Venues from Atlanta’s 1996 Games offer Olympic-sized fun.

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Venues from Atlanta’s 1996 Games offer Olympic-sized fun.

by Helen Newling Lawson

Is the hoopla surrounding the 2016 Summer Olympic Games inspiring your family to get moving or try a new sport? Maybe Olympic “fever” is stirring a little healthy competition into your family fun time. You’re in luck: Atlanta families have a unique opportunity to strive for their personal best in the actual venues used when Atlanta hosted the 1996 Olympic Games. Let’s take a look at some of the former Olympic venues where families can have active fun nowadays.

Centennial Olympic Park, Downtown Atlanta

Centennial Olympic Park was the central venue for 1996 visitors and spectators to congregate and enjoy the spectacle of the Olympic Games. Today, the 21-acre park is a family-friendly hotspot in the center of downtown Atlanta, surrounded by popular attractions such as the Georgia Aquarium, CNN Center, World of Coca-Cola, Imagine It! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta, College Football Hall of Fame, Georgia World Congress Center, Georgia Dome and Philips Arena. With its vast lawn, large playground, and splash-friendly Fountain of Rings, it’s a great spot to get some outside play in an urban setting. Kiosks at the Visitor Center provide overviews of the park’s history and role in the 1996 Olympic Games.

Play on the Playground

The original architects of the park designed a universally accessible space for children of all physical capabilities. The playground is themed after the quilt of leaves pattern, which is representative of the distinctive design created for the 1996 Olympic Games. On any given day kids are seen soaring on a swing, whizzing down a slide or climbing play structures. The playground is located along the north edge of the Park on Baker Street, across from the World of Coca-Cola.

In the cooler weather, look forward to the outdoor ice skating rink, from November to January, in Centennial Olympic Park (visit the website for exact dates and hours of operation). Costs for the 2015-16 season were $12 per person for 90 minutes of skate time, with skate rentals included.
centennialpark.com; 404-222-7275
265 Park Ave. West NW, Atlanta

Georgia International Horse Park, Conyers

Georgia International Horse Park was the venue for all ’96 equestrian events, the first-ever Olympic mountain biking competition and the final two events of the modern pentathlon. Today, more than 15 miles of horse trails are open to the public, assuming you have your own horse. Otherwise, saddle up your mountain bike and challenge your family members to take on all or part of eight miles of trails over 1,032 feet of elevation change.

If a leisurely stroll is more your pace, commune with nature in the five-acre arboretum or visit the Big Haynes Creek Nature Center (free of charge), featuring a wetlands observation deck, floating walkway and canoe launch. Some events they have coming up this month are the Rugged Maniac 5k Obstacle Race and the H.J. Fox Summer Classics I & II. For more free family-friendly adventures, bring your GPS-enabled device and try to find one of the four geocaches, including one called “Olympic Rings.”
georgiahorsepark.com; 770-860-4190
1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway, Conyers

Lake Lanier / Clarks Bridge Park, Gainesville

Clarks Bridge Park offers all the features typical to parks surrounding Lake Lanier, including a beach with designated swim area, boat ramp and picnic facilities. However, this park is unique in offering canoe and kayak rentals through the Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club, the current residents of the ’96 Olympic rowing, canoeing and kayaking venue. The Olympic spirit remains strong here, thanks to the club’s mission to continue Olympic-quality canoeing and kayaking programs. Rentals are available Saturdays and Sundays from 1-8 p.m., now through October, for $20 per person per hour; the price includes access to the actual Olympic course. More information on the club’s other programs, including kids’ summer camps, adult classes and a Junior Olympics competition, is available on the website.
Clarks Bridge Park; hallcounty.org/parks
3105 Clarks Bridge Rd., Gainesville
Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club; lckc.org; 770-287-7888

Stone Mountain Park, Stone Mountain

Stone Mountain, already a popular Atlanta spot for hiking, history and festivals, was home to the Archery and Cycling competitions during the 1996 Games. Sorry, the circular Velodrome is no longer available to test your family’s gravity-defying cycling skills; both it and the archery venue were temporary structures intended to be dismantled after the event. Instead, grab some binoculars and stretch your legs — Stone Mountain Park’s Songbird Habitat now occupies the site on the backside of the mountain. There are two easy one-mile excursions into prime areas for spotting species such as the Eastern Bluebird, White-Breasted Nuthatch and Northern Cardinal.
Not up for hiking? Recreate one leg of the Olympic Torch’s journey with a ride on the Summit Skyride. You’ll enjoy an up-close look at the Confederate Memorial Carving on the mountain’s face and views of up to 60 miles.
stonemountainpark.com; 770-498-5690
1000 Robert E. Lee Dr., Stone Mountain

The Beach at Clayton County International Park, Jonesboro

To host the Beach Volleyball competition in our land-locked metro area, a manmade lake, complete with sandy beach, was created 22 miles south of downtown Atlanta. Known as “Atlanta Beach” during the Olympics, “The Beach” is now a highlight of Clayton County International Park. The beach volleyball stadium constructed for the 1996 Olympic Games is still in place, and 11 Olympic-size beach volleyball courts are available, including tournament courts by reservation. The Beach offers all kinds of wet-and-wild fun, including an adventure kiddie pool, slides, water trampoline, indoor and outdoor playgrounds, beach pavilion rentals and a sun deck. Beach admission starts at $11 for adults and $9 for children, with additional charges for non-Clayton County residents and parking.
claytonparks.com; 770-473-5425;
2300 Highway 138 SE, Jonesboro