This Vault In Georgia Holds A Closely Guarded Secret

There are a lot of closely-guarded secrets in the world. Nuclear codes, celebrity love affairs, sordid family histories… the list could go on and on. However, one of the most carefully hidden secrets of all time is right here in Georgia. It’s tucked behind the walls of a secure vault that’s visited by over one million people each year. The World of Coca-Cola is one of the most popular attractions in Georgia, and hidden inside this massive museum is the ultra-secret recipe for the most famous soft drink the world has ever known.

It goes without saying that Atlanta is a popular tourist destination, and one of the most-visited attractions within the city is the World of Coca-Cola. This 20-acre complex is right across the street from Centennial Olympic Park.

World of Coca-Cola/Google Local

The three-story museum features an almost unbelievable number of artifacts from Coca-Cola’s history, dating all the way back to 1886.

Curtis A./Google LOcal

You’ll see Coke memorabilia from all over the world, with exhibits such as a simulated bottling line, 1930s-style soda fountain, and informative films about the soda’s beginnings.

Y.E. Song/Google Local

One of the most popular sections of the museum is the tasting room, where visitors can try dozens of different flavors of sodas from all over the world.

Domenico Convertini/Flickr

Interestingly enough, the formula for Coca-Cola was developed right up the road from where the World of Coca-Cola sits today.

Ralph Lorenzo/Google Local

That formula is now hidden within the Vault, an area that museum visitors can walk through (but, of course, not inside of, since it’s top-secret!). This is one of the most closely-guarded trade secrets in the world, and it’s only known to a few anonymous Coca-Cola employees.

World of Coca-Cola

John Pemberton, the inventor of Coca-Cola, shared his formula with a handful of people before he died in 1888. In 1891, businessman Asa Candler purchased the formula from Pemberton’s estate and altered the ingredients to improve the drink’s taste.

Summi/Wikimedia Commons When the Coca-Cola Company was purchased from Candler in 1919, the sole written copy of the recipe was moved to a bank in New York as collateral for the loan. That recipe was eventually moved to the World of Coca-Cola, where it lies behind the vault doors today.

The company keeps the formula so secretive that the syrup recipe is hidden even from the factories that produce it. The ingredients are simply labeled by number and the recipe states what amount to include in each batch.

Alumnum/Wikimedia Commons Whatever the recipe is, the result is certainly delicious!

For more information about the World of Coca-Cola museum, check out the museum’s website or Facebook page.

World of Coca-Cola/Google Local

Curtis A./Google LOcal

Y.E. Song/Google Local

Domenico Convertini/Flickr

Ralph Lorenzo/Google Local

World of Coca-Cola

Summi/Wikimedia Commons

When the Coca-Cola Company was purchased from Candler in 1919, the sole written copy of the recipe was moved to a bank in New York as collateral for the loan. That recipe was eventually moved to the World of Coca-Cola, where it lies behind the vault doors today.

Alumnum/Wikimedia Commons

Whatever the recipe is, the result is certainly delicious!

Have you ever visited the World of Coca-Cola in Georgia?

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.

Address: World of Coca-Cola, 121 Baker St NW, Atlanta, GA 30313, USA