CNN Studio Tours

CNN Studio Tours at One CNN Center in Downtown Atlanta offer guided behind-the-scenes access to the headquarters of CNN, the Cable News Network. The tours operate from the lobby of One CNN Center, the glass-and-steel atrium tower that has served as CNN's global headquarters since the network launched in Atlanta in 1980 under founder Ted Turner. The building is directly adjacent to Centennial Olympic Park and connected at its lower level to the MARTA Dome / GWCC / CNN Center Station.

The guided tour covers approximately 55 minutes and takes groups through a series of elevated viewing galleries overlooking active news studios, control rooms, and broadcast sets. Guests observe live broadcasts being assembled below — the scale of the technical infrastructure, from graphics servers to satellite uplink equipment, is the tour's most striking visual element. The level of activity in any given studio depends on the day's live programming schedule, with morning tours typically offering the most active newsroom environment.

At the end of the tour route, a green screen area allows participants to try delivering a simulated news broadcast on camera. Footage from this segment is available for purchase as a digital souvenir. A brief orientation video at the tour start provides context on CNN's founding and global reach.

Tours depart continuously from 9 AM, with the final tour at 4 PM. Tickets are $17 for adults and can be purchased at the main lobby desk or in advance online. The One CNN Center atrium also houses a food court accessible to the public without a tour ticket, and the building's distinctive escalator — claimed to be the largest privately owned escalator in the world — is visible from the public lobby. MARTA provides the most efficient access to the building from anywhere on the Atlanta rail network.