History
Woodruff Park is one of Downtown Atlanta’s most significant green spaces, at the heart of the city’s financial, entertainment, and academic districts. Lawn and plaza areas, a bandstand, sculpture and fountains combine to make this a flexible open space. Woodruff Park is designed to accommodate large crowds on their lunch hour and for special events. Recent Improvements include increasing electrical power in the park, repairing drainage systems and removing overgrown shrubbery.

The Grounds
The 6 acres of Woodruff Park are covered with many interesting features, making it an urban oasis.
Fountains
The International Peace Fountain commemorates Atlanta’s pivotal role in the Civil Rights movement. A geyser fountain and waterwall make a dramatic focus for the park, and a memorable gateway to Auburn Avenue and the M.L. King, Jr. National Park Site. Monuments
1. In 1980, the Give Our Police A Hand Monument was dedicated “In Honor of the Brave Service and Dedication of Atlanta Police Officers.”
2. The 2004 Shining Light Award honors Mayor Maynard H. Jackson, Jr. "His politics of inclusion made Atlanta goverment and business open to all Citizens." Presented by Atlanta Gas Light Company and WSB Radio.
3.The Gateway to Historic Auburn Avenue is marked with the West African Adinkra symbol, Sankofa, meaning learn from the past. It reads " Know your past so that you can understand the present and direct the future." Presented by the Corporation for Olympic Development in Atlanta

Pavilion
Nimrod Long and Associates, Landscape Architects TVS and Associates, Architects. Created for the Summer Olympic Games, this custom design consists of an openwork strut cornice assembly supporting an impact-resistant, ceramic fitted glass dome.The Performance Pavilion accommodates performances by local musicians and students from the Georgia State University School of Music.

Sculpture
The bronze sculpture Phoenix Rising from the Ashes is by Gamba Quirino. The piece depicts a woman being lifted from flames by a phoenix in flight. A phoenix is a bird from Egyptian mythology. The sculpture is allegorical in nature, symbolizing Atlanta's rebirth after a devastating fire during the Civil War. This piece of history given to Atlanta by the Rich Foundation, was given to the city in 1967 to celebrate Rich's 100th anniversary. The Phoenix, the symbol of Atlanta rising from the ashes, used to be perched at Spring Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard. Now it has been relocated to the Five Points entrance of Woodruff Park.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Reading Room will close in bad weather and for special events.

We are fortunate to receive donations of the periodicals, books, and newspapers that fill the shelves of the Reading Room. To donate, please review our donation guidelines and contact Cooper Holland at cholland@atlantadowntown.com
or 404-658-1877.

Book Donation Guidelines

The Reading Room is pleased to accept donated books that are appealing, clean and in good to excellent condition.

We are interested in hardcover books of these types: recent best sellers, fiction and non-fiction; books about Atlanta; mysteries; science fiction; biographies; history; current science; crafts, home repair/decorating; cooking; health and exercise; art/music; indoor and outdoor gardening; and children’s books in excellent condition.

We are unable to use and do not accept: encyclopedias more than 5 years old; hardcover fiction more than 10 years old unless the authors are still popular; textbooks of any kind; discards from any library; Reader’s Digest condensed books; magazines. The library also does not accept any books that are written in or highlighted, with missing or torn pages or covers, damaged in any other way, or that have been stored in a damp, musty environment.