In the fifth episode of The Walking Dead we see the survivors head to the CDC in order to seek help.
(click images to enlarge)
Obviously this wasn’t the actual Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That building, or set of buildings, is much larger than what we saw on the show. Also, due to the nature of what is researched and stored at the actual CDC, it doesn’t lend itself to film crews running around.
The building that played the CDC in “Wildfire” is actually the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. This building houses a three-tier, 2750 seat theater as well as a 10,000 square foot ballroom.
(click images to enlarge)
(Thanks to HarleyBigDaddy for braving the Atlanta weather and getting these pics)
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You can really tell in the production shot of the survivors running towards the CDC that a lot of the bodies are digitally added in. In fact, if you look at the bottom right of that picture there is a body whose legs are in front of the partition fencing even though he’s supposed to be laying behind it.
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I just watched that episode and was thinking that the CDC look similar, but was too far away when they showed the city skyline. I used to live about a mile from the CDC and a mile from downtown Atlanta. For those who are interested and don’t know, the CDC is very close to the city center and down the street from Emory’s main campus. It’s a little scary when you think about it.
Thanks for the feedback, Sarah! I agree with you about the CDC and I try not to think about what goes on there when I’m around that part of town. Though I’ve heard they have a nice museum and/or tour there during the week, but I’ve never been.
My girlfriend and I just visited the CDC Museum and it was a lot of fun. Much to our disappointment, this building was not there. I knew I should have googled it before we left. Doh!
But anyway, it was a lot of fun and very informative. Do note, if you do go take a good look at the CDC website and their visiting hours. Maybe a call to followup just to be sure will help. They were closed the first time we showed up due to their remodeling but even the security guard didn’t have the right dates.
I’ve heard that the CDC Museum tour is really nice and informative but I haven’t had a chance to go through it myself.
Thanks for the tip and info, Brian!
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My wife worked at the CDC and she was pissed when she found out the place was rigged to explode.
Ha, I bet!
Tell her she better get out quickly when the zombie apocalypse comes.
I work at the CDC now, and I had to laugh a few times when I saw how the CDC was portrayed. From the concept of being a sitting timebomb… LOL! …. to the primitive security cards…
Like the CDC, who’s mission is the preservation of life and the prevention of injury and disease, would ever rig itself to detonate with a massive fireball right in the middle of downtown atlanta!!! LOL rigggghhhhtttt….
I guess it does make good TV, though!
Larry, the CDC IS rigged to explode, and it wont be a weak explosion like on the show. From what I have researched, if there ever were to be a problem at the CDC where a disease might get out, they have some sort of Nuclear or Thermo-Nuclear device that will detonate and destroy the surrounding 20-40 MILES. The Dr. on walking dead was not lying. Do you really know whats stored in there? It IS stuff that should never get out. You can choose not to believe that there is a contingency plan like this in place, but the fact of the matter is that there is a plan just like that. Now, I doubt the CDC would run out of power like on the show.
“Larry, the CDC IS rigged to explode, and it wont be a weak explosion like on the show. From what I have researched, if there ever were to be a problem at the CDC where a disease might get out, they have some sort of Nuclear or Thermo-Nuclear device that will detonate and destroy the surrounding 20-40 MILES.”
This is pure fabrication and utter nonsense. I work for the CDC. There are no nuclear weapons and no thermobaric explosives involved in any containment scenario. Your ‘research’ is beyond flawed, up to the point of speculative science fiction.
I do a lot of work at CEPAC. My friends and I were pretty excited to see it lit up…
This is the google result for the Atlanta CDC…it looks like Rick is not a fan and gave it one star…
http://tinyurl.com/6wp8mnm
My gf and I just laughed uncontrollably for a few minutes at this.
Hehe, OK that’s pretty funny.
Was the interior of the theatre where they filmed all the scenes?
I believe so, yes.
Actually, in the DVD commentary they said that the interiors were shot at the World Congress center down town. The built a huge soundstage in of the halls that served as the main computer room where Dr. Jenner locked the group in.
See what you learn when you wall all of the extras? Thanks for the info, Daniel. I stand corrected.
Yes, I have attended a number of performances here and those were all interior shots of the Cobb Energy Center.
The interior shots of the lobby area were shot inside the Cobb Energy Center, but the main computer room, bed rooms, etc. were not. They were all shot inside the World Congress Center.
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Here’s the truth about the CDC being rigged to explode (it’s NOT). http://www.politifact.com/georgia/statements/2010/dec/10/walking-dead/hit-series-shows-cdc-blows-after-zombie-apocalypse/