I excitedly purchased a CNN Studio Tours ticket and the experience didn't live up to its potential, simply put. We waited over an hour past our original time (expected since we went the day after Christmas) but our host expedited the tour unnecessarily. Having paid for this tour, most wanted to take a photo at the CNN Studio desk and our guide limited this significantly. Presentations of each area were rushed and I personally didn't feel like I was able to enjoy the tour to its fullest. Still a cool and interesting place to check out in DownTown Atlanta but I'd recommend going when they aren't as busy!
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We enjoyed our tour although we had to wait 1+ hours until the start time. I suggest buying your ticket online ahead of time. Thankfully, there is a large food court with many options and Centennial park is a short walk away. Overall, it was an entertaining tour, but I wish there was a live broadcast during our tour.
The tour at the world best news network was very interesting. There were lots of things that I never knew before. I was a great experience to understand CNN better. It s more than just a news channel. The tour was about an hour and they covered nearly everything happened at CNN and their services around the world.
It was a nice place, from what we got to see. We got there at 1pm on a Friday and they weren't doing anymore tours, so we didn't get to do the tour, so we didn't get to use the passes we bought. The courtyard was really busy and they had variety of restaurants. I wish we could have taken the tour, but there is always next time.
I ve done this tour a couple times with friends and family. The CNN Center alone is amazing to experience. From all the restaurants and shops on the ground floor, to the behind the scenes tour.
Getting started you will get on the worlds longest escalator leading up to the starting point of the tour. For the most part of the tour you re not allowed to take pictures. They re armed security guards through the entire building and one that is always following you. They ll step in and ask you to put your phone away or I ve seen some people get their phones taken away until the end of tour. Be mindful of your surrounds at all times.
You ll get to experience several talking points, visual effects of the anchors that do their jobs, to the media rooms and reports rooms. It s a very educational experience, not a very active and hands on experience for kids though (they ll prob get bored). Tour is maybe 30 mins or so and a lot of walking and several stairs too. Overall, I e enjoyed it and enjoyed watching friends and family get the experience too. It s a must try at least once if u live or visiting Atlanta.
The CNN place is nice in a way, but the tours are really boring...this was included in my CityPass other then that I would have not paid to do a tour. CNN is a great place to go on a lunch break or dinner with friends and that s about it. I purchased the picture only because my thought they were nice. I did not, because they were rushing to take your pictures when you have to pay. The prices for the CNN merchandise are too expensive not worth the buy.
Great place, if your next at olympic park, or Georgia Aquatium, or Coca Cola and want to eat good, but not break the bank there are plenty of food vendors inside. As well as tours of the CNN studio you can sign up for, and cool cartoon network and CNN gift shop. It also has a hotel that would be great base for exploring Atlanta.
I took this tour when I visited Atlanta on a Business trip. Tour it self starts with a ride on world's tallest escalator. Tour is around 30 Minutes duration. It's a guided tour. As part of the tour they also demonstrated, how they use the green screen, the stuff weather people use. Overall it was a good tour.
Great time and very educational for behind the scenes on how news channels operate. And FYI..nothing to do with political statements or anything like that. Just how news organizations operate.
Loved the CNN studio building. Our team played in a girls basketball tournament @ the Georgia World Congress Center we ate there after each game. Very convenient place in walking distance.
If You are in Atlanta this is one of the A Must do attractions not only is educational but also very interesting tour. The tour will introduce you to a behind the scenes kind of tour where you can enjoy some of the history as to how this huge Cable News Network was created. You will also be using the longest stand alone escalators around the world (pretty cool) and once you finish the tour you will be able to get some food in the food court with plenty of options! One thing I will have to mention is that you are only allowed to take pictures on the beginning of the tour and once you pass the third stage photos are not allowed and phones must be kept away.
It is just amazing to be able to get so close to where some of the biggest news are air live every day.
Nice tour but kind of generic. Guide was amazing. But their numbers were way off like, example they told us they have 2 billion world wide viewers. When I asked how they count views they said by who has acess to CNN.
Nice Tour but they are way to sensitive about things like pictures and my Girlfriends joked about Fake News and they told her they can kick her out for saying that. If you are a legitimate news organization you should be able to handle criticism when they can criticize others in there reports.
Was a great stay-cation activity. The technology and small studio segments were my favorites. The other parts of the tour were interesting but seemed distant
The CNN studio tour is a milestone in the stay in Atlanta. The cost is $ 16 per adult (reductions for foreign students, children up to 12 and senior +65). After the security check, take a very long escalator from which you can admire the square below (if you are looking for a place to eat it is a great alternative). After a brief presentation, the real tour begins with a simulation of a television studio (with green screen), a top view of the "command room" and a real television studio. For the cost itself it is not a big experience ... but it is still interesting
I did the VIP tour. Its worth the extra cost if you're really into TV as you actually get to walk onto the sets, through the newsroom, and get to hang out in one of the control rooms while they're doing a show.
I went there because it was included in the Atlanta pass plus I was curious to enter it, at the entrance they explain how it works and when to enter with your group, if you are Italian and ask they will also give you sheets with the info of the tour, inside the tour you will not be able to take lots of photos then they will explain to you when not to do them, the tour is nice and interesting they will take you inside the studios where the various TGs run, the duration is about an hour
I went on Sunday. There were fewer people than I thought and the surroundings were beautiful. There are places where you can rest and rest at the goods store.
Great experience! I love the food court and little shops located inside the CNN building. The building was attached to my hotel so it made it even more convenient. They have a cartoon network store, Atlanta store, Atlanta Braves store, and a CNN store. The possibilities for food was endless...whatever you want I'm sure there was something there to accommodate you.
If you're visiting Atlanta, you've got to do this. If you are able to try to do the VIP tour, it's worth it. It's an awesome experience that allows you to go inside the production room.
About an hour long, this tour doesn't go too in depth so it is a good experience for those that are curious. The escalator ride to the top of the building is very impressive!
CNN Studio Tours is a bit of a misnomer. It's a tour of the exterior of some CNN studios, which are inside the CNN Center. If you purchase the standard package, which I did during my visit, you get close but not intimately so. Apparently you can pay extra for a VIP tour that has expanded access.
Putting aside the politicization of just about everything (with the blame shared with Fox and MSNBC), bend towards infotainment under their CEO Jeff Zucker, and its opinion journalists blurring the line as television newscasters, CNN remains a very established news organization whose origins are good and I'm a fan of anything that knocks me right to sleep at night.
The escalator at the beginning of the tour holds the record for the longest freestanding escalator in the world. That means it's only supported at the ends. I was a bit unnerved when I felt a pulsating "whirr" in the middle of the ride - but I presume that's the boosters supplying more power.
The tour comes with a few restrictions. They don't allow you to bring food or uncovered beverages - understandable. They also understandably restrict photography as you traverse the staff lobby and the outside perimeter of the digital newsroom. There is photography allowed at the first two stops, which are relatively benign exhibits and serve as a demo about how a news broadcast works. Much of what is showcased is similar to that of a local news station.
The tour covers sister networks HLN, CNN International and CNN En Espanol. You also get to walk by some studios that are used by mainline CNN itself, but are not the main studio. You may be disappointed not to see the sets of chief anchors Don Lemon, Andrew Cuomo or Anderson Cooper. That's because they present the show from their studio in New York City (30 Hudson Yards).
After the tour, you exit through the gift shop like most museums/attractions. The intent of CNN Studios is good, and certainly for what it's worth I think there is value in people who have never visited a news station before, but I'm not entirely sure the price point is appropriate. $16.50 - $50 is a large ask for what is provided, but I guess it is reasonable enough price to employ the staff and use of equipment who work for CNN, which is at the end of the day still a business like most other news organizations.
This is a walking tour involving a very long escalator and stairs. There are many places you are not permitted to take photos. In fact, you will be kicked off the tour if you try. (We witnessed the threat to someone.) Overall, it was an interesting tour.
Tour was fantastic. No photos allowed, but it was neat to see news in action. The building is huge and the world's longest escalator is indeed a long ride. It was worth going. Lots of food places to eat and relax as well.
It a great reminder of the power of the media. If the pen is mightier than the sword then digital media must be a thermonuclear and biochemical weapons combined.
I really enjoyed the visit at CNN, I was impressed by the modern equipment and software they use internally. They are definitely the world leader in news.
Great Tour and Tour Guide. I felt that the tour guide rushed. Also we didn't get to see the reporter go live. Nice Food Court and Retail Area. Tour was Ok.
I've been watching HLN Morning Express since I was in college, and thought this would be a good time to take a tour of where the magic happens. Robin Meade was on vacation because of the holiday, but that didn't stop me from taking a picture with her cardboard cut-out. One can dream, right? Anyway, I booked the VIP tour online. Why VIP? Because instead of someone telling you where the studio is and looking at it from afar, you get to actually walk in to the studio and see the control room up close as well. We were taken into the HLN studio, but since it was afternoon, the Morning Express team was already out of the building and probably golfing on this beautiful day. I should probably mention that we got to ride on the world's longest and largest freestanding escalator, which they don't tell you it's freestanding until you get off the top, but you can tell ... it was a fun one way ride. Our tour was followed by a security guard who makes sure that nobody is taking pictures when they shouldn't, and to ensure that nobody is lagging behind. Safety first. Also, they're armed and don't seem to have a sense of humor while on the job, so respect their bubble. Overall I was very happy with the cost of admission for the VIP tour and can cross this one off of my bucket list. Our tour guide, Michelle, was very informative and although our group was not the most talkative, she did her best to keep everyone moving along and interactive. Parking across the street at the CNN Deck is $10, and when the tour was done, I walked around a little while to maximize my $10 parking time and ensure that I was getting the most bang for my buck.
edition.cnn.com