Visitors get a glimpse into secret Coca-Cola history through a series of portals reminiscent of early-film era nickelodeons.
On the large triangular structure dominating one of the rooms in the exhibit, visitors read and see silhouettes acting out Howard Candler’s account of learning the secret formula of Coca-Cola from his father, Asa Candler, an early company president. As visitors turn the corner, they notice that on the third, unseen side, there are three portals giving views into the structure itself.
Visitors peer into what seems like an early-film era raree-show peep hole, and see Howard and Asa as though they are witnessing a grainy security feed from 1906—is it possible? Possible or not, we see Howard bringing in ingredients, Asa showing Howard how to mix the formula, and the lengths to which the company went to ensure the security of the valued recipe: scraping labels off bottles and burning them in the potbelly stove. Visitors also catch a glimpse of the man in the hat—who is he, and why does he keep showing up?