About Centennial Olympic Park

Centennial Olympic Park made its debut as the world's gathering place during the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Thousands of people flocked to the Park during the Games for the Festival of the American South, a multi-cultural, multi-media expression of southern life. Thousands continue to visit the Park for concerts and special events on a regular basis.

GENERAL INFORMATION: Since its grand re-opening in 1998, the 21-acre Park has continued to host special events, while remaining a lasting legacy to the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. The Park sponsors community-wide, free events, including ParkFest, Fourth of July Celebration, Wednesday Wind Down concert series and Fourth Saturday Family Fun Days. The Park also hosts festivals, fundraisers and private events and the summer concert series, "On the Bricks". These events, in addition to the normal day-to-day traffic, bring an estimated three million visitors to this urban oasis each year.

Centennial Olympic Park continues to serve as a catalyst for redevelopment. Since 1996, over $800 million of renovation and new construction has occurred within a two block radius around the Park. Centennial Olympic Park was developed entirely with private funds. The estimated $75 million cost was paid through the sale of commemorative bricks, funds raised by the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and local philanthropic foundation grants. The Park was also the recipient of several major land donations and in-kind services from the community.

More than 468,000 engraved bricks were sold, which is more than have been sold in any program of its kind. Guests looking for a brick can use the commemorative brick locators inside the Visitor Center. Friendly volunteers are also available to answer any questions about the Park and the brick program.

MAIN FEATURES : The Park uses a quilt-theme design and includes a signature plaza with a dramatic Olympic Ring fountain; a court of 24 flags consisting of one Olympic flag and 23 flags honoring the host countries of the modern Games; an amphitheater; a six-acre great lawn; a children's playground; and commemorative brick pathways. A new all-accessibility playground is slated for construction this summer.

The Park's Fountain of Rings is the world's largest fountain using the Olympic symbol of five interconnecting rings. Each of the five rings is 25 feet in diameter, large enough to park two cars side-by-side. The fountain has 251 water jets, 400 fog jets and 487 clear, amber and red lights. During normal fountain operation, water reaches heights of four to 12 feet, but can be as high as 35 feet for special effect. Throughout the day, scheduled fountain shows feature the fountain synchronized to lighting and five songs chosen from a repertoire of 14 pieces.

A man-made series of cascading water features runs through the Park's five 60-foot-by-60-foot "Quilt Plazas," each telling one chapter of Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Games story.

CENTENNIAL OLYMPIC PARK KEY STAFF

Dan Graveline
Executive Director

Khalil Johnson
Chief Operating Officer

Mark Banta
General Manager

Brian Hill
Assistant General Manager

Joe Skopitz
Program Coordinator

Jennifer Tinker
Visitor Center & Volunteer Coordinator