Skip to main content
Weddings

About

Nestled on the Mohawk River, The Barn at Mabee Farm is an unforgettable setting for weddings and events with stunning views and timeless character.

Mabee Farm is steeped in history. As the oldest home in the Mohawk Valley (built 1705), it has seen generations of weddings celebrated here. We now invite you to celebrate your nuptials here, in our soaring 1760s Dutch Barn -- a cathedral of wooden beams and rustic charm. The property is filled with color from spring through fall, with ever-blooming flowers, grassy hills and copses of trees and vibrant golds and reds as the autumn leaves change.

The 1760s Dutch Barn holds up to 140 people. For all information, FAQ, photos, and pricing, please visit: https://schenectadyhistorical.org/rentals/

THE BARN AT MABEE FARM WEDDING FAQ:

  • When is the Barn at Mabee Farm available to rent? Events may be held in the Barn and on the grounds from May through October.
  • What does a Barn rental include? Renting the Barn at Mabee Farm grants you exclusive access to the Barn and restrooms the day of your wedding. The rental also includes set-up time the day before your wedding and access to the grounds for photos, ceremony, and more. You may also return the morning after your wedding to clean up.
  • How much does it cost to rent the Barn? As of 2025, pricing is $2,300 for a Barn wedding rental. The price includes Friday set-up, Saturday access (10am–11pm), and Sunday clean-up. If your wedding takes place on a Sunday, there is an additional $25/hour charge. Any additional days for tent erection is $100/day; this fee is deducted from the refundable cleaning deposit ($500).
  • Do you provide wedding planning or coordination services? Mabee Farm weddings are proudly DIY. We don’t offer any assistance with planning or coordination. For the weekend of the wedding, the Barn is yours, entirely. We unlock the facility for you, and then lock it back up at the end without getting involved with planning or logistics.
  • What is the maximum number of guests for an event? The maximum number of guests for an event is 140. Please note that capacity may vary depending on your desired set up.
  • What time must my event finish? Events must finish by 11pm.
  • Can we play music? Absolutely! The Barn’s electrical is set up for either a DJ or a band.
  • What about candles? Because of the historic (and wooden) nature of the Barn, we don’t allow flames or anything that can catch on fire anywhere on the property. This includes candles, sterno cans, hot plates, space heaters, tiki torches, bonfires, etc. To keep food warm, we suggest either induction cook tops without traditional burners, or warming trays or crock pots that can be plugged in.
  • Will we need to hire portable restrooms? No. Restrooms with flushing toilets, sinks, and electricity are included in the site rental fee.
  • Do you include items such as chairs and tables in the site rental? Yes. We have about 15 basic 8′ banquet tables and 120 metal folding chairs available.
  • Is there a space for brides to get ready? No, sorry, access is limited to the Barn itself and the restrooms.
  • Do you hold more than one wedding per weekend? We prefer to host one wedding per weekend. Though, we are a working farm, and an educational facility, so the site is open for tours and other programming during normal business hours.
  • Is parking available? Yes.
  • Is smoking allowed? Only in one designated area.
  • Do you offer any catering services? No. We encourage you to work with caterers who can either supply a pop-up tent, or work from a food truck.
  • What happens if it rains? Our pavilion may be available in the case of truly inclement weather.
  • Do you have required or preferred vendors? We want your event to reflect your personal taste and understand that vendor selection is an important part of your vision. We welcome your choice of vendor(s) to Mabee Farm. We do, however, have a special relationship with Wolf Hollow Brewing, which means excellent prices on the best locally-brewed craft beers.
  • How can I tour the site? Visit our website and select a date that works for you: https://schenectadyhistorical.org/rentals/.
  • Anything else I should know? We are sometimes open to the public during a special event, so there may be visitors exploring the grounds on the day of your wedding. Because of the historic and wooden nature of the Barn, we do not allow ANY flames or fire on the site. This means no candles, torches, or sterno inside the Barn. We also prohibit using any nails, tacks, or tape when decorating the Barn’s interior. String, rope, twine, etc. are all acceptable.
  • Woman-owned
illustration popular

Venues you may like

See other venues that are popular with couples right now

Frequently asked questions

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during peak season?

2,300

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during off-peak season?

2,300

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

No

Which of the following are included in the starting site fee?

Chairs
Parking
Tables

What is the minimum number of guests required to book your venue?

25

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

1

Describe your venue:

Barn
Farm/Ranch
Garden
Historic Building
Museum
Waterfront

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
Covered Outdoor
Uncovered Outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception
Bridal Shower
Engagement Party
Elopements
Rehearsal Dinner

What event services do you offer?

Outside Vendors
Pet Friendly
Wifi

What event items are available?

Chairs
Lighting
Tables

What transportation and access is available?

Parking
Wheelchair Access

What months are included in your peak season?

September
October

What months are included in your off-peak season?

May
June
July
August

Reviews of Mabee Farm Historic Site

Stacy
Stacy Sent on 08/02/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Great location for DIY wedding

Great location overlooking the river! Everything here is DIY, sure to them being a historic site and not a wedding venue. They do supply tables, chairs, benches, picnic tables, and indoor bathrooms. We had Friday for rehearsal from 2-8pm, Saturday 10am until 11pm, and Sunday for clean up from 10am until noon.
Victoria
Victoria Sent on 09/03/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Simply Splendid

We both fell in love with the look and feel of the venue over pictures alone, the venue is stunning and so incredibly peaceful! The whole place just has a magical feeling to it we were looking for. The Barn, The Sunflower field, The Lawn areas….and the beautiful river behind! All of our guests had a wonderful time and couldn’t praise the venue enough. It was so lovely to see it all come together so beautifully on our day. Many Thanks to Susanna for helping us with the smooth process answering all our questions and helping anytime we called.
J
Jessica Sent on 09/28/2018
5 out of 5 rating
AMAZING PLACE FOR A DIY WEDDING!
L
Letitia Sent on 08/27/2018
5 out of 5 rating
This is a truly awe-inspiring place to get married. My husband and I chose it because the farm allows you to customize basically every aspect of the wedding. It gave us complete freedom in terms of vendors -- being able to use our own caterer and bring our own beer/wine was a major selling point. The grounds are also incredible -- flowers, river views, and an orchard.
C
Constance Sent on 04/04/2017
5 out of 5 rating
Where do I begin! Mabee Farm had us hooked the minute we walked in. It has beautiful rustic charm and is beautiful inside and out. It is the most gorgeous setting. I can't say enough about this place and the staff here. If you can afford to get married here, do it! You will not regret it!
B
Bride Sent on 12/31/2016
5 out of 5 rating
Mabee Farm was a great venue for our wedding! The historic site is a beautiful setting with lots of interesting spots for photos. The Dutch Barn looks amazing when decorated with hundreds and hundreds of lights. Highly recommended!
K
Katherine Sent on 10/09/2016
5 out of 5 rating
My husband and I could not have been happier about our choice to have our wedding at the Mabee Farm. The word our guests keep using, independently of each other, to describe our wedding is “magical,” and I think we primarily have the Mabee Farm to thank for that. It’s such a beautiful, charming setting. And, since we were looking for something a little different from the more typical banquet hall wedding, we especially loved that it is not a conventional wedding venue. Far from it, in fact, it is a historic site, the barn being the Schenectady County Historical Society's largest artifact. If you want something a little less cookie-cutter, the Mabee Farm is fantastic choice.

All this said, I don’t think the Mabee Farm is for everyone. It is definitely a lot more work, since you have to pull all the pieces together yourself - catering, lights, DJ, tables and chairs (if you don’t want to use the basic ones that the barn has), etc. The trade-off for all that work, though, is that you can really make it your own. For a brief moment my husband and I considered having our wedding at a more standard hotel/restaurant wedding venue, purely because it would have been easier. However, we pretty quickly decided that we valued being able to make our wedding our own over a simpler planning process. And we absolutely made the right choice. Our wedding really was magical and we attribute much of that to the Mabee Farm. I should also add that we worked with Jenna and she was wonderful - really nice, very responsive.

