Centennial Olympic Park, Olympic park in downtown Atlanta, United States.
Centennial Olympic Park is a 22-acre public park in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, owned and operated by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. Its centerpiece, the Fountain of Rings, is a circular splash pad with 251 computer-controlled jets that shoot water 12 to 35 feet high, surrounded by flags of past Summer Olympics host countries and eight 65-foot light towers modeled on Greek marker columns.
The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) built Centennial Olympic Park as infrastructure for the 1996 Summer Olympics, following chief executive Billy Payne's idea of a central gathering place and lasting legacy. Phase I opened in July 1996 at a cost of US$28 million; Phase II finished in 1998 at US$15 million. The July 27, 1996 bombing killed two people and injured 111.
The name recalls the centennial of the first modern Olympic Games held in Athens in 1896. Visitors today see an open layout with lawns and shade where locals gather for lunch breaks or events.
Buses and trains bring visitors to the area, with the park near the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, and the Children's Museum. On warm days, bringing a change of clothes for children is helpful, as they can play in the Fountain of Rings.
Many paving stones across the park carry engraved names of individuals who funded their purchase and contributed to building the space. These stones lie scattered along the pathways, forming a lasting record of community support in the nineties.
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