Centennial Olympic Park closing indefinitely due to COVID-19

Gateway of Dreams, Atlanta
The Gateway of Dreams in Centennial Olympic Park in Downtown Atlanta, as seen on Sept. 30, 2014. (Photo by Todd DeFeo/The DeFeo Groupe)

ATLANTA — The Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) is closing Centennial Olympic Park in Downtown Atlanta to the public indefinitely.

GWCCA cited “the ongoing financial impacts of COVID-19” for the closure.

“The financial ramifications stemming from this global pandemic have hit the hospitality industry, including Georgia World Congress Center Authority, especially hard,” said Frank Poe, GWCCA’s executive director.

“The Park relies on operating support from GWCC and without event activities on our campus the costs associated with maintaining public access to the Park is not feasible,” Poe added. “We will focus our resources on preserving the green space and landscape in anticipation of daily use sometime in the future.”

The 21-acre park sits at the center of Atlanta. It was built as a central green space for the 1996 Olympics, and it remains a popular place for outdoor events, surrounded by some of the city’s most prominent tourist destinations, including the Georgia Aquarium and CNN Center.

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