So, I highly recommend having your wedding at the Mabee Farm because it’s a gorgeous setting where you can really make your wedding your own. You just need to be aware of the extra work that’s entailed with a more DIY venue like this.
S
Sarah Sent on 07/12/2016
5 out of 5 rating
My daughter had a wonderful wedding at the Mabee Farm October 2015. The setting along the river made for once in a lifetime pictures. If you are interested in having a wedding at this beautiful venue keep some things in mind. This is not a cheap wedding venue, this is a “make it your own” distinctive wedding venue. The Mabee Farm rents you the beautiful setting. Like other alternative wedding venues it is up to you to make it work. My daughter and her husband had specific ideas on how they wanted their wedding. The ceremony was held in front of the barn with the reception was held inside. This is an historic site NOT a restaurant or banquet hall so all the work to arrange it is on you - decorations, extra lighting, photographer, flowers, catering, DJ and set up. You can tailor it the way you want. Spend a lot of effort or a little. I recommend visiting the site a few times before set up and take some pictures of the barn interior. The barn rental specifically states that historic artifacts remain in parts of the barn and smoking is not allowed. That being said we worked with Total Events in Schenectady NY (who are familiar with the venue) for the tables, linens and lighting. We had a guest list of about 120 which I think is about capacity. For a bigger dance floor our caterer Ruggiero’s of Glenville suggested that we have a food tent adjacent to the back entrance so that we had more room inside the barn. Ruggiero’s have a working relationship with Total Events so Total Events also handled the food tent and had serving dishes ready for the caterers. By doing so we had plenty of room for the dance floor, DJ, a bar, and a photo booth. To serve food inside comfortably I would suggest keeping your guest list to 75. There is a helpful member of the staff available for assistance on site during setup and during the wedding. You can email me with any questions at flowerfaerie1207@verizon.net. This is a uniquely beautiful wedding venue with many creative options.
K
Karen Sent on 07/10/2016
5 out of 5 rating
One must always keep in mind the weather with an outdoor wedding and be prepared. We rented a tent also, for the just in case and it allowed our guests to spread out and it allowed more room in the barn for music, dancing, dessert and seating for some of the elders with walkers who preferred the wooden floor versus grass. We did end up with a hot day and a beautiful evening. Having outdoor games was wonderful. It does take time to set up. We went the night before after the tent rental company left - Mabee Farm staff does not do this. We used Native Farm Flowers who did a fantastic job and I would highly recommend for this type of setting. Our out of town guests were happy to come out and help us on set up the night before, as some were from NYC and they were thrilled to be outside on the beautiful grounds. It was a perfect place for my daughter's wedding..... but not for brides/moms expecting lots of hands on assistance from staff. This is a historic site and needs to be treated with respect and their primary mission is not weddings. There is no smoking as one would expect at a historic site, which none of us do anyway, but it means monitoring your guests. We did hire two extra people that we knew from friends to help us out with table clearing, trash, cutting up the homemade desserts, and wish we had more help at the end of the night to help us clean and pack up. It was exhausting and hot at that point, and of course meant no drinking for some, who may have preferred to celebrate. Well worth it, but an investment of some paid help, is well worth it!! We had a large Super moon that night and with both barn doors open and the musicians playing, it was a fantastic backdrop. I would be happy to have any email me at dbradley99@aol.com if they had questions as to who our food vendor, or tent vendor was. For couples wanting to really personalize and make their own mark, versus having the traditional cookie cutter wedding, this was a great .
Karen Bradley
C
Christine Sent on 09/29/2019
4.6 out of 5 rating

Beautiful location for our wedding!

I got married at Mabee and it was absolutely beautiful. It was all DIY so it took a little extra planning but ended up being perfect.
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

Awards

15

Map

Mabee Farm Historic Site frequently asked questions

Mabee Farm Historic Site includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
  • Chairs
  • Parking
  • Tables
The space offered by Mabee Farm Historic Site for wedding events is known for:
  • Barn
  • Farm/Ranch
  • Garden
  • Historic Building
  • Museum
  • Waterfront
Mabee Farm Historic Site offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
  • Covered Outdoor
  • Uncovered Outdoor
Mabee Farm Historic Site offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
  • Bridal Shower
  • Engagement Party
  • Elopements
  • Rehearsal Dinner
Mabee Farm Historic Site offers the following services for wedding events:
  • Outside Vendors
  • Pet Friendly
  • Wifi
Mabee Farm Historic Site offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
  • Chairs
  • Lighting
  • Tables
Mabee Farm Historic Site is recommended by 92% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.6 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.6 in quality of service, 4.6 in average response time, 4.6 in flexibility, 4.6 in value and 4.5 in professionalism.
Next Barn & Farm Weddings: Buckley Farm

Other vendors in Albany for your wedding

Wedding Venues