Useful Tips for Visiting the World of Coke

Coca Cola is an iconic brand not only in the United States but all over the world. Years ago I was in Zimbabwe. The major pop or soda if you are not from the Midwest was Coke.

Some of the most memorable taglines in advertising come from the Coke brand. Do any of these sound familiar? Have a Coke and a Smile, It’s the Real Thing, You Can’t Beat the Real Thing, and I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke. If they don’t sound familiar to you, then I am showing my age.

If you are a Coca Cola fan or would like to learn more about the brand, you can do so by visiting the World of Coke located in Atlanta. The World of Coke takes you through the story and history of the brand.

This post will answer some common questions, give you some tips and give you information about each of the areas in the museum.

Where is the World of Coke Located?

The World of Coke is located in downtown Atlanta right beside Olympic Park and adjacent to the Georgia Aquarium.

It is also located within walking distance to the College Football Hall of Fame, National Center for Civil and Human Rights and SkyView Atlanta.

The address is 121 Baker St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30313

How Much Time will it Take?

I would recommend 2 hours to walk through all the different areas of the World of Coke.

How Much Does it Cost?

Adult – $20.69 including tax

Senior – $18.51 including tax

Youth (3-12) – $16.34 including tax

Toddler (0-2) – Free

There is a 4 pack of tickets that you can purchase. Right now the cost of the 4 tickets is $50 plus tax.

There are guided tour tickets that you can purchase. Guided tour tickets give you a 1 hour guided tour, as well as a skip-the-line photo with the polar bear, access to unique photo opportunities, and more.

The cost of the guided tour tickets are $35 plus tax.

When is the Best Time to Visit?

The best time to visit the World of Coke is during the week. I was there on a weekend but it was in January so it wasn’t like it would be during the summer.

What are the Hours?

You will want to check the World of Coke website to make sure of the hours. At the time of this writing the hours are Monday-Thursday 10:00am-5:00pm and Friday-Sunday 10:00am-6:00pm.

Areas to See in the World of Coke

The Loft

After you enter the World of Coke, there is a lobby area. Once you leave the lobby there is the Loft. In the Loft there are more than 200 artifacts that span 135 years. There are more than 30 countries that are represented.

You will see artifacts on the walls, hanging from the ceiling and behind glass cases. It is a little sensory overload from all that is in the room.

There is someone who gives you some information about some of the artifacts and gets you ready for the World of Coke experience. He was quite entertaining.

Coca Cola Theater

Once you leave the loft, you enter the Coca Cola Theater. In the theater, you will watch a 6 minute film/commercial titled “Moments of Happiness.” It shows you different people from all over the world doing different things big and small. Even though it was basically a Coke commercial it was well done.

The Vault of the Secret Formula

The formula for Coke is a well kept secret. In the Vault is located the formula for Coke. As you walk through the Vault, you will experience the Chamber of the Secret Formula.

The Chamber of the Secret Formula is an interactive experience where you can learn about the origin of the formula. You can even mix different combinations together to try to make the best drink possible.

There are also three full body virtual reality areas where you try to do your best to keep the secret formula safe.

Coca-Cola Polar Bear

Who doesn’t like the Coca-Cola polar bear? Young and old can get their picture taken with the Coca-Cola polar bear. The area where they take the pictures is beside the 3D theater. You can use your own camera to take pictures or have their professional photographers do it.

This was a busy area with a pretty long line. If you hear them announce that the bear is available for pictures, you will want to make your way there as soon as you can.

Milestones of Refreshment

If you like history, then you will enjoy the Milestones of Refreshment. In this area, you can explore and learn about the story of the Coca-Cola Company.

They cover the good, bad and the ugly in the history of Coke. For example, they talk about the introduction of new Coke and its demise after 79 days.

There are 10 different galleries with over 1,000 Coca-Cola artifacts. You will see how the company grew from one pharmacist to a major global company.

Bottle Works

The bottle works area shows you the bottling process. Unfortunately, this area is going to be permanently closed as of February 27, 2023.

3-D Theater

You are given reusable glasses to watch the movie. The title of the movie is “In Search of the Secret Formula.” During the movie your chairs move and you may get wet. So, it is more like a 4-D experience. If you have a child that doesn’t like to have chairs move, they offer ones that don’t move.

Scent Discovery

This area was closed when I was there. They are making some changes to it and it is going to open back up sometime in March.

Pop Culture Gallery

The Pop Culture Gallery contains the Magic Mural which is 45 feet long and was created by 5 different women from around the world. The mural displays positivity and optimism of physical human togetherness. It was pretty impressive.

A cool feature is that you can use your camera on your phone to scan a QR code to bring the illustrations to life on the mural.

Other parts of the gallery are the “Ghost Signs” and “One Coke Away.” Ghost Signs tells the story of a former painter for Coke who has restored more than 30 ghost murals over the past 50 years, along with his granddaughter.

One Coke Away shows you how Coke is represented all over the world. You can see paintings by artist Haddon Sundblom and even the couch from American Idol season 4.

Taste It

This area is probably the most popular. It was by far the busiest area the day that I visited. You can taste over 100 different Coke products from all over the world.

Some of the flavors I tasted were Fanta Melon Frost from Thailand, Sparberry from Zimbabwe, Country Club from Dominican Republic, Fuze Tea Venezuela, and Thumbs Up from India.

The only one that I liked was the Sparberry from Zimbabwe. Some of the others were bad at best and awful at worst. It was still fun tasting all of the different ones.

Coca-Cola Store

To exit the World of Coke, you need to go through the Coca-Cola Store. If you are looking for something with Coke or Coca-Cola on it this is the place for you. You can buy shirts, sweatshirts, hats, coasters etc.

Helpful Tips for the World of Coke

1. Parking

There is parking at the World of Coke parking garage. It costs $12 for up to 4 hours and $17 for the day. The address for the parking garage is 126 Ivan Allen Jr Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA

If you are doing the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coke on the same day, you can get a parking pass online for the Georgia Aquarium for $12 for the whole day.

The aquarium and World of Coke are a couple minutes walk from each other.

I have a post titled “Helpful Tips in Visiting the Georgia Aquarium” that will help you if you plan on visiting there.

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. Look into Purchasing a CityPass

If you are planning to visit many other popular attractions like the Georgia Aquarium, the College Football Hall of Fame 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.

One of the places on the CityPass is the College Football Hall of Fame. I have a post titled “Helpful Tips in Visiting the College Football Hall of Fame” that will help you get the most out of your visit.

4. Eat Before

Like all other major tourist attractions, you are not allowed to bring in food or drink. There is the Bottle Cap Cafe in the World of Coke. The prices are higher than eating outside of the aquarium. So, if you come in with a full stomach it could save you some money.

5. Buy Tickets Online

You should purchase tickets online instead of at the World of Coke. It will save you time from waiting in line for tickets. You will be glad you did especially on the weekends and during the summer months.

6. Consider Visiting Multiple Attractions

One thing you may want to consider is planning out your day to see multiple attractions. In the area where the World of Coke is there is also the Georgia Aquarium, Centennial Olympic Park, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, the College Football Hall of Fame and SkyView Atlanta.

All of these places are within walking distance to one another.

Places to Stay

The downtown area is the closest to the aquarium. 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