World’s longest freestanding escalator, Atlanta, GA
Electra Woman and Dyna Girl first appeared on the Krofft Supershow in 1976. I may have wanted to be one or both of them. Photo credit: Sidandmartykrofft.com
While I don’t broadcast my age, my frequent references to 70’s pop culture should leave little doubt that I’ve been here a while. Today I learned something I didn’t know about Sid and Marty Krofft. Do you remember watching The Krofft Supershow on Saturday mornings, anywhere from 1976-78? Well, in 1976, they masterminded the world’s first entirely indoor theme park – The World of Sid and Marty Krofft – inside the Omni Center in Atlanta, GA.
Leading up to the entrance was the world’s longest freestanding escalator. That escalator is all which remains of the attraction, which closed after only six months. This part of the complex is now the headquarters of CNN, and the escalator leads you from the lobby of the CNN Center up to the public tour.
Many thanks to Jen at Two Kids and a Map for the trip down Memory Lane. And for this month’s guest post! Jen and her family just got back from Atlanta, where they took the long ride up the world’s longest escalator which led them to the start of the CNN tour.
Here’s her escalator experience:
Where we went, and who was coerced into going:
We went to the global headquarters of CNN for their Inside CNN Studio Tour while spending a long weekend in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the largest of the network’s 48 bureaus worldwide. Besides being the largest CNN bureau, it also houses the world’s longest unsupported escalator.
World's longest freestanding escalator
WHY did you go there, exactly?
To be honest with you, the reason we took the Inside CNN Tour was because our hotel set up the tour. My mother raved about the tour when she took it several years ago but I was not really interested in going. My children are five and seven, and I was afraid that there would not be enough to keep my active children occupied and entertained.
Okay, what was so cool about it?
I am so glad that we didn’t miss this tour. This is one of the most interesting behind the scenes tours we have taken. Our tour guide was fantastic and she kept my kids entertained the whole time. They were able to play with the green screen and give us all the weather. For my daughter, the highlight of the tour was when Kyra Phillips waved to all of us during a break. She wanted to know what color lipstick Ms. Phillips used during her makeup touch-up!
The CNN newsroom
The tour begins with a security check, and then visitors take a ride on the world’s largest unsupported escalator. As we rode the escalator, my kids made us laugh when they said that these were the biggest moving stairs ever. Little did we know that they were correct! We found out at the end of the tour that the ride is two minutes and 30 seconds long. It is 8 stories and 196 feet.
How it rated on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = snoozefest, 10 = add to your bucket list): [rating=9]
I would give the tour a 9 — you will enjoy it if you have ever watched CNN. The escalator ride was fun for the kids, and the tour was great for all of us. Each one of us learned something new about broadcast journalism.
A little background info about the place:
The Inside CNN Studio Tour is offered Monday through Sunday during the hours of 9am to 5pm. Adult tickets cost $15, seniors (ages 65 and older) and students with a college ID cost $14, children ages 4-12 cost $12. It is recommended that you purchase your tickets ahead of time.
Disclaimer: The Omni at the CNN Center provided this writer with tickets to the Inside CNN Tour.
I have been to Atlanta more times than I can count, and I have never done the CNN tour, although I’ve been in the Omni many times. I had no idea that was the longest escalator in the world!
The tour sounds fun and entertaining. I don’t know about that escalator though, should we be worried about how ancient it is;-) JK!
Although Atlanta is not my favorite destination and it takes A LOT of convincing to get my husband there, this sounds pretty cool. The next time I drag my husband & 2 kids there maybe I can even convince him to leave my sister’s house and do this! Thanks for the info!
Your last contributor doesn’t truly appreciate the adventurous nature of her husband and should just be happy about his willingness to travel to visit his in-laws 🙂 Once there, he should be permitted to lounge around and do nothing. This would be a must-visit location since one of the kids in question likes few things in life as much as going up and down escalators. And up and down, and up and down, and up and down………………
Can you two work out your marital issues on someone else’s blog?! Thanks!
Love, your sister
WHOA I’ve been to ATL so many times and had no idea about the escalator… makes me wanna go back and take that backstage tour!
Never occurred to me that a CNN building can be place for such an entertaining tour. We have so many attraction and so far t go to develop them as tour product.
Great and interesting idea.
Oh it looks very interesting, hope to see it one day :)))