The Trolley Barn

I was invited to go with a friend of mine to a Google event here. Though I have passed this place many times, I’d never actually been inside.
The Trolley Barn is a space that can be rented for events and I love it. It is spacious and open. It boasts an upstairs area that overlooks the downstairs. The outside area is phenomenal with greenery and a bar area. I was really diggin it.
I love the history in the place and you can feel its age in a good way. Overall, it is a great space to hold a grand event. Invite me.

I can only speak from the viewpoint of a guest at a wedding, not the bride, groom, or wedding party professional who organized the event.
However, out of all the weddings I have ever been invited to, no venue has been quite as relaxing and homey like The Trolley Barn. The place is quite historic (although I do not know much about the history) and is the perfect atmosphere for a small wedding.
If you want an outdoor wedding, they have a patio at the garden where you can seat all guests. If you want a relaxing dinner, they have wood floors which provide a rustic atmosphere that makes you feel like you are at at home, enhancing any intimate setting that may take place at this venue.
Note: The garden is home to two cats, but I feel they add to the rustic feel of the place.
I read on the website that you need to contract an outside vendor/​caterer, so that may a bit of an inconvenience if you are looking for a venue that caters. Also, in regards to the bathrooms, there is only one toilet and urinal downstairs, so expect to wait a while if there is a long line for the bathroom, but these are only minor obstacles because this type of venue can make any event memorable.

As beautiful as the Trolley Barn is, I’d unfortunately stay away from this venue, unless you want to deal with very rude staff who are not willing to answer basic questions about the venue, unbelievably inconvenient hours of operation, ridiculous expectations, and extremely harsh penalties for breaking any rules.
I scheduled an appointment to view the barn with one particular staff member (there are only two; I’m referring to the male staff member)…this individual was late in meeting us. Fine, we’re were willing to let that go, even though we had other obligations later that day. When I asked the staff member about parking, I realized he had actually lied about the number of available parking spots for guests. When I politely mentioned there were fewer spots than he originally told me, he played dumb and told me he couldn’t tell me how many spots there were. I pressed him and replied that we couldn’t sign anything until we knew there was guaranteed parking for our guests — to which he replied «Well, I really can’t give you that information now. We can give it to you sometime, I suppose.» (quite rudely) Never mind that, I was willing to let even that go. Concerned about constructing a rain plan (we’re holding our wedding in the month of May — you never know), I asked the person if he had any pictures of weddings which had to use the rain contingency plan, so I could get an idea of how much space there was inside the barn, and whether one could have the ceremony and reception in the same area. Even more rudeness. His reply was «I have no idea what you’re talking about. I don’t have a clue what you’re asking me. That’s something you need to address with your wedding planner, that’s not something that’s of concern to us.»
Despite these obvious red flags, I held on to our reserved date/​time in hopes of better experiences later. I did see the review about the crazy neighbors and was very concerned about this, understandably. So, I addressed the issue, NOT with the male staff member, but with the director of the Trolley Barn. She mentioned that she actually OK-​ed the PA system out back in the garden, but that there was a sermon going on in the middle of the afternoon (her exact words!!) and the neighbor came over and unplugged the sound system in a moment of rage. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY. You should be able to do anything/​say you want (within certain means) in the day time on a weekend! Especially at your own wedding! How sad.
So, this was basically the last straw, because I reviewed the contract and found out that there is a Trolley Barn attendant present at every event with a decibel checker. If you go beyond the decibel limit at ANY point, you lose your ENTIRE deposit — that’s $ 1000, folks.
In summary, if you want peace of mind on your wedding day, if you don’t want to worry about crazy neighbors ruining your reception, and if you don’t want to deal with extremely rude, uncompromising, unaccomodating personnel, look elsewhere. Really, this is for your own sanity. Despite teh awesome location and the beautiful high beam ceilings and wooden interior, it’s really, really not worth it. There are seriously other places in the city with more competitive rental fees, with REALLY nice staff members who will help you on your wedding day. I can guarantee it (because I’ve found one). Good luck!

We had our wedding reception here in June of this year and absolutely LOVED the venue. It’s rustic while still being comfortable and cozy yet spacious. It’s tucked into an adorable neighborhood in Inman Park and we had no complaints about parking from our guests. The outdoor bar, patio, and garden combined with the Barn’s rustic charm really set the place apart from other venues in the Atlanta. For our reception, we wanted something that felt like the lovechild of a cocktail party and a picnic, and the Trolley Barn was perfect. The great thing about the Barn (for us, at least), was flexibility. You pay for the space and that’s about it: you can choose your own caterer, event planner/​designer, band/​dj, florist, and bring in your own alcohol (which can save you lots and lots and lots of $$$). We looked at spaces where you were restricted to certain vendors and definitely preferred having the ability to make everything our own. Two tips– if you plan on using the patio space, it might not be a terrible idea to tent it (it hailed! during our reception and guests were able to duck under the tent and wait out the storm) and be sure to let your band/​DJ know about the noise level restrictions (think the max you can be is ⁸⁰⁄₉₀ DB loud) and the TB is strict about enforcing this rule (understandable as they ARE in a neighborhood setting and don’t want to constantly disturb their neighbors). Overall, this was an absolutely GORGEOUS backdrop for our wedding reception (and I’m hoping we get invited to a wedding there again someday). We had a great experience with the Trolley Barn!

Wonderful place to hold an event… The building was beautiful, you really wouldnt have to add to much to your décor to have an event. It gives you an old victorian feel…
Location the Inman Park area parking wasnt a problem and even if the streets are full its not that bad of a walk because its next to the train station.

I am going to get married here. This building is beautiful in every way. The barn is now a long open hall but in the early 1900’s is held Atlanta’s first electric railway. The neighborhood is the historic Inman Park, which is quiet, and full of gingerbread Victorians.
At night, little white lights illuminate the dark green wood and a brick patio is perfect for tables or dancing. This place is really simple, really charming and the perfect place for a small wedding.