DeKalb History Center: Old Courthouse on the Square

The Dekalb History Center, with it’s marble walls, decorative crown molding, and magnificent arched windows is a wonderful place for weddings, b’not mitzvahs, anniversaries or any other historic event. Located in the old courthouse where Clairmont intersects Ponce de Leon in the heart of Decatur, this venue offers a large bridal suite, a downstairs foyer perfect for a dance floor, and the grand ballroom, which was once the courtroom. I’ve attended a conference here and photographed an event as well. The place is wonderfully unique.
And the staff are a joy to work with!

The current exhibits at the Dekalb History Center are well worth visiting for anyone who loves the County. The photos from the Guy Hayes are wonderful, and the Scottdale Mills artifacts recall a bygone era. Swell place, and you can see it all during a lunch hour.

I knew I wanted to get married in Atlanta, but the where part was terrifying. The city has a lot of great spaces, but I needed one that would be cost effective, could serve as a ceremony & reception space and didn’t look like a hotel ballroom (i don’t care if it’s the 4 seasons, those carpets that exist in every hotel are tough to decorate around). I’m getting married over New Years weekend so outside venues were a no go. After a few hits and misses, my fiancée and I were driving to the Dekalb Farmers Market and when I commented on how the bronze people outside the courthouse were a little eerie, he asked if I thought about the courthouse as a wedding venue.
The lightbulb went off and I emailed the Dekalb Historical Society. The most helpful woman in the world, Stacy, got back to me very quickly and gave us a tour the next week. There are a lot of good things about the space, but I’m going to list my favorites.
1) You get the whole building when you rent the space. I don’t know about you guys, but with my luck, I would book a wedding and the UGA Fraternity Kegger would be in the ballroom next door, so while I don’t think I’m that selfish, I was very happy to not have to share the space, especially for such a good price.
2) They are really helpful & affordable. I blew my money on food and photography so I needed to really squeeze the pursestrings with everything else. Stacy knew this and really helped me out. For example, she emailed me to let me know that if I booked the courthouse before the end of the year that I would get 25% off my entire package. That level of customer service has been consistent since I first emailed them.
3) You can bring your own booze. Beyond saving $$ this reinforces my above claim. They actually want you to enjoy the space by having a great party, not squeeze every dollar out of you.
4) The building is gorgeous and huge. It’s a really unique space in Atlanta. Historical without being boring, Different without being in a loft. My old school southern mom and french\strong willed fellow were equally happy about this space.
5) Decatur Square is the perfect location for family and friends from out of town. Most of my guests are staying within a mile radius and are really psyched to explore the area. It’s ITP but still kind of different.
Whether it’s a wedding, party, or other adventure this space is one of the most incredible event venues in Atlanta. I couldn’t be happier with our event space!