Helpful Tips in Visiting the College Football Hall of Fame

If you are a college football fan, then you are going to love the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia.

The hall is a 94,000 square foot facility that offers 50 interactive experiences, films, displays and a 46 yard indoor football field to test out your skills.

The hall is 3 stories high and not only shows you the great players and coaches of the game. It also allows you to get up close and personal with awards, equipment and famous artifacts like the trombone from the Stanford and Cal game.

In this blog post, I am going to answer some common questions people have, give you some tips and share about what you can expect when you visit the hall of fame.

Where is the College Football Hall of Fame Located?

The hall of fame is located in downtown Atlanta right across from Centennial Olympic Park.

It is within walking distance to the World of Coke, Georgia Aquarium, SkyView Atlanta and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

The address for the hall is 250 Marietta St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30313

How Much Time Will it Take?

I would recommend between 2 to 3 hours in the hall of fame.

How Much Does it Cost?

Adults (13-64) $30.25 including tax

Kids (3-12) $22.75 including tax

Kids under 3 are free

Seniors (65+) $23

Students $23

Active military are free.

Seniors and students can only purchase tickets at the hall of fame. These are the current 2023 rates.

When is the Best Time to Visit?

During the week is the best time to see the hall of fame. Crowds will be less than on the weekends. Also, if you can get there when it first opens you will be able to beat the crowds.

What are the Hours?

The hours at the time of this writing are Thursday-Monday 10:00am-5:00pm.

Make sure to check the website here for current hours because they are subject to change.

Is it Worth the Money?

I totally enjoyed my time at the hall of fame. If you are a college football fan, you will definitely get your money’s worth and even if you aren’t there are still things for you to learn and enjoy.

Things to See at the College Football Hall of Fame

The Quad

When you pay your admission into the hall of fame, you will receive an All Access Pass along with a lanyard. Once you enter the hall, you enter the quad area. In the quad there are kiosks where you register your pass by picking your favorite team.

In the quad there is a 3 story wall of helmets with over 750 colleges represented. It is a rather impressive display. After you register your pass, the team’s helmet that you selected will light up on the wall.

The RFID technology in the pass allows interactive displays to know what team you root for and will display pictures and videos for your team when you walk up to it.

Located behind the kiosks is an impressive 3 story mural depicting 150 years of the history of the college game.

Speciality Exhibit

The speciality exhibit commemorates the current 18 first team All Americans and 3 coaches that were inducted into the hall of fame this past year.

Game Day Theater

The Game Day Theater plays the film titled “The Game of Your Life.” During the film, you hear voices of coaches and former players talking about football while there are scenes from college games.

You feel like you are right in the middle of the action because of the size of the screen and the state of the art sound system. You will definitely not fall asleep and you will be ready to hit the field after watching this film.

Indoor Playing Field

If you want to challenge yourself with some physical activity while at the hall of fame, you can go to the indoor playing field.

The field is located on the same level of the quad. You enter the field by going through the Touchstone Tunnel. The field itself is 46 yards long.

You can do an obstacle course, kick a field goal, try out your passing skills and even play cornhole. If you have kids, I am sure it would be their number one spot to go.

There is even a huge TV screen on the one end of the field playing different football games. You can watch the action by sitting on the bleachers located in the Quad.

Chick-fil-A Why We Love Football

In this area there is a cool 52 foot long touch screen display with 39 continuous screens. As you walk up to it, scenes change to your favorite team from the all access pass that you are wearing.

There are videos, pictures and sound assets that make the experience even more memorable.

You can also see the iconic Heisman Trophy, Orange Bowl Trophy and National Championship Trophies.

Game Time Gallery

In the Game Time Gallery, you can live out your dreams by calling plays, feel part of the action in the virtual reality quarterback experience, and learn more about the HBCU experience.

There is also a new display called “ESPN Celebrates 150 Years of College Football.” The display covers all kinds of hot topics that have been in the college game over the last 150 years.

My favorite thing in this area was the Archie Griffin number 45 jersey on display.

Kia Building a Champion

You can get physical in the Kia Building a Champion area by testing your vertical jump and your 40 dash time. I almost pulled a muscle just by watching someone try this.

There is a display that shows the evolution of equipment that is used in the game like shoulder pads and helmets. Another display shows you pictures of uniforms over the decades.

My favorite part in this area was the coaches wall with various famous coaches in the game painted on the wall with quotes from them. There was also the Miami University coaching tree that was interesting since I am an Ohio boy.

College Football Hall of Fame

The College Football Hall of Fame is different from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You won’t find a bust of the players in the college hall of fame. The names of all of the coaches and players in the hall of fame are etched in glass along the sides of the hall.

In the middle of the room, there are 10 different augmented virtual reality machines that you can access every player and coach that has been inducted into the hall of fame.

You can look up your favorite players and coaches up by their school. There are photos, video clips, stats, as well as in depth stories. I was really impressed with the format and how unique it was.

Coca-Cola Fans’ Game Day

This section of the hall is dedicated to the people that love the game. There are displays of cheerleaders and their uniforms. There is even a Ohio State band manikin with a trombone.

You can learn about the history of tailgating, mascots, and various traditions that have been passed down through the game.

If you want to belt out some tunes, you can even sing fight songs. There is also a display that allows you to do some digital face painting.

The most popular spot in this area is the ESPN College GameDay Desk. You can make your predictions on games and you can make a picture and video that you can view from home.

Helpful Tips for the Hall of Fame

1. Parking

There is no onsite parking for the hall of fame. On their website they suggest that you park at the Green Deck which is located at the corner of Baker and Marietta Streets.

The cost for parking there is free for the first 20 minutes. $15 for up to 3 hours and a $1 extra for every hour after that.

There are other parking options around the area that may be a little further away. For example, you can buy a $12 all day parking pass online for the Georgia Aquarium parking garage and then take the short walk to the hall of fame.

2. Arrive Early or Go Late

If you can get there when it first opens or go a few hours before it closes, it will help you miss some of the crowds. This is especially true if you are going on a weekend.

3. Start with Level 2 First

Most of the interactive experiences can be found on level two. So, if you get to the hall of fame early. This should be your starting point before the crowds get heavier.

4. Look into Purchasing a CityPass

If you are planning to visit many other popular attractions like the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coke and the Atlanta Zoo, the CityPass may be a good option to buy.

The pass allows you to see up to 5 different attractions and can save you up to 44% instead of buying individual tickets.

I bought one and even though I only saw 4 of the attractions instead of 5. It still saved me $25. I also liked the fact that I could just show the person taking tickets my pass on my phone. It was very convenient.

5. Wear Comfortable Clothes and Shoes

If you plan on getting a little physical while at the hall of fame, you will want to dress appropriately. A good pair of comfortable shoes and clothing will go a long way.

Even if you don’t plan on getting physical, there are 3 flights of stairs along with all of the walking that you will do.

6. Food and Drink

No food or drink is allowed in the hall of fame. If you get hungry, right next door is a Chick-fil-A.

7. Length of Ticket

The ticket that you purchase is good for all day. So, if you need a break or need to get something to eat. You can do so and then you can come back into the hall of fame. That is a nice option to have.

Places to Stay

The downtown area is the closest to the College Football Hall of Fame. The Midtown area would be next closest. Generally speaking, the further out from the city center the cheaper your hotels will be.

Downtown

Midtown

Buckhead

Airport

Final Thoughts

I truly enjoyed my time at the College Football Hall of Fame. There were great displays and so many interactive things that you can do.

They geared the experience for you by selecting your favorite team with the All Access Pass. If you have more than one favorite team, you could even change your team along the way. It will be a place that I would definitely like to go back to at some point.

You can also read my post titled “Helpful Tips in Visiting the Georgia Aquarium.”