JONESBORO, Ga -- Clayton County International Park, formerly known as the Atlanta Beach, has been around for over fifty years. Home to the 1996 Olympic beach volleyball games, the park instantly became a historical landmark full of family fun.
Clayton County International Park contains a water park, 6-acre lake, 17 tennis courts, a trail spanning 3.2 miles long, playgrounds, basketball courts and variety of other amenities.
Despite all of the amazing things the park has to offer, it wasn’t until the park hosted the 1996 Olympic beach volleyball games that it received the attention it deserved.
“Back then for the Olympics we had thousands of people from all over come… in ’96 it was very packed… it was something different. Now we use [the stadium] for concerts, weddings and family reunions.” Clayton County Park’s Superintendent of park maintenance Randall Collier told 11Alive.
Some aspects of the games still thrive in the park such as the volleyball area and the VIP Stadium Complex, which is used as a youth soccer field, concert area, and a venue that hosts special events and reunions.
But other major opportunities have presented themselves for the International Park. The Park has also been the setting to some popular movies. “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” spent approximately three months in Clayton County shooting a scenes at the park’s beach and water park.
Another popular movie that gave the International Park some screen time was Tyler Perry’s “The Family That Preys”, which shot a scene on the lake in the park.
Despite being around for so long, the park continues to thrive as families visit the park for a good time. The Beach at Clayton County International Park closes on Labor Day and will re-open Labor Day weekend of 2017.
