World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia

Located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, the World of Coca-Cola is an interactive museum dedicated to everything Coke. From memorabilia spanning decades to a tasting room featuring Coca-Cola from around the world to a fully functioning bottling line producing souvenir bottles of Coke, the World of Coca-Cola is a fascinating place, not least of which, because it's an almost endless celebration of one of the biggest brands on the planet.

With Coca-Cola HQ located in Atlanta it's really no surprise to see the brand showcased like this here. In 2011, as part of Coca-Cola's 125th anniversary, the legendary secret formula was transferred from a vault at SunTrust Bank in downtown Atlanta to the World of Coca-Cola. Visitors can now view The Vault of the Secret Formula as a permanent exhibit, but you'll just have to take their word for it that it's actually in there. 

I genuinely enjoyed exploring the World of Coca-Cola. They do a good job of representing some of the history and quirks of their brand (New Coke, anyone?) while also playing into the novelty of having people essentially walk through a giant advertisement for a soft drink. A few highlights not to be missed are the Best Picture Academy Award for Gandhi (1982) on display (Coca-Cola owned Columbia Pictures at the time) as well as a variety of unique Coca-Cola memorabilia surrounding the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. 

Vault of the Secret Formula.

Bottling line at World of Coca-Cola.

Entrance to the Secret Formula Exhibit.

Best Picture Oscar for Gandhi.

Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta

Completed in 1889, the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia is one of the state's most historically significant structures. This was a brief, but memorable stop in my exploration of downtown Atlanta. Explore more visuals from my Middle America series here.

Statue of former Georgia Governor and President Jimmy Carter.