The World of Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta
The World of Coca-Cola is a museum in Atlanta, USA, that
celebrates the history and culture of Coke, one of America's favorite
soft drinks. The museum is located on a 20-acre complex across Baker
Street from Centennial Olympic Park just a few blocks away from where
John Pemberton initially created the formula for Coca-Cola. Next to the
World of Coca-Cola is the Georgia Aquarium, another popular attraction
in Atlanta city.
Coke was introduced over 125 years ago in the
city of Atlanta and it’s corporate headquarters has remained there ever
since. Initially, Coke was sold as a patent medicine for five cents a
glass at soda fountains, which were popular in the United States at the
time due to the belief that carbonated water was good for the health.
Pemberton claimed Coca-Cola cured many diseases, including morphine
addiction, dyspepsia, neurasthenia, headache, and impotence. Pemberton
ran the first advertisement for the beverage on May 29 of the same year
in the “Atlanta Journal”. Within a year, Coca-Cola was established as a
company. By the time of its 50th anniversary, the soft drink had reached
the status of a national icon in the USA.
The original World of Coca-Cola was in the heart of downtown Atlanta, adjacent to Underground Atlanta at 55 Martin Luther King Jr Drive. It opened in 1991, and remained open for 16 years until it was replaced by the current location. The original museum was located in a three-story pavilion and attracted around nine million visitors during that time to become Atlanta's most visited indoor attraction. But the Coca-Cola Company wanted a bigger, more modern facility at which they could display more of the vast amount of memorabilia at their disposal. The new museum was opened to the public on May 24, 2007.
The
World of Coca-Cola is a fun, interactive experience that explores
everything Coke through use of artifacts, artwork, video and sound. The
entire tour of the museum is said to last an average of 90 minutes but
Coke fans have been known to spend as long as 2 hours or more gawking at
more than 1,000 Coca-Cola artifacts and interactive exhibits such as a
replica 1930s soda fountain.
The museum includes collections of
memorabilia from throughout Coke's history, including advertisements
and collectibles as well as artwork featuring Coke's iconic image. There
is also a movie about Coca-Cola and a chance to interact with
characters like the famous Coca-Cola polar bear. Highlights of the
museum include a mini bottling plant that allows guests to see the
operation of a fully functioning bottling line which produces
commemorative 8-ounce bottles of Coca-Cola Classic. The bottling process
is slowed down significantly to allow guests an easier view. A complex
robotic delivery system sends the bottles upstairs to "Taste It!" where
guests retrieve them as they exit the museum.
In the “Taste It”
exhibit, guests can sample over 60 different types of Coke drinks from
around the world. There is also a Coca-Cola Freestyle self-serve
machine, which can dispense a guest's choice of over 100 carbonated and
non-carbonated beverages produced by the company.
Another big
attraction is the "Vault of the Secret Formula," which is an interactive
exhibit that teach visitors about the rich history, mythology and
intrigue around the secret Coca-Cola formula. A copy of the formula is
actually guarded in a stronghold in the museum and the vault may be as
close as anyone will ever get to seeing the most closely guarded trade
secret in history.
The World of Coca-Cola also has a store where
you can purchase all kinds of Coke souvenirs. A must visit for anyone
who loves the soft drink.
