Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity (Deficit) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Series A	Series B	Preferred Shares of Beneficial Interest Series A	Preferred Shares of Beneficial Interest Series A Series A	Common Stock	Paid-in Capital	Paid-in Capital Series A	Paid-in Capital Series B	Accumulated Deficit and Distributions in Excess of Net Earnings	Accumulated Deficit and Distributions in Excess of Net Earnings Series A	Accumulated Deficit and Distributions in Excess of Net Earnings Series B	Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss)	Americold Realty Operating Partnership, L.P..	Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Americold Realty Operating Partnership, L.P..	Limited Partners’ Capital Americold Realty Operating Partnership, L.P..	General Partners’ Capital Americold Realty Operating Partnership, L.P..
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016				125		69,370,609
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2016	$ (149,455)			$ 0		$ 694	$ 392,591			$ (532,196)			$ (10,544)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	(608)									(608)				$ (608)		$ (6)	$ (602)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	10,314												10,314	10,314	$ 10,314
Distribution on preferred shares of beneficial interest		$ (16)	$ (28,436)								$ (16)	$ (28,436)
Distributions on common shares	(20,214)									(20,214)
Accretion on preferred shares of beneficial interest - Series B			(867)						$ (867)
Share-based compensation expense (Stock Options and Restricted Stock Units)	2,358						2,358							2,358		24	2,334
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017				125		69,370,609
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2016														222,472	(10,544)	$ 2,329	$ 230,687
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016																693,706	68,676,903
Increase (Decrease) in Partners' Capital [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	(608)									(608)				(608)		$ (6)	$ (602)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	10,314												10,314	10,314	10,314
Distributions to parent														(48,666)		(487)	(48,179)
Share-based compensation expense	2,358						2,358							2,358		24	2,334
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2017														185,870	(230)	$ 1,860	$ 184,240
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017																693,706	68,676,903
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2017	(186,924)			$ 0		$ 694	394,082			(581,470)			(230)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	47,985									47,985				47,985		$ 480	$ 47,505
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(9,492)												(9,492)	(9,492)	(9,492)
Distribution on preferred shares of beneficial interest			$ (1,817)									$ (1,817)
Distribution on preferred shares of beneficial interest - Series A		$ (134)						$ (133)			$ (1)
Distribution on preferred shares of beneficial interest (in shares)					(125)
Distributions on common shares	(104,976)									(104,976)
Share-based compensation expense (Stock Options and Restricted Stock Units)	8,556						8,556							10,598		106	10,492
Share-based compensation expense (modification of Restricted Stock Units)	2,042						2,042
Common share issuance related to share-based payment plans, net of shares withheld for employee taxes	2,667					$ 18	2,649
Common stock issuance related to share-based payment plans, net of shares withheld for employee taxes (in shares)						1,847,274
Warrants exercise	0					$ 64	(64)
Warrants exercise (in shares)						6,426,818
Issuance of common shares	577,338					$ 374	576,964
Issuance of common shares (in shares)						37,350,000
Conversion of mezzanine Series B Preferred shares	372,791					$ 332	372,459
Conversion of Series B Preferred shares (in shares)						33,240,258
Other	(1,281)						(422)			1,934			(2,793)	(1,281)	(2,793)	15	1,497
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018				0		148,234,959
Increase (Decrease) in Partners' Capital [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	47,985									47,985				47,985		480	47,505
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(9,492)												(9,492)	(9,492)	(9,492)
Distributions to parent														(106,927)		(1,069)	(105,858)
Contributions to partners’ capital														580,002		$ 5,800	$ 574,202
Contributions to partners' capital (in shares)																788,644	78,075,706
Other	(1,281)						(422)			1,934			(2,793)	(1,281)	(2,793)	$ 15	$ 1,497
Share-based compensation expense	8,556						8,556							10,598		106	10,492
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2018														706,755	(12,515)	$ 7,192	$ 712,078
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018																1,482,350	146,752,609
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2018	706,755			$ 0		$ 1,482	1,356,133			(638,345)			(12,515)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	48,162									48,162				48,162		$ 482	$ 47,680
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(1,611)												(1,611)	(1,611)	(1,611)
Distributions on common shares	(146,590)									(146,590)
Share-based compensation expense (Stock Options and Restricted Stock Units)	12,822						12,822							15,866		159	15,707
Share-based compensation expense (modification of Restricted Stock Units)	3,044						3,044
Common share issuance related to share-based payment plans, net of shares withheld for employee taxes	3,476					$ 15	3,461
Common stock issuance related to share-based payment plans, net of shares withheld for employee taxes (in shares)						1,502,450
Issuance of common shares	1,207,048					$ 421	1,206,627
Issuance of common shares (in shares)						42,062,500
Other	(88)						0			(88)			0	(88)	0	(1)	(87)
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019				0		191,799,909
Increase (Decrease) in Partners' Capital [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	48,162									48,162				48,162		482	47,680
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(1,611)												(1,611)	(1,611)	(1,611)
Distributions to parent														(146,590)		(1,466)	(145,124)
Contributions to partners’ capital														1,210,524		$ 12,105	$ 1,198,419
Contributions to partners' capital (in shares)																435,649	43,129,301
Other	(88)						0			(88)			0	(88)	0	$ (1)	$ (87)
Share-based compensation expense	12,822						12,822							15,866		159	15,707
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2019														$ 1,833,018	$ (14,126)	$ 18,471	$ 1,828,673
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019																1,917,999	189,881,910
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2019	$ 1,833,018			$ 0		$ 1,918	$ 2,582,087			$ (736,861)			$ (14,126)