Discover Körner's Folly

Explore the 22-room Victorian house museum and see what sparks your imagination.

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Discover Körner's Folly

Explore 22 rooms of architectural wonder

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Welcome to Körner’s Folly

American Ingenuity. Eccentric Architecture. Victorian Culture.

Körner’s Folly is the architectural wonder and home of artist and designer Jule Gilmer Körner. Built in 1880 in Kernersville, North Carolina, the house originally served to display his interior design portfolio. Visitors can now explore the 22 room house museum and its unique original furnishings and artwork, cast-plaster details, carved woodwork, and elaborate hand laid tile.

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Upcoming Events

Sep 21 2024

Fall Vintage Market 2024

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Sep 23 2024

Homeschool Day: Art and Architecture

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Oct 05 2024

14th Annual Kernersville Oktoberfest

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Oct 19 2024

Girl Scout Day: Playing the Past

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What Our Visitors Are Saying

Excellent

Körner's Folly

4.8

Based on 456 reviews

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John Copley

Very unique and surprising. The house provide a glimpse into the styles, fashions, and architecture of the Gilded Age. It also provides a unique view of restoration and preservation. I absolutely enjoyed the tour.

Very interesting place that has deep ties to Kernersville. Restorations are still occurring, so it's a work in progress. A nice example of Victorian design. The self guided tour works well.

Laird Hepburn

This is an absolutely fabulous historical house. It was so fun to walk around. The self guided tour was well laid out.

Pat Kirkman

Thoroughly enjoyed my self-paced tour of this amazing house museum. Lots of intriguing details about the house and the family–I even bought the book! There are some challenging steps and narrow spaces to navigate so be forewarned. I do recommend this stop if you’re near Kernersville.

Red Halo Gaming

Response from the owner: Thank you!

Skye Shauger

Edil Estrella

Reece Fulk

We hadn't been to the Korners house in years .We had been watching the progress of the renovation and new construction when passing by. It was a pretty day so we decided to stop by. We were very impressed with the new visitors center and the friendliness of the staff.The renovations turned out really wellIt made for an enjoyable afternoon .

Shelby Nelson

Leave no trace

Love the vintage market

Rachel Rhodes

Erica W

Absolutely worth stopping and checking this place out. The house is beautiful and the staff members are helpful. If you enjoy history, architecture, and/or art, you will have a great time. This is a Victorian house, so be aware that some hallways are very narrow and there are a few low ceilings. We had a wonderful visit and will return.

Lanie Bemis

Such a cool place to visit!

Response from the owner: Thank you for your visit and great review!

Cristina Hoover

A great experience for kids as well. They have a raccoon paw sign with a scavenger hunt and activities through some of the rooms. Is nice to see and experience how live was in the past. Kids love figuring out how the rooms unfold, a lot of steps and places to hide.

Response from the owner: Cristina - we are so glad you enjoyed Bob's Paw Print Path! Thank you for visiting, and for your great review!

Emily Adams

Unique architecture and history make this worth a stop but just be aware it is not wheelchair or stroller ♿ accessible due to all the steps. The new visitor center is quite nice.

Response from the owner: Thank you for visiting, Emily! We appreciate the good review, and we are working on ways to make Körner's Folly more accessible through virtual and AR tours in the future!

Lee West

Such a cool little pitstop. Very interesting and unique house with a fascinating history. There’s a lot of steps inside, so those with mobility issues are aware.

Response from the owner: Thank you, Lee! We appreciate your visit and your review!

Lydia Van Es

I loved this! So colorful, well preserved, and the staff was so friendly and knowledgeable. Definitely want to come back and see the new renovations as they get finished!

Response from the owner: Lydia, thank you for visiting and leaving us a great review! We hope to see you again soon!

marcella myers

Response from the owner: Thank you, Marcella!

Bobbie Leigh

Wicked neat house! Definitely recommend getting a tour to see it's beauty and uniqueness. The staff was super kind too. I was lucky to have the place to myself.

Response from the owner: Bobbie - thank you for visiting and for leaving us such a great review! We hope to see you again soon!

ali n

Very cool house with a lot of neat history.

Response from the owner: Thank you, Ali!

Judy M

This is a great place to visit and very interesting. The only problem is the stairs, which could be difficult for some people. Overall I love the house.

Response from the owner: Judy, thank you for visiting and for the review! We are working to improve accessibility to Körner's Folly through exhibits in the Visitors Center, a virtual tour option, and audio as well as AR tours in the future!

Alicia Hanchock

I have always loved visiting Körner's Folly! The house is wonderfully decorated with a different Christmas theme each year. The home is an architectural and engineering wonder. They host self guided tours and fun events. I'm very excited about their growth and preservation of local history.

Response from the owner: Alicia, thank you for your visit and your great review! We too are so excited to expand our reach and grow this year, and we look forward to seeing you again soon!

Sara Cusumano

Wow!!! You have to see this amazing home. Beautifully designed and gorgeous ornate wood work. Staff was knowledgeable and sweet!We will come back time after time to see this wonderful home!

Response from the owner: Sara, thank you so much for these kind words! We look forward to seeing you visiting again soon!

Bernard Noonan

Response from the owner: Thank you, Bernard!

Annette Horsley

We enjoyed seeing all the features in the house. We loved the sitting room and theater

Response from the owner: Annette, thank you for your great review! We hope to see you again soon!

A Hicks

Response from the owner: Thanks for the great review!

Steve Clute

Response from the owner: Thank you, Steve! We appreciate the 5 stars!

David Mohler

Response from the owner: Thank you, David!

Jacqueline Weinreich

Response from the owner: Thank you, Jacqueline! We appreciate the 5 stars!

Albert Sandoval

The decorations added