Tucked into a quiet residential block in Flushing, the Voelker Orth Museum is one of those only-in-Queens gems that's easy to drive past and never realize is there. It's a small, family-friendly museum, garden, and bird sanctuary built around the actual home of a German immigrant family, and it makes for a lovely, low-key outing for Northeast Queens families looking for something a little different than the usual playground or mall trip.

Who: A Family's Real Home, Preserved

The museum is housed in the 1890s home of the Voelker and Orth family, German immigrants who lived in Flushing across three generations, from the 1890s through the 1930s. The last family member, Elisabetha Orth, donated the home so it could become a museum, and today it's run as a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the family's story alongside the cultural and horticultural history of Flushing itself.

The period rooms are furnished much as they would have been in the early 20th century, giving kids and parents alike a genuine sense of what middle-class immigrant life looked like in Queens over a hundred years ago.

What: A House, a Garden, and a Bird Sanctuary

A visit here is really three experiences in one:

• Period Rooms & House Tour — a guided walk through the family's furnished home, with staff sharing the history of the Voelker and Orth family and life in early Flushing.
• Victorian Garden — a peaceful, plant-filled outdoor space that doubles as a certified bird sanctuary, open to the public free of charge as a place to sit, stroll, and unwind.
• Exhibitions & Family Programs — rotating exhibits plus hands-on workshops in art, local history, horticulture, and urban wildlife, offered on weekends and school breaks for toddlers through active seniors.

For a self-guided family activity anytime, the museum also offers free printable activities on its website, including a Bee Maze, Bird Bingo, a Garden Word Search, and an “I Spy the Garden” sheet, handy to bring along or print ahead of your visit.

When: Hours to Plan Around

Garden Hours: Monday–Friday, 10 AM – 4 PM, and Sunday, 12 PM – 4 PM (free, no appointment needed)

Guided House Tours: Sunday and Wednesday, 1 PM – 4 PM, drop-in — all other times by appointment for groups

Museum Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 10 AM – 4 PM

The Museum is closed for tours on Easter Sunday, Memorial Day Weekend, July 4th, and Labor Day Weekend, and there are no house tours from Sunday, December 27, 2026 through Sunday, January 3, 2027.

Where: Historic Flushing

Address: 149-19 38th Avenue, Flushing, NY 11354

Phone: (718) 359-6227

Email: info@vomuseum.org

The museum sits on a residential street in Flushing, an easy addition to a day that also includes Flushing's downtown food scene, the Queens Botanical Garden, or the Queens Museum nearby.

How to Visit

• For a garden visit: just show up during open garden hours, no ticket or reservation required. Donations are appreciated.
• For a house tour: drop in Sunday or Wednesday between 1 and 4 PM. Guided tours accommodate up to fifteen people at a time, with a suggested donation of $5 per person.
• For a group visit (school groups, scout troops, birthday outings, etc.): tours are available by appointment on other days, with a $40 minimum fee for the group. Contact the museum directly to arrange a date.
• Accessibility: the grounds and the museum's first floor are wheelchair accessible.
• A rule worth knowing: children must be accompanied by an adult in the garden and at all programs.

Whether you're stopping by for a quiet stroll through the garden or booking a full guided tour of the period rooms, the Voelker Orth Museum offers a peaceful, educational pocket of Flushing history that's easy to fold into a weekend outing. It's a wonderful reminder that some of the best family adventures in Northeast Queens are hiding in plain sight.

Macaroni Kid Bayside – Northeast Queens · September 2026