Coca-Cola is a national icon – so it’s not surprising that one of the top attractions in Atlanta, home of Coca-Cola, is the World of Coca-Cola. On a recent trip to Atlanta, I had the opportunity to visit and take a VIP Tour of this museum focused on everything Coca-Cola.
The World of Coca-Cola is a kid-friendly museum showcasing the history and phenomenon of Coke. I’ve always been in awe of this brand, so I was interested to see exactly what the museum would feature. Since there is an admission fee, I really hoped it wouldn’t be all marketing with no substance. I was pleasantly surprised to see that while the museum does obviously feature that iconic logo everywhere you turn, there’s also a good amount of brand history and education here too.
We started our tour by taking a photo with the adorable polar bear mascot. Since he joined the museum a few years ago, he’s consistently been one of the most popular features. We then moved on to the Milestones of Refreshment area, where we learned about the history of Coca-Cola. I also enjoyed seeing the Coca-Cola Loft, which features loads of memorabilia.
Our next stop was the newly added Vault of the Secret Formula, where we learned all about the history of the “secret”. There’s perhaps a bit too much drama around this particular exhibit – at the end, you simply see the vault. It’s fun, but not particularly informative.
Next, we headed to the Bottle Works exhibit, to see the bottling procedure. While the machine is slowed down significantly from the standard bottling time (so visitors can actually see it happening), there is still too much soda being bottled daily. Therefore, at certain times, the bottles are filled with a colored liquid, then emptied. While we were there, it was actual Coca-Cola being bottled. As you leave the museum, you are given a bottle to take home with you.
We then went upstairs to view the Secret Formula 4-D movie, which was fun to watch. The seats move, so if you get motion sick, ask for a seat in the back that doesn’t move. I do get a bit motion sick but had no problem with this particular experience. After the movie, we had some free time in the Taste it! area, where we were able to taste popular Coca-Cola flavors from around the world. A word to the wise – skip Beverly from Italy, which is an after-dinner drink. It’s likely to be the worst thing you’ve ever tasted!
I then ventured into the gift shop, which offers just about anything Coca-Cola related. I picked up a few souvenirs, although I could have bought a ton more. There were lots of great things there.
Overall, I’d recommend a visit to the World of Coca-Cola. Unless you really want an insider’s view of the history, you can skip the VIP Tour – the whole museum is set up perfectly for a self-tour.
The World of Coca-Cola
121 Baker Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30313 – 1807
(404) 676-5151 or 1-800-676-COKE (2653)
Disclosure: I received complimentary admission and access to the VIP Tour.
