If you’ve walked the square in downtown McKinney over the past couple of years, you’ve watched a corner change. Where a deteriorating wooden structure once sat at Chestnut and Louisiana Streets — boarded, leaning, long past saving — there’s now a brand-new building with a second story that glows in the evening. That second story is The Chestnut Hall, and this post is the beginning of its story.

Why we built a venue here

My husband Ben and I didn’t set out to own an event venue. We set out, honestly, because we couldn’t stop looking at that corner. Downtown McKinney is one of the most beloved historic districts in North Texas — brick storefronts, restaurants that spill onto the sidewalk, string lights across the streets — and right in the middle of it sat a property that had been written off as unbuildable, unfixable, un-everything.

Where other people saw an eyesore, we saw the best seat in the house. A second-floor space at that corner would look out over the rooftops and lights of the square — a view of downtown McKinney that, as far as we knew, no event guest had ever had. So we built it.

What The Chestnut Hall is

The Chestnut Hall is a 3,000-square-foot event space on the second floor of our new building, with a 750-square-foot private balcony overlooking downtown. In practical terms, that means:

Room for up to 120 guests for a standing, cocktail-style reception, or 100 guests seated for dinner.
An open floor plan under soaring ceilings and crystal chandeliers — a blank canvas that becomes a wedding reception one weekend and a corporate gala the next.
A private balcony where cocktail hour happens against a backdrop of historic brick and evening string lights.
The practical things done right: a full prep kitchen for any caterer, a built-in bar ready for custom mixology, premium built-in sound and high-speed WiFi, gold Chiavari chairs and tables included with setup and breakdown, elevator access, and full ADA accessibility.

We also made one decision early that shaped everything else: an open vendor policy. We don’t require you to use our caterer, because we don’t have one. Bring the barbecue team you love, the florist your sister used, the DJ who knows your family’s exact ratio of country to Motown. All we ask is that vendors carry standard licensing and liability insurance.

What kinds of events we host

The honest answer is: the meaningful ones. Wedding receptions and rehearsal dinners. Corporate parties and offsites that people don’t dread. Fortieth birthdays, fiftieth anniversaries, bridal showers, baby showers, holiday parties, galas, and fundraisers. If it involves people you love (or a team you’re proud of) and a reason to raise a glass, it belongs here.

We’ve written guides for many of these — you’ll find them as this journal grows — and there are dedicated pages for weddings, corporate events, rehearsal dinners, and more.

When you can see it

The Chestnut Hall opens in August 2026, and we’re booking tours and events now. We publish our pricing openly — venue rentals run from $3,000 for a five-hour weekday rental to $5,250 for a full Saturday — because we think couples and planners deserve real numbers before they ever fill out a form.

Why a journal?

Because we learned an enormous amount planning this venue, and we keep learning from every couple and company that tours it. This blog is where we’ll share it: how to build a reception timeline, what to ask before booking any venue (ours included), what to do in downtown McKinney when your whole guest list comes from out of town.

We’re glad you’re here. Come see us above the square.

— Alycia