Venue #2: Trolley Barn



I adore old historical buildings and have looked at several old houses that serve as wedding sites. However, while I enjoy looking at them, I've also realized that these sites probably won’t suit us well from a practical standpoint. Old venues tend to be inaccessible—stairs to get in, stairs inside, narrow door ways, and tiny bathrooms.

That being the case, when I looked at the Trolley Barn, my first concern was wheelchair accessibility. As we arrived, I was delighted to see the barn doors open up on the ground level, with no stairs needed to enter the building!

I admired the antique look of the entire place. The high ceiling is beautiful, with old wooden beams. The reception area also had well-maintained wooden floors. A metal spiral staircase leads up to the balcony level and down to the basement level.

The balcony includes an open space that overlooks the main room. Unfortunately, there is no elevator for me to access the balcony or basement, but I’m OK with that. We figured that the balcony could be open for people to get away from the crowd for a few minutes. It would also serve as a nice perspective for the photographer to get some interesting shots.



Picture from the balcony

 

Upstairs reception area

I checked the bathroom on the main level—it was accessible. The handicap stall wasn’t as large as I’d like, but it would work. Another down side to the restrooms on the main level, there are only 2 stalls in the women’s restroom. Additional bathrooms are available in the basement, although I'm not sure of how many.

Trolley Barn also has a gorgeous outdoor area that included a brick patio nearly as large as the main room. The garden area is colorful and would make for fantastic pictures.

Linda, the proprietor, did point out that this area is only for guests to view. Guests are not allowed to walk through the garden area, and children are not allowed to play there. She made an exception, however, for taking wedding pictures.



View of the barn from the patio

Another cool feature was the outdoor wooden bar—there were little holes cut out of the top so at night the light would shine out for a pretty effect.



Outdoor bar area



Negatives:

• Parking at the Trolley Barn itself was limited. There is a small lot adjacent to the barn that could hold maybe 10 cars. However, the barn has parking agreements with the judicial building across the street and the church down the block, which makes parking less of a problem. You are required to have a security guard, who would guide cars to available street parking.
• Bathroom is smaller than I’d prefer. I can get in and close the door, but I do wish there was more space. There are only two stalls in the women's restroom on the main floor.
• Some areas (balcony) would not be accessible.
• Tables and chairs are not included in the rental fee and can be rented for an additional fee.

Positives:

• Large, beautiful open space.
• Bringing our own alcohol is permitted.
• No stairs are required to enter the main floor. Rob and I would be able to walk out and make a “grand exit” with bubbles, flowers, birdseed, etc. the same way as everyone else
• Reasonably priced.
• There is an accessible bathroom.
• It’s nice to have the outdoor area available for people to enjoy, if the weather permits. The bar outside makes the area even more useable.
• They have at least one Saturday in June and most weekends in July currently available.

Overall, my impression was very positive. I was nearly ready to book it right then and there. Since it was only the second venue we had checked, though, we should see a few more before we make our final decision.