Anyone been to College Football HOF/Atlanta?

[R1766U]

Making a short trip to Atlanta next week for the first time. Definitely considering checking out the HOF and probably some other touristy stuff.

Staying at the Westin Peachtree Plaza....if anyone has any other must-see's or restaurants please feel free, once again this will be my first time there. Thanks.

 

[Scarlet4Shore]

I went a few years back for a long weekend. The thing I remember most is The Flying Biscuit for breakfast. Very good. Long wait on the weekend if you don't get there early. Not as bad during the week.

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

It's a all new building now.

 

[Knight_Light]

For another "indoor" activity while in scorching ATL during August, I would hit up the beautiful the fairly new Georgia Aquarium, the most popular tourist attraction in ATL.

http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/

You can save 43% off the top 5 ATL attractions: Georgia Aquarium (expedited entrance), College Football Hall of Fame, World of Coca Cola, Inside CNN Studio Tour and Zoo Atlanta (or Center for Civil and Human Rights)

 

[FlintTown]

Isn't the HOF in South Bend?

 

[Knight_Light]

Isn't the HOF in South Bend?

It was...but it was moved since they barely got any visitor attendance outside 6 football weekends.

Atlanta was a great choice since its the Convention Hub of the Southeast (outside of Orlando) and is one of the most visited cities in the country...let alone its a city/area filled with crazed college football fans (and millions nearby).

 

[MrsScrew]

I haven't been to the HOF but I do know that there is at least one photo of the Rutgers Jitney as part of an exhibit.

 

[ScarletDave]

I've been! It's really an amazing exhibit. Lots of Rutgers believe it or not!! There's definitely time to check out every exhibit. They do a great job of giving us credit for being in the first game. Lots of interactive stuff too, when you go they give you a badge that you go around and can do some interactive things and save all of your creations/photos to the badge and see them on your computer when you get home. I won't give too much away though because there's a lot of cool stuff to discover. A MUST see for any college football fan and especially RU!! We are well represented multiple times throughout!

 

[CuredbywinningRU]

Agreed - a nice facility and when we were there we could do unlimited FG attempts and pass-accuracy and receiving drills in their gym-like interactive space. A well spent few hours.

 

[ScarletDave]

It's also a quick walk from Peachtree. There's an underground mall right below your hotel, check that out if you want. Also the Marriott Marquis is down the block, the inside is one of the coolest architectural designs I've ever seen. Eat some local BBQ at some point. Go see centennial park, it's a short walk. There, there's the world of Coca-Cola, basically a museum for Coke and a small plant that shows you how they're made and bottled, plus you can try over 100 varieties of soda from around the world! It was a cool place. And then if you have time, also adjacent to the park is CNN's headquarters. There's a short studio tour you can take that shows you HLN and Turner also. A cool place to stop in at least and see the big pavilion, but if time constraints I would do the coke tour before CNN.

 

[Abro1975]

I remember when the CFB HOF was in Morristown, NJ IN the early 2000s on Maple St. Small, old Victorian building. Empty of much stuff or tourists. Very strange.

 

[Knight_Light]

I remember when the CFB HOF was in Morristown, NJ IN the early 2000s on Maple St. Small, old Victorian building. Empty of much stuff or tourists. Very strange.

Believe that was a different museum.

Some College Football Hall of Fame (location) history:

Would you believe Rutgers donated land to the foundation of the Hall back in the 60's and plans were to build the College Football Hall of Fame on/near Rutgers's campus in New Brunswick?

Foundation raised $$$ for years and years but construction never started...and then when the NJ Attorney General went sniffing around...foundation bolted to NYC and then to Kings Island, OH....where the first College Football HOF was built in 1978 but that closed in 1992 as yearly attendance dipped to around 30,000 per year.

It was moved to a permanent location in South Bend, IN in 1995...but after major decline in visitor counts (only 60,000 visitors per year...many "forced" school road trips), Atlanta won the bidding rights in 2009 to move the HOF to Atlanta, where it finally opened up a year ago.

 

[R1766U]

Thanks for the tips, def plan to check out the aquarium as well...probably the Coca Cola place too. Def gonna try the breakfast suggestion as well! I'll take pics of all the RU stuff I find in the HOF and post when I return.

 

[mikefla]

Go to THE VARSITY for a "slaw dog" and a root beer

 

[Section118]

Thanks for the tips, def plan to check out the aquarium as well...probably the Coca Cola place too. Def gonna try the breakfast suggestion as well! I'll take pics of all the RU stuff I find in the HOF and post when I return.

I live in Atlanta. Short and sweet. Check out the aquarium, it's the best aquarium in the entire world. Coke tour is just OK, it's located right in Centenial Olymipic Park. Stay away from Atlanta Underground (mall) not a great place. There are tons of restaurants in Buckhead section. Definitely check out they area. You can't go wrong.

 

[Knight_Light]

Check out some of the Chicken & Waffle joints too

https://www.thrillist.com/eat/atlan...-to-nana-g-atlanta-s-best-chicken-and-waffles

http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/top-lists/best-places-for-chicken-and-waffles-in-atlanta/

 

[Scarlet Jerry]

Definitely go. LOTS of Rutgers mentions throughout the exhibits. They must have had an RU alum involved in the design. The whole experience is well done and very interactive.

Scarlet Jerry

 

[Source]

Rutgers was home to the College Football Hall of Fame from the early 1950s through 1972 although it existed only on paper. They were eternally trying to raise money for a building. There was a Hall of Fame Game at Rutgers Stadium every season during the 1950s and some other years. The original plan was to put it at the site of the first game (College Field). Then in the mid-1950s they decided it was too crowded for such a building and was transferred to a spot 400 yards north of Rutgers Stadium in Piscataway (I think Yurcak Field is about 400 yards north of the Stadium). They went through about three different designs for a building that never got built. In 1966, they had a photo session "breaking ground" before the Rutgers-Army game and announced the Hall would be in existence by the time the Rutgers-Princeton Centennial game would be played in 1969.

They did put out bids for the Hall when it was going to be moved out of South Bend, IN. The Meadowlands was one of the bidders along with Dallas and a few other places. Atlanta won. But it's true it should be somewhere that gets a lot of traffic and a lot of attendance. I understand that when you enter and are asked what school you are from, a wall containing all the schools' helmets will light up the Rutgers helmet. So at any time, you can track what fans are in the building.

 

[G- RUnit]

I live in Atlanta. Short and sweet. Check out the aquarium, it's the best aquarium in the entire world. Coke tour is just OK, it's located right in Centenial Olymipic Park. Stay away from Atlanta Underground (mall) not a great place. There are tons of restaurants in Buckhead section. Definitely check out they area. You can't go wrong.

I am a diehard Pepsi fan and I thought the Coca Cola tour was extremely well done. Much better than "okay."

 

[Source]

The Hall also was given a vial of dirt taken from College Field and given by the Touchdown Club of New Brunswick back in 1949. They still have it.