Right across from the Georgia Aquarium is the World of Coca-Cola. The square that the two experiences sit on is called Pemberton Place and John Pemberton is the creator of the original Coca-Cola formula in 1886. Coca-Cola is one of those few products from this Country that are so uniquely American and so beloved around the world.
The square is beautifully landscaped with winding trails in between the garden features. It is very peaceful, and most people are rushing across the square to get to their destination. The first thing you see on your way to the World of Coca-Cola building is a statue of John Pemberton holding up a Coca-Cola and a table beside him with a coke waiting for you to share the experience. The building behind the statue rises out of the plaza like an old fashion fifties burger joint. It has a satellite ring running around the tall glass structure with tall pillars cutting through the ring.
We entered the building where the satellite ring reaches it highest point. You pass through a small open space area into a room where they were handing out small cylindrical cans of Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Life, Coca-Cola Zero and Diet Coke. You could tell, over the years, they have had various ways of handing out samples. The room you enter is a verily large room with a lot of natural light flooding the room from the glass wall. They have you gather towards the doors at the opposite end of the room from where you entered. People start to pack in, so you may want to hang back if you don’t like crowds. When the timer on the wall runs down you enter a two-story room where you wind down a ramp to the floor below. The room is filled with Coca-Cola memorabilia from floor to ceiling and they talk about some of the posters and props from all over the world. Can you find the oldest piece of memorabilia in the room? You get a shot out if you can find it.
There are two entrances to the auditorium on the bottom floor of the room with the memorabilia. There is plenty of seating for everyone inside the auditorium. In the auditorium, they run a feel-good movie about families coming together and sharing time and a coke. One was a tear-jerking moment when a family is reunited with their son serving in the military overseas. Of course, I had to hold back the tears. My daughter was laughing at me.
After the movie, you enter into the open atrium flooded with natural light from the floor to ceiling glass walls. They call it the hub and you a free to explore two floors of Coca-Cola memories and history. On the main floor, level one, you can visit the Vault, where the secret formula is kept. You can learn about the myths that grew out of the legend of the secret formula. Next to that you can walk through the history of Coca-Cola. Finally on level one you can go through Bottle Works, where you can sneak a peek at the bottling process.
Also, on the bottom floor you can snap a photo with the famous Coca-Cola polar bear. There is a long line for this meet and greet, because of the popularity of this and all meet and greets. It seems to be a very popular trend at all venues. I’m guessing the line was running about 30-45 minutes so we weren’t able to meet the polar bear.
We headed upstairs to partake of the 4D movie in the appropriately called 4D Theater. The hand you 3D glasses to enjoy the movie and now we have 5 pairs of paper 3D glasses. The movie is called, “In Search of the Secret Formula.” I bet you can guess whether we discover the secret formula or not. It is a very 4D movie and they use all available devices at their fingertips. You will be shaken, stirred and bounced around. The movie is cute and very interactive, but you need to make sure your kid is okay with the unexpected movement and 3D. We spent four years not being able to view 3D movies due to their movement and unknown nature. If your family is able to attend, it is worth the fifteen minutes to check it out.
We spent the rest of our time checking out the rest of level two. We popped into the pop art room that has the couch from American Idol. We relaxed and laughed in the Perfectly Pauses Theater. They run about four different shows continually and you are free to enter and leave whenever you like. The last and final hoorah is the Taste It! In the Taste It room they have about eight different flavors from each continent except Antarctica. Don’t worry they have a bathroom in this room. You will probably need it. This area, like most of the areas in the building, are dimly lit. There can be loud unexpected noises in all of them and changing of lighting. As you are walking around the Taste It room you will notice that it is a little sticky in this room and you will be making lots of noises as you walk around.
As you leave the Taste It room you empty into the Coca-Cola store. Everything you could ever want with the Coca-Cola ensign or any of their other products is in here. Make sure you grab a bottle opener. They also have surprise bags that you can buy and they contain items that they don’t sell in the store. Do you feel lucky?
It is hard to get out of here without buying something, even if it is just a Coke.
If you need help deciding if this is for you, feel free to contact us about your sensory or cognitive disabilities. We would love to help you with your questions.
121 Baker Street NW Atlanta, GA 30313
800 676-2653
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