s one of the largest convention centers in the country. Residents and visitors experience the legacy whenever they attend:

• Trade shows
• Fan conventions
• Major sporting events connected to the nearby Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena

Transportation Changes and the MARTA Experience

The Olympics accelerated improvements to Atlanta’s transportation network, especially around MARTA and key roadways.

MARTA and the Olympics

Before the 1996 Games, attention turned to making MARTA stations and routes more capable of handling heavy crowds, especially:

• Five Points Station – downtown hub linking all lines
• Dome/GWCC/State Farm Arena/CNN Center Station – serving the main Olympic stadium cluster area
• Midtown and North Avenue Stations – important for Georgia Tech and midtown access

For today’s rider or visitor:

• You can use MARTA rail to easily reach many former Olympic sites:
  • Get off at Dome/GWCC/State Farm Arena/CNN Center for Centennial Olympic Park and GWCC.
  • Use North Avenue for Georgia Tech and its Olympic heritage areas.
• MARTA’s role during the Games helped make rail more central to how big events are handled in Atlanta, including the Super Bowl and large conventions.

Roads and Wayfinding

The Olympics also led to improvements like:

• New or upgraded interchanges near downtown.
• Better signage and wayfinding to help visitors navigate major attractions.
• Enhanced access around the downtown connector (I-75/I-85) and key corridors.

If you’re driving today, many of the most direct routes into downtown and Midtown were shaped with Olympic traffic in mind.

Economic and Neighborhood Legacy in Atlanta

The Games had wide-reaching effects on downtown, Midtown, and nearby neighborhoods.

Downtown Revitalization

Before the Olympics, much of downtown Atlanta had limited green space and a patchwork of parking lots. After the Games:

• Centennial Olympic Park became a central green anchor.
• New hotels, tourist attractions, and restaurants grew up around the park.
• The area between Peachtree Street, Marietta Street, and Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard became much more walkable and visitor-friendly.

Residents today benefit from a more active downtown environment, especially during events and weekends.

Summerhill and Stadium Neighborhoods

The area around the former Olympic Stadium (now Center Parc Stadium) has undergone another wave of redevelopment:

• Georgia State University’s presence helped attract new investment.
• New restaurants, townhomes, and retail are reshaping blocks along Georgia Avenue and Hank Aaron Drive.
• Longtime residents and new arrivals share the area, with ongoing conversations about growth, affordability, and neighborhood identity.

Walking this area gives you a real sense of how Olympic investment led to multiple phases of change over decades.

Midtown and the Georgia Tech Corridor

Georgia Tech’s Olympic role helped drive:

• Expansion of campus facilities.
• A stronger tech and innovation corridor along Midtown’s west side.
• More student housing and mixed-use development near Spring Street, Atlantic Station, and Northside Drive.

Today, whether you’re a student, resident, or visitor, the vibrancy of Midtown and Tech Square is connected in part to growth pressures and investments that intensified around the Olympic period.

Where to Explore Olympic History in Atlanta Today

If you want to build a self-guided Olympic tour around the city, here’s a simple plan.

1. Start at Centennial Olympic Park

• Walk the Fountain of Rings and read plaques and markers.
• Explore nearby streets: Andrew Young International Blvd, Marietta St, and Baker St.
• Optional: Picnic on the park lawn or visit a nearby museum or attraction.

2. Visit the Georgia World Congress Center Area

From the park, walk west toward the GWCC and Mercedes-Benz Stadium:

• Look for signage noting past Olympic uses.
• Take in how close the venues are—this cluster was central to how events and crowds were managed.

3. Head to Georgia Tech

Use MARTA or drive to the Georgia Tech campus:

• Explore the aquatic center area and surrounding athletics facilities.
• Walk through parts of the campus that served as Olympic Village housing.
• Look for informational plaques or historical markers.

4. Explore Summerhill and Center Parc Stadium

Drive or rideshare to:

Center Parc Stadium
755 Hank Aaron Dr SE
Atlanta, GA 30315

• Check out the stadium from outside or attend a Georgia State football game in season.
• Walk around Georgia Avenue SE to see new restaurants and small businesses.
• Notice how this area has evolved from its Braves-era identity and even earlier Olympic footprint.

Practical Tips for Locals and Visitors

Here are some quick, practical suggestions if you’re planning to explore the Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia:

• Timing your visit

  • Spring and fall usually offer the most comfortable weather for walking between downtown sites.
  • Summer can be hot; the Fountain of Rings is especially popular on hot days.

• Getting around

  • Use MARTA for downtown and Midtown stops to avoid parking challenges.
  • Downtown parking decks near Centennial Olympic Park can fill during major events, so consider arriving early.

• Accessibility

  • Major Olympic legacy sites—Centennial Olympic Park, GWCC, MARTA stations, and Georgia Tech—have accessible routes and entrances.
  • If you have specific mobility needs, checking accessibility and parking details with each venue before visiting can make your day smoother.

• Photography

  • The park, stadiums, and skyline views around the Olympic cluster are popular spots for photos.
  • Early morning or late afternoon light often works best, especially for shots with the park and skyscrapers in the background.

Why the Olympics Still Matter in Atlanta

Even decades later, the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta are part of the city’s identity:

• They helped cement Atlanta’s image as an international city.
• They left behind parks, stadiums, transit improvements, and public spaces that people use every day.
• They continue to influence how Atlanta designs big events, tourism strategies, and urban development.

Whether you’re walking through Centennial Olympic Park at lunch, catching a game at Center Parc Stadium, or riding MARTA to a convention at the GWCC, you’re interacting with pieces of Atlanta’s Olympic story.

Exploring these sites gives you a deeper, more local understanding of how the Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, still shape the city you see and experience today.