Garden: Weekdays & Sun
Museum: Wed & Sun
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/vomuseum Our Mission: The Voelker Orth Museum, Bird Sanctuary and Victorian Garden, through the experience of an immigrant family’s 1890s home, preserves and interprets the cultural and horticultural heritage of Flushing, Queens and adjacent communities to engage their ever-changing populations. The VO Museum occupies a home that was purchased by a German immigrant named Conrad Voelcker who emigrated from Germany in 1881. After his death in 1930, the house became the home of his daughter, Theresa Voelker and her husband, Dr. Rudolph Orth. Their daughter, Elisabetha Orth, who lived in the house most of her life, in her will established the organization which now runs the museum. The immediate goal of the organization was the restoration of the Voelker Orth homestead. More than a century old, this house has been the home of a single family for over one hundred years and has changed little since the days of Conrad Voelcker. A distinguishing feature of the Museum is the Victorian-style garden, containing plants that were once regular favorites in the Victorian era. The garden is maintained using eighteenth century propagation methods and gardening techniques, such as hand pruning and the use of natural fertilizers and pesticides. Serving as a sanctuary, the garden’s many varieties of berry bushes and trees attract migrating birds, such as orioles, mockingbirds, and hummingbirds, as well as local species like cardinals and blue jays. In June and July, our butterfly bush attracts monarch butterflies, swallowtails, and other species. Our bee hive is home to a thriving colony of honey bees which produce a modest amount of honey and serve our educational programs. The Museum hosts yearly rotating contemporary fine art exhibitions, performances, lectures, workshops, and educational programs.
