Atlanta, USA is to get a major new visitor experience, in a site in the downtown area of the city which will open in 2005.

The experience will include a 250,000 sq ft Georgia aquarium, boasting over five million gallons of exotic aquatic life and a brand new World of Coca-Cola attraction.

Located just north of Centennial Olympic park, the site belongs to the Coca-Cola company, who is donating approximately nine acres of it to Bernie Marcus, co-founder of retailer The Home Depot and The Marcus Foundation, who will build and operate the aquarium.

Coca-Cola will relocate its World of Coca-Cola attraction from its present site at Underground Atlanta, to its new site alongside the aquarium. The new World of Coca-Cola will be a larger, more interactive version of the current attraction, which takes visitors on a journey through the history of Coca-Cola.

Speaking about the company's donation of land to the aquarium, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, Doug Daft says:

'Our guiding principle was to ensure that the land would ultimately be used in a way that would contribute to the revitalisation of our downtown, enhance the quality of life for our community and have a lasting, positive impact on our city.'

Bernie Marcus announced his plans to pledge up to US$200 million to build the Georgia Aquarium last year as 'a way to thank the people of Georgia for two decades of support of The Home depot.'