CNN Studio Tours

Address:	190 Marietta St, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
Phone:	+1 404-827-2300
Site:	tours.cnn.com
Rating:	4
Working:	9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 6

Catherine Sinkel

Im giving the tour 2 stars instead of 1 because my tour guide was incredibly friendly and the staff was wonderful. That being said, this tour is not worth the $15 price. It is billed as a 50-minute studio tour but was actually a 30 minute tour of seeing employees staring at their computer monitors plus a 6-minute video and trip to the gift shop. Our entire tour (including the extras) was 40 minutes after which we were told that the tour was originally begun as a way for Ted Turner to charge people to ride the worlds longest free standing escalator (which remains a tour highlight). The only studio we saw (through a glass wall) was for HLN, all of their CNN broadcasters are located in NYC (probably a better place for them to give a tour). If youve done the NBC studio tour in NY (which is really cool), dont expect this visit to be like it (as I did). You wont see any sets or control rooms. There was one prop desk at which guests can sit for a professional photo (your own pictures arent allowed at this stop). I declined to have my photo taken after finding out the price to purchase it is $20 or $30 if you want a digital download... I did enjoy lunch in the atrium where they have a ton of food options and huge screens broadcasting CNN. Following this excursion I visited the World of Coke which I cant recommend highly enough. For the same price ($15), I have spent hours looking at exhibits, participating in interactive entertainment, and tasting sodas. If you have kids with you, the World of Coke instead of CNN is a no brainier. Your kids will love the tasting room and 4D theater plus the opportunities to make on screen Coke art and attempt to draw the Coca-Cola logo. I hate to negatively review CNN, which I respect, but after having an amazing day at the Jimmy Carter Library ($8 ticket, and I spent 4 hours very interested and engaged) and having a great time at World of Coke, I felt compelled to make fellow Atlanta visitors aware. For an outing with your family, CNN really isnt worth the price tag.

Courtney Boyack

This Sunday my family went to the CNN center as part of our city pass. My husband and I have a 5 year old son and a 10 month old daughter. We got to the first room in the tour where you sit down and my daughter made a tiny goo sound. Not crying. Not being disruptive. The man called me out and said rudely "Do you have a pacifier for that baby?!". I said "no".. He obnoxiously said, "Oh great! with a huff and rolled his eyes". Completely embarrassed me and upset me. When we got out of that room and were making the transfer to the next room he was off to the side away from people and I calmly said "That was a bit rude in the other room". No one else heard me. I didnt call him out in public. He yelled I could just leave and get my money back. My husband asked him to calm down. The guide got in my husbands face fussing and kicked us out loudly and obnoxiously. But not before making me cry (28 year old woman here in front of my 5 year old child with a baby who is being ridiculously good and not causing issues in a large group of people). The security man took my statement and called his boss who apologized and made things right. I was told that he apologized to the group we were a part of at the end for his behavior and would be dealt with. They put us on the next tour which we only did because our son wanted to learn about how the news worked. The new guide was amazing. No one had issues with my children. We learned a lot. But for me, my son seeing a man treating his mother like that put a damper on my time. Ive never been treated like that before and I probably will never go there again. Not in the near future. Well take our money elsewhere from now on.

Jonathan Zapata

I was skeptical of the reviews posted about the CNN Studio Tours. Unfortunately, I should have taken the warnings. I agree with another fellow user: the Coca-Cola Museum is just a couple more bucks and your expectations will be exceeded. I hate to compare the two but its fairly easy because they are so close in location and price. The tour starts off with a long security check that will remind you of the TSA. Its the full mile - they empty your pockets, check your bags and make you walk through a metal detector. Once you completed that process you begin your journey up using the longest freestanding escalator(according to the guide is in the Guiness Book of World Records). The escalator leads you to a platform where they take a green screen photo of you in front of a CNN panel. At the end of the tour you can purchase this overpriced green screen photo of yourself. Next room is a mock control room which is very poorly represented. I have worked in a real control room, and this was not a good replica. It was literally a few TV screens displaying the camera monitors for a live TV show. After this room you are led to a replica studio and get told some information about green screen technology (chroma key) and some facts about broadcasting. The rest of the tour is not informative at all. The guide walks you around and sprinkles a few basic facts about CNN here and there. Honestly wish I had not taken this tour because it is overpriced for what it is. I expected much more and for these reasons I give a 1/5 stars.

Francesco Lietti

Il tour degli studios CNN sono una tappa fondamentale del soggiorno ad Atlanta. Il costo è di $16 per adulti (riduzioni per studenti anche stranieri, bambini fino anni 12 e senior +65). Dopo il controllo di sicurezza si prende una lunghissima scala mobile dalla quale è possibile ammirare dallalto la piazzetta sottostante (se state cercando un posto per mangiare è unottima alternativa). Dopo una breve presentazione inizia ora il vero e proprio tour con simulazione di uno studio televisivo (con green screen), vista dallalto della "sala di comando" e di uno studio televisivo reale. Per il costo in sè non è chissà che grande esperienza.. ma resta comunque interessante

Tony Rossini

Este passeio é para quem curte a CNN. O prédio da sede mundial da rede também fica no centro da cidade de Atlanta, bem pertinho do Centennial OLympic Park. Foi aberta em 1976 e seus estúdios promovem um tour guiado pelo mundo incrível deste ícone do telejornalismo. O tour, é claro, é pago. Custa 16 dólares. Como não somos fãs ardorosos, optamos por não fazer o tour e como muitos, simplesmente visitamos o prédio até onde foi possível. E foi mais do que suficiente! Lá, encontramos restaurantes, loja do Cartoon Network, de artigos esportivos, souvenirs, um mini-estúdio de gravação, e algo muito importante: banheiros públicos. Rsrsrsrs...

Cary Brown

Durning this tour you will learn how news is gathered and presented. The guided tour begins after entering a well-guarded, video recorded, magnetically protected entrance. Next, you step upon the worlds longest freestanding escalator, almost 200 feet up. Steeping off, your picture is taken with props, in front of a green screen. After a short explanation of TV news production, the tour guide leads the group down several stairways, past viewing windows looking in on news rooms, on air studios and an editing room. Pictures and news memorabilia line the walls. Guards follow the group throughout the tour. No pictures are allowed after you leave the demo area. You are never allowed into offices or studios. A package of the green screen photos, taken fifty minutes earlier, with you costumed as a "CNN reporter," are sold at the end of the tour for $25.00 to $35.00us. Wheelchair accessible by elevator with prior notice. There are no bathrooms available during the tour. The bathrooms are located on the entrance floor and are wheelchair accessible. Be sure to see the Humvee parked in the CNN lobby. The vehicle is equipped as a remote television studio. It still shows the wear of war.