Ever walk through a park and spot a building that looks like a castle but is basically the size of a tool shed? Or maybe a staircase leading to nowhere? In the world of architecture, we call those "follies." They’re structures built primarily for decoration or to provide a "vibe" rather than serving a boring, practical purpose. Honestly, Atlanta has some of the coolest examples in the South, if you know where to look.
Most people just walk right past them. They think it's just a weird shed or a leftover foundation. But these follies in Atlanta Georgia are actually intentional pieces of landscape art. They range from 19th-century playhouses to modern folk art towers. Exploring them is like a scavenger hunt through the city's obsession with looking fancy—even when it's totally impractical.
The Victorian Playhouse at the Atlanta History Center
Right behind the famous Swan House in Buckhead, there’s a tiny, gingerbread-style building that looks like it belongs in a fairytale. It’s the Victorian Playhouse. It was built around 1890, but it wasn’t originally here. It’s been moved all over the city—from Inman Park to Ansley Park—before finally landing at the Atlanta History Center.
It’s a classic "folk Victorian" structure. You've got the ornate trim and the steep roof, but it's built on a scale that feels like it’s for dolls. The cool thing is that it wasn't actually built for the Inman children who lived at the Swan House. It was donated later to show what life was like for wealthy kids at the turn of the century. It’s a literal link between the 1840s Tullie Smith Farm and the 1920s grandeur of the main house.
The Cascades of Swan House
Is a fountain a folly? Sometimes. When Philip Trammell Shutze designed the Swan House in 1928, he wasn't just building a home; he was creating a stage. The massive water cascade that runs down the hill at the back of the house is inspired by the Palazzo Corsini in Rome.
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It serves no purpose other than looking incredibly expensive and grand.
It’s beautiful.
It’s dramatic.
It’s a total folly.
The garden also features stone obelisks and "broken" pediments. These are architectural "ruins" that were popular in English garden design centuries ago. Shutze was a master of this. He wanted you to feel like you were in an old Italian villa, not a suburb in Georgia.
Folk Art Park: The Industrial Folly
If you’re driving through Downtown near the intersection of Piedmont Avenue and Baker Street, you’ll see some weird stuff. This is Folk Art Park. It’s basically a collection of "eye-catchers" built on top of highway bridges.
Think of it as the urban version of a garden folly. Instead of stone temples, you have:
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- Vollis Simpson’s giant metal windmills (whirligigs).
- Totems that look like something out of a dream.
- Work by Howard Finster, the legendary "prophet" of folk art.
It was created for the 1996 Olympics. The city took leftover bits of concrete and highway infrastructure and turned them into a gallery of whimsy. It’s grit meets imagination. It’s the kind of place that makes you do a double-take while you're stuck in traffic.
Cator Woolford Gardens and the Italian Pavilion
Hidden in Druid Hills is a 39-acre estate that most locals haven't even visited. The Cator Woolford Gardens used to be part of the estate of one of the founders of Equifax. Today, it’s a non-profit space, but the architectural bones are pure 1920s fantasy.
There’s an Italian-style pavilion that sits at the bottom of a grand staircase. It’s tucked into the forest. When you stand there, the city noise just... disappears. It feels like a secret ruin. There’s also a stone footbridge over a small creek in an area called "The Hollow." It’s a textbook example of using small structures to create a sense of mystery in a garden.
Earth Goddess and the Living Follies
Can a plant be a folly? At the Atlanta Botanical Garden, they have "mosaiculture" sculptures that function exactly like historic follies. The Earth Goddess is the big one. She’s a permanent installation covered in 18,000 live annuals.
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She’s an "eye-catcher" in the truest sense of the word. Just like the 18th-century English lords used to build fake Gothic ruins to give people something to look at while they walked their grounds, the Botanical Garden uses these massive living sculptures to guide you through the landscape.
Then there’s the Robinson Gazebo. It’s a pavilion-style structure that offers a view of the Midtown skyline. It’s a "belvedere"—a classic folly type designed specifically to provide a "beautiful view."
Why These Weird Buildings Matter
Look, Atlanta is a city that loves to tear things down and build new ones. Follies are the opposite of that. They are built specifically to be looked at and enjoyed. They represent a time when people cared about the "romance" of a landscape.
Whether it's a tiny house at the History Center or a metal windmill over the I-75/85 connector, these structures remind us to slow down. They add a layer of personality to the city that glass office towers just can't match.
How to see them yourself
- Start at the Atlanta History Center. You can see the Victorian Playhouse and the Swan House cascades in one afternoon.
- Drive through Folk Art Park. It's free and you can see a lot of it from your car, though walking is better.
- Visit Cator Woolford Gardens. It's a bit of a "hidden gem," so it’s rarely crowded unless there’s a wedding.
- Finish at the Botanical Garden. Check out the Earth Goddess and the various gates and gazebos scattered throughout.
Go out and find these spots. They aren't just "silly" buildings—they're the architectural soul of the city. Bring a camera and a sense of curiosity. You’ll never look at a "random" stone wall or a tiny garden shed the same way again.
Pro-tip: Many of these sites are outdoors, so check the weather. If you're heading to the Swan House, try to go when the fountains are actually running; it makes a huge difference in the "folly" experience. Most of these spots are also prime photo-op territory, so if you're looking for that perfect "secret garden" shot, you've found it.