Play Atlanta

Address: 265 Park Ave W; Atlanta, GA 30313

404. That’s an error.

The request%2C-8> Click here to get directions - approximate; see below for where to park

Parking: The Georgia World Congress Center Authorities Green Lot, located on Marietta Street, offers the most convenient access to Centennial Olympic Park at a daily rate of $10. That being said, there are lots and lots of little lots, ranging from $5-$15. Just look around.

Cost: Free

Age Range: all ages

Ground Cover: cement

Features: The obvious. This is a fountain/splashpad that splashes water on you. 🙂

Surrounding Park Area: This is a 21 acre park (which is the largest downtown park built in the past 25 years in the US) which was built for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. There are a couple of playgrounds, vast greenspace, and a small stage. There are bathrooms onsite and a place to eat. Directly adjacent to the park are some of the main tourist attractions in Atlanta: The Coca-Cola Museum, the Aquarium, Children’s Imagine IT Museum, CNN Center, Georgia Dome

Shade: none near the fountains

Seating: There is a wall surrounding the fountain where you may sit

Stroller/Wheelchair Access: yes

Safety: Just be careful around the water – it can get a little bit slippery. Also, there is usually a big crowd, so watch your things.

Cons: This is a tourist trap. Lots of people around. All. The. Time.

Overall Assessment:  The Fountain of Rings is the centerpiece of Centennial Olympic Park and is one of the most recognized and photographed landmarks in Georgia. Millions of international and local guests visit the Park every year to enjoy the world’s largest interactive fountain featuring the Olympic Ring symbol.

Fun Facts (taken from http://www.centennialpark.com/index.php/about-the-park/quick-facts):

• The Fountain of Rings is the world’s largest interactive fountain utilizing the Olympic symbol of five interconnecting Rings.
• Each of the five Olympic Rings is 25 feet in diameter, large enough to comfortably park two cars side-by-side within each Ring.
• The entire fountain, from outside Ring edge to outside Ring edge, is 82.5 feet in length.
• About 5,000 gallons of water per minute is recycled through the Fountain, enough to fill an average size swimming pool in five minutes. The entire water system is filtered once every 30-minutes.
• Water height during normal fountain operation can reach 12 feet. During the Fountain Show, sprays can be anywhere from 15 to 30 feet tall. The computerized Fountain can be programmed with special announcements as well as a variety of water displays including low-pressure, walk-through “water curtains”, fog and misting.
• There are 251 submersible color changing light fixtures with 4 bulbs each in clear, amber, blue and red as well as a new digital sound system including 26 three-way, weather resistant speakers with subwoofers
• The Fountain’s 251 computer-controlled water jets (125 stream and 126 aeration), 410 fog jets, 1004 lights bulbs and miles of underground water pipes make the Fountain of Rings one of the most sophisticated fountains in the world.

 

Hours of Operation: It’s free to view the Fountain of Rings show, which plays four times a day, 365 days a year, at 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. The park is open from 7 am – 11 pm.