VOELKER ORTH MUSEUM
In the 1890s, German immigrant Conrad Voelcker, who ran
a German-language printing business with his brothers, bought
his dream house in Flushing. He loved his garden. And so did his
daughter, Theresa Voelker (notice spelling change), who married
Rudolph Orth, and their daughter, Elisabetha Orth.
Today, the Voelker Orth property is distinguished by its Victorian
garden, which contains many of the most popular plants and
berry bushes of the late 19th century. These plants are maintained
the old fashioned way, with time-honored gardening techniques,
such as hand-pruning. The garden attracts migrating birds —
from the more common cardinals and blue jays to hummingbirds.
Monarch butterflies usually stop by for a visit in summer.
Volker Orth, which was added to the National Register of
Historic Sites as the Conrad Voelcker House in 2020, hosts
performances, art exhibitions, and workshops as well as
Oktoberfest Flushing Style: Sauerkraut and Kimchi.
Inside scoop: A bee colony on site helps to pollinate the flowers
and provides a small supply of honey for the museum’s education
and family programs and for sale in the fall.
Address: 149-19 38th Ave., Flushing, and www.vomuseum.org.
Editor’s note: Flushing Town Hall is also a landmarked, historic
house, but it’s mentioned in the Flushing section.
Voelker Orth Museum
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/www.vomuseum.org
/www.vomuseum.org
