At the end of my last post we were just finishing up our delicious breakfast at Waffle House. This meal gave us the nourishment to begin our walk back towards the Georgia Aquarium, made longer due to the fact we ended up at a different Waffle House than intended. But we persevered through the ever-increasing heat of that August morning. During our walk, we were pleased to discover we could walk through Centennial Olympic Park on our way to the aquarium.
Walking through the park now it's hard to imagine it was built on vacant land that had several abandoned and rundown buildings on it. The park was the main gathering site for both athletes and spectators during the 1996 Olympics; now it is a lasting legacy as a popular gathering place for both the citizens of Atlanta and thousands of visitors to Atlanta. Many of the sites surrounding the park were built after the Olympics Games, including the aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, the College Football Hall of Fame, the Center for Human and Civic Rights, Imagine It! Children's Museum and a ferris wheel, Skyview Atlanta. Many new hotels and restaurants were built to accommodate all of the visitors coming to see the new sites.
To help pay for the cost of building the park (completely paid for by private donations), an Adopt-a-Brick program was launched. For $35, anyone could purchase commemorative bricks and personalize them. Over 500,000 bricks were purchased. To coincide with the park's 20th anniversary a new Adopt-a-Brick campaign to install another 40,000+ personalized bricks has been started. If you are interested in purchasing a personalized brick, click here.
To help donors find their bricks, the sections are numbered...
When you enter the park the first thing you see is the bronze, fan-shaped sculpture titled appropriately Tribute, by Greek sulpture Peter Calaboyias.
There are so many water features in the park. Here is a beautiful garden with water falling over large rock boulders.
More beautiful cascading water architecture...
Husband sits on the edge of the reflecting pool of Centennial Plaza. To the left in the background is the Skyview Atlanta ferris wheel. One of the eight 65-foot light towers reminiscent of classic Greek columns is right behind him.
The Fountain of Rings: the most popular fountain in the park has 251 synchronized jets of water and computered-controlled lights in the design of the 5 Olympic interlocking rings. As the photo shows it is a popular play area for children.
In my next post, I will continue with our weekend adventure to Atlanta with our Atlanta streetcar ride and finally our visit to the aquarium.
Thank you for visiting.
A Great Europe Trip Planner
To help pay for the cost of building the park (completely paid for by private donations), an Adopt-a-Brick program was launched. For $35, anyone could purchase commemorative bricks and personalize them. Over 500,000 bricks were purchased. To coincide with the park's 20th anniversary a new Adopt-a-Brick campaign to install another 40,000+ personalized bricks has been started. If you are interested in purchasing a personalized brick, click here.
More beautiful cascading water architecture...
Husband sits on the edge of the reflecting pool of Centennial Plaza. To the left in the background is the Skyview Atlanta ferris wheel. One of the eight 65-foot light towers reminiscent of classic Greek columns is right behind him.
In my next post, I will continue with our weekend adventure to Atlanta with our Atlanta streetcar ride and finally our visit to the aquarium.
Thank you for visiting.
A Great Europe Trip Planner
All photos were taken by my husband and me in August, 2016. Unauthorized use is prohibited.
Such a amazing park it is, thanks for sharing it with us.
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