World of Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola was invented in Atlanta in 1886 by a pharmacist named John Pemberton, sold first at a downtown soda fountain, and turned into a global empire by Atlanta businessman Asa Candler and his successors. The company still has its headquarters in the city, and the World of Coca-Cola is its unabashed celebration of itself — a cheerful, polished, self-guided museum on Pemberton Place, next to the Georgia Aquarium, that most first-time visitors end up enjoying more than they expected. The visit begins with a short welcome and film, then opens into galleries you explore at your own pace. The Vault of the Secret Formula tells the story of the closely guarded recipe and lets you get closer to it than anywhere else. The Milestones of Refreshment gallery tracks the brand from its patent-medicine beginnings to the present, and the pop culture gallery fills its walls with a century of advertising, from Norman Rockwell-era illustrations to famous television spots. A working bottling line shows how the drinks are made, and you leave with a souvenir bottle. There is usually a chance to meet the Coca-Cola polar bear for a photo. The finale everyone remembers is the tasting room, where you can sample more than 100 beverages from Coca-Cola markets around the world — including the notoriously bitter Beverly from Italy, which every visitor dares their companions to try. Allow about two hours. It is commercial by nature, it is busy on weekends and holidays, and children will need help pacing their sugar intake, but it is fun, well run and an easy pairing with the aquarium next door.

The museum opened on its current site in 2007, replacing an earlier World of Coca-Cola near Underground Atlanta, and it was built as part of Pemberton Place, the campus that also holds the aquarium and the Civil and Human Rights center. It is a corporate museum, and it never pretends otherwise, but it does tell a real piece of Atlanta history well: the drink's origins in post-Civil War Atlanta, its early marketing as a tonic, Candler's genius for promotion, the franchise bottling system that spread it around the world, and the role the company and its fortune have played in the city. Candler's money built the Candler Building downtown and helped found Emory University, and the Woodruff family that followed him funded the arts center that houses the High Museum.

To make the most of a visit, buy a ticket online and arrive early in the day or later in the afternoon, when school groups and tour groups thin out. The opening film and welcome run on a cycle, so expect a brief wait at the start. After that, move at your own pace: the Vault is the most popular gallery, the pop culture rooms are the most fun for adults, and the bottling line and polar bear photo are the hits with children. Save the tasting room for last, pace yourself, and remember there are water fountains nearby. The gift shop at the exit is large and well stocked with branded merchandise, much of it unavailable elsewhere.

The World of Coca-Cola is on Baker Street at Pemberton Place, beside the aquarium and the Civil and Human Rights center and across from Centennial Olympic Park. It is an easy walk from downtown hotels and close to the Atlanta Streetcar and MARTA. Parking is available in the nearby Pemberton Place deck, shared with the aquarium. The aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola are sold together as a combination ticket, and both are included in the Atlanta CityPASS; compare prices before you buy if you plan to visit several attractions.