Atlantans visit Mandela sculpture in Piedmont Park

A statue of Nelson Mandela in Atlanta's Piedmont Park gained new attention this week, as well-wishers sought ways to remember the former South African president, who died on Thursday.

Soon after his death was announced, these flowers were spotted , left by well-wishers, leaning against the "Free Nelson Mandela" sculpture, a 6-foot tall chunk of granite by artist David Hammons, created under the auspices of the Artist-in-Residence Program of the 1987 Arts Festival. The work, formally titled "NelsonMust Be Free to Lead His People and South Africa to Peace and Prosperity," is located near the park's gate on 10th Street at Charles Allen Drive.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s crypt is located at the King Center, part of a larger historic district that includes some private facilities and others maintained by the National Park Service. The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site consists of several buildings near the home the civil rights icon grew up in on Auburn Avenue in downtown Atlanta. Learn more.

The "Free Nelson Mandela" sculpture is located in Piedmont Park, near the park's gate on 10th Street at Charles Allen Drive. Map and more information