The World of Coca Cola attraction is one of the best places to visit if you are in Atlanta. Keep in mind that my visit was in early June of 2007 in the newly opened building right next to the Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta. Some of the negative reviews you may find from other people are based on the old building that I have never visited. Therefore, I can not compare the new attraction with the old one. In any case, I suggest you visit the website of the place doing a Google search to get the latest hours of operation and prices for admission.

To make this a more real world sort of review I will give you an account of my visit so you know what to expect. As you walk up to the building you will find a life size statue of the inventor of the beverage among a very elegant series of water pools and fountains. Once you purchase you tickets at the box office you may have to wait in line for a while if you go during peak hours of traffic. Once enough people leave the building they let in a similar number of people so overcrowding is avoided. You do have to pass through a security checkpoint with metal detectors. I suggest you take only your cell phone, camera, and keys with you to make for a speedy pass by security. All of the people at the facility were very friendly and polite. It was nothing like airport security that treats people like they are farm animals.

Once you walk though the front door you will wait again in a room with marble floors, a glass wall, and some artwork until a set of doors open up on the end of the room. The next room you walk into is full of ads and other memorabilia related to Coca Cola. A guide will greet you and once about 40-60 people are in the room you will have a question and answer session with the guide. He or she will also give some introductory information about the building, the company, and the product. Next, another set of doors will open up and you will be seated in a small theater to see a very short film about the company. Once this is over, the projection screen lifts out of the way and you walk down a small hallway into the main atrium. To your right you will see life size photographs of people from nations all over the world. You can lift small telephone style headsets and listen to their stories as pertaining the to the company and the product. Beyond that all is the entry to the historical museum part of the place. This area has sales data from the early days, a vintage soda fountain, antique vending machines, old advertisements, and a restored Coca Cola delivery van from South America.

Right next to the historical area is the bottling exhibit. You will see a mock bottling process with a robot arm, stainless steel machines, and conveyor belts. The tour guides that stand at various points in the place claim it is real bottling as would occur in a plant. Once you walk out of this area you will be back in the atrium and if you are lucky you will see the Cola Cola polar bear mascot who will pose with you for photographs. A professional photographer is available for this should you so desire. You will now have seen everything on the first floor so it is on to the second via the stairs or an elevator.

Once on you arrive on the second floor you have four attractions to visit. The first I visited was the 3D theater. A guide will hand you a pair of cardboard 3D glasses as you walk into a waiting room. In this room you view a five minute film in which a woman interviews people from all over the world as to why they enjoy Coca Cola and their experiences with it. It is not the best film in the world but trust me when I say a much better one will soon follow. Once the film ends motorized doors will open up and you will go into a theater. I will not spoil the film for you by describing it but suffice it to say the 3D effect is the best I have ever seen and there are a few nice surprises that occur during the film. The next exhibit to view is the art gallery that features works that involves the Coca Cola brand. In this gallery are also a collection of letters from everyday people who wrote to the company and shared their Coke stories. Next door to the gallery is a screening room that features advertisements for Coca Cola products from all over the world. Some of the ads are very clever and entertaining.

The final area of the place is the one that most people will enjoy. This is the sampling room where you take a plastic cup and drink till you can not drink anymore. The room is colored with night club style lighting that has an Austin Powers kind of retro 1960s modern look to it. A series of kiosks have various Coca Cola products from all over the world on tap. You are free to sample over at least thirty beverages and drink as much of any or all as you like. Of course, they also have an area with American market beverages such as Coca Cola Classic, Coke Zero, etc. There is also a tended bar that features flavored water beverages. Right before you exit the attraction into the gift shop you will receive one old fashioned Coca Cola glass bottle filled with Coca Cola Classic. The gift shop has high prices but bargains can be found if you look for them.

Overall, I would highly recommend this attraction if you are visiting Atlanta or live in the city and have not seen the new place. I would not recommend it for children under at least ten years of age because most of the areas can be extremely boring for young people who want an interactive experience. The hospitality of the staff is also a major reason to visit this place. Before I close I have just a few tips for you. There is no official parking for this attraction so most people just park in the Georgia Aquarium for $10. Drive just a block further in most any direction and you will find lots for $5. As for tickets, if you are going to Atlanta as a tourist and plan on visiting the tourist destinations buy a CityPass for $64 (at the time this was written) and see six major attractions in the city. For more details Google CityPass Atlanta; the savings are very significant. Finally, visit the restroom closest to the sampling room before you leave. Otherwise, you will find yourself in a mad panic stuck in Atlanta traffic as all of your cares in the world will take a backseat to your one and only mission in life of finding a restroom pronto.

Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime