By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Georgia > Atlanta Metro Region > Fulton County > Atlanta

Begin a tour of the CNN Studio by taking the world’s largest freestanding elevator to the 50-foot CNN Globe.

CNN is one of Atlanta’s most recognizable entities. Did you know that you can tour the backstage of CNN’s global headquarters in downtown Atlanta—even while it is delivering news from around the world?

The Inside CNN Studio Tour takes you “behind the scenes” to show you the process of delivering the news at CNN. There are interactive kiosks in the CNN Globe where you can browse through over 25 years of CNN footage. There is a replica of the CNN Control Room where you will experience the atmosphere of a fast-paced live television news environment. In Studio 7E, CNN’s black box studio, you will get a close-up look at the technology used at CNN to deliver the news and weather. From the CNN Overlook, you’ll have a bird’s eye view of the actual newsroom in action—and maybe spot a few CNN personalities. You’ll visit CNN Center, home of the other CNN networks, including Headline News, CNN International, CNN.com and CNN en Español. You will also get a chance to hear CNN anchors, like Larry King and Anderson Cooper (on video tape, of course), describe how it feels to report history in the making. The 55-minute walking tour is open to all ages and runs every 10 minutes. (more…)

 By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

The Fountain of Rings with its 12-foot water sprays is the centerpiece of downtown Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park. 

If you are visiting any major attraction in downtown Atlanta — CNN, the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, Imagine It! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta, the Georgia Dome, or Philips Arena just to name a few — or if you just want a downtown destination that is cool, fun, and a chance to reminisce about Atlanta’s hosting of the 1996 Olympics, stop to experience Centennial Olympic Park. About three million visitors do just that each year.

The Fountain of Rings, the centerpiece of the 21-acre park, is the world’s largest interactive fountain, utilizing the Olympic symbol of five interconnecting Rings. Time your visit with one of the four daily Fountain of Rings shows (12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.) where the Olympic fountain’s synchronized water dances to familiar tunes complete with sound and lighting effects. Water height during normal fountain operation can reach 12 feet, but during the Fountain Show, sprays can be anywhere from 15 to 30 feet tall—all in tune with everything from Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” and The Little Mermaid’s “Under the Sea” to Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon” and The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout.” When it’s not show time at the Fountain, children – and adults – love to play in its spray. (more…)