In 1990, Atlanta was selected as the site for the 1996 Summer Olympics, and underwent major reconstruction projects to improve the city’s parks, transportation, and sports facilities.
Bill Campbell the Mayor of Atlanta at this time, allowed many tent cities to be constructed, which created a carnival like atmosphere The games were notable, both in terms of sporting events, and because of the Centennial Olympic Park bombing, which resulted in the death of one person and injured several others. It has been determined that the bomber, Eric Robert Rudolph, carried out this attack as an anti government protest.
Atlanta is a city shaped both by its rich history and its vibrant future as one of the largest metropolitan centers in the country.
Cultural opportunities abound in Atlanta, where everything from museums to music festivals to historic sites is available for visitors to enjoy. One of the most exciting new Atlanta music festivals, The ECHO Project will take place on October 12-14 of 2007. The ECHO project will focus on sustainable, eco friendly living and energy conservation practices, and will feature performances by The Killers, The Flaming Lips, The Roots, Stephen Marley, Cypress Hill, and many more.
Atlanta hosts a variety of museums on subjects ranging from history to fine arts, natural history, and beverages. Prominent among them are sites honoring Atlanta's participation in the civil rights movement. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in the city, and his boyhood home on Auburn Avenue in the Sweet Auburn district is preserved as the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. Meetings with other civil rights leaders, including Hosea Williams and Congressman John Lewis, often happened at Pascal’s, a diner and motor inn which was a favorite for "colored" people, banned from "white" restaurants in an era of racial segregation and intolerance. King's final resting place is in the tomb at the center of the reflecting pool at the King Center.
Other history museums and attractions include the Atlanta History Center; the Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum (a huge painting and diorama in-the-round, with a rotating central audience platform, that depicts the Battle of Atlanta in the Civil War); the Carter Center and Presidential Library; historic house museum Rhodes Hall; and the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum.
The arts are represented by several theaters and museums, including the Fox Theatre. The Woodruff Arts Center is home to the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony, and High Museum of Art.