Atlanta and the Olympics: Legacy, Landmarks, and How to Experience It Today

Atlanta and the Olympics are permanently linked thanks to the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Whether you live in Atlanta, are planning a visit, or just want to understand how the Olympics shaped the city, there are still plenty of ways to see, walk through, and learn from that history.

This guide walks you through:

• What the Atlanta Olympics were and why they mattered
• Key Atlanta Olympic sites you can visit today
• How the Games changed Atlanta’s downtown, transportation, and culture
• Practical tips for exploring Olympic history around the city

A Quick Overview of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics

In summer 1996, Atlanta hosted the Centennial Olympic Games, marking 100 years since the modern Olympics began in Athens in 1896. For several weeks, the city became an international hub for athletes, media, and visitors from around the world.

Some of the most memorable aspects for Atlanta residents and visitors include:

• Downtown transformation into a walkable Olympic hub
• Construction or renovation of major sports venues
• Creation of Centennial Olympic Park, which still anchors downtown today
• Worldwide attention on Atlanta’s culture, music, and civil rights history

If you’re exploring Atlanta now, you won’t find an active Olympic Village, but you will find lasting Olympic landmarks, memorials, and venues still in heavy use.

Must-See Atlanta Olympic Landmarks

Centennial Olympic Park

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

Centennial Olympic Park is the centerpiece of Atlanta’s Olympic legacy and one of the easiest places to start.

What to look for:

• Fountain of Rings – The park’s signature feature, shaped like the Olympic rings. It’s a popular splash area for kids in warm weather and a classic photo spot.
• Monuments and markers – Around the park you’ll find plaques, sculptures, and references to the 1996 Games and the Centennial celebration.
• Green space and views – The park sits across from major attractions like the Georgia World Congress Center, State Farm Arena, the College Football Hall of Fame, and just a short walk from the CNN Center area.

The park was originally built as a gathering space during the Games and later redesigned for everyday public use. Today it’s a common spot for festivals, concerts, and community events.

Centennial Olympic Stadium → Turner Field → Center Parc Stadium

During the 1996 Games, Centennial Olympic Stadium hosted athletics (track and field) and the opening and closing ceremonies.

After the Olympics, the stadium was converted into Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves for many years. It has since been converted again and is now Center Parc Stadium, used primarily by Georgia State University for football and other events.

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

If you visit today, you won’t see it labeled as an “Olympic stadium,” but you are standing on a major piece of Olympic history. Around the area, you may still find markers, bricks, and references to both the Braves era and the original Olympic use.

Georgia Tech and the Olympic Village

During the 1996 Olympics, much of the Olympic Village housing for athletes was centered around the Georgia Tech campus in Midtown Atlanta.

Key Olympic-related spots at or near Georgia Tech:

• Georgia Tech Campus – Many of the residences built or renovated for the Games later became student housing.
• McAuley Aquatic Center (formerly Georgia Tech Aquatic Center) – Used for Olympic swimming and diving events; now hosts collegiate and local competitions.
• Roe Stamps Field / nearby athletics facilities – Part of the broader sports footprint used around the time of the Games.

Campus Address: North Ave NW, Atlanta, GA 30332

While you can’t walk through an “Olympic Village” as it looked in 1996, a stroll through campus gives a feel for how the city leveraged Olympic construction into long-term educational and athletic facilities.

Georgia World Congress Center and Surrounding Venues

The Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) complex and the nearby venues played important roles during the Games and continue to be central to Atlanta’s sports and entertainment scene.

Notable venues with Olympic ties:

• Georgia World Congress Center
  • Address: 285 Andrew Young International Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA 30313
  • Served as a venue for various indoor sports and press operations during the Olympics.
• State Farm Arena (Atlanta’s main downtown arena)
  • Adjacent to GWCC. The original arena in this area (the Omni Coliseum) was part of the region’s sports infrastructure leading into the Games.
• Georgia Dome site
  • Former NFL stadium and Olympic venue for certain events. It has since been replaced by Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but the area still represents a central piece of the Olympic-era build-out.

If you attend a Falcons game, United soccer match, or a major convention, you’re in the same general zone that functioned as a major Olympic hub.

Olympic Legacy in Everyday Atlanta Life

The Atlanta Olympics left more than just buildings. They changed how people move around and experience the city.

Transportation and Infrastructure

Hosting the Olympics pushed Atlanta to improve and highlight its MARTA transit network and downtown walkability.

Ways you still feel that legacy:

• MARTA rail access to key areas like Five Points, Peachtree Center, Georgia State, and Dome/GWCC/State Farm Arena station simplifies getting to former Olympic zones.
• Pedestrian connections in and around downtown, especially linking Centennial Olympic Park, GWCC, and major hotels, grew out of Olympic planning.
• Road improvements and directional signage in central Atlanta were influenced by Olympic-era expectations for heavy visitor traffic.

If you’re visiting today and using MARTA to get downtown, you’re benefiting from infrastructure that was heavily stress-tested during the 1996 Games.

Urban Development and Tourism

The Olympics accelerated large-scale investment in downtown Atlanta, helping shift it toward a more visitor-friendly core.

Connected developments include:

• Expansion of hotels around downtown and Midtown
• Growth of nearby attractions such as the World of Coca-Cola, Georgia Aquarium, and Center for Civil and Human Rights, all clustered near Centennial Olympic Park
• A stronger identity for Atlanta as a conference, sports, and events city, still visible in the steady parade of major events, tournaments, and conventions

For current residents, this means more walkable attractions clustered in one area, plus a steady flow of tourists that keeps restaurants and entertainment options active year-round.

Experiencing Atlanta’s Olympic History Today

You won’t find a single, all-purpose “Olympic museum” in Atlanta, but you can easily build an Olympic-themed day or weekend around the city.

Suggested Self-Guided “Atlanta Olympics” Walking Route

Here’s a simple path if you want to see several key sites in a few hours:

1. Start at Centennial Olympic Park
   • Explore the Fountain of Rings and read plaques around the park.
2. Walk toward the GWCC and Mercedes-Benz Stadium area
   • Pay attention to the large-scale event design of the district; this evolved heavily through Olympic and post-Olympic planning.
3. Continue through downtown streets toward Georgia State University / Center Parc Stadium (by car or MARTA for this leg)
   • Visit the former Olympic Stadium site, now Center Parc Stadium. Look for any historical markers or references in the area.
4. Head to Georgia Tech in Midtown
   • Walk portions of campus where Olympic Village housing and aquatic events were hosted.

📝 Tip: Use MARTA or rideshare between downtown and Midtown stops to save time and avoid parking multiple times.

Sample Summary: Atlanta Olympic Spots to Know

Practical Tips for Locals and Visitors

A few simple steps can make your exploration of Atlanta’s Olympic legacy smoother:

• Use MARTA for downtown and Midtown
  • Stations near Olympic-related areas include Peachtree Center, Dome/GWCC/State Farm Arena, Vine City, North Avenue, and Georgia State.
• Check event calendars
  • The Centennial Olympic Park area and the GWCC district frequently host festivals, races, and large events. These can be fun to experience but may affect traffic and parking.
• Plan for walking
  • Much of the Olympic history in downtown and Midtown is best appreciated on foot. Wear comfortable shoes and plan to walk several blocks between landmarks.
• Look for plaques and markers
  • Atlanta’s Olympic story often appears in small on-site details—inscribed bricks, plaques, and signs that tell you how each space was used in 1996.

Where to Learn More In Person

If you want deeper context beyond walking around:

• Local history centers and museums
  • While not exclusively focused on the Olympics, institutions like the Atlanta History Center occasionally include exhibits or materials addressing the Games as part of the city’s broader narrative.
• Campus facilities
  • Georgia Tech’s athletic facilities (such as the McAuley Aquatic Center) occasionally host public events, meets, or tours where you can see the Olympic-era venues in active use.

Calling ahead or checking posted visitor information at these locations can help you find the best times to visit.

Living in or visiting Atlanta today, you’ll find that the 1996 Olympics are woven into the fabric of the city rather than frozen in time. From a morning at Centennial Olympic Park to a game at Center Parc Stadium or a walk through Georgia Tech, you can still see how hosting the Olympics reshaped Atlanta’s skyline, infrastructure, and global identity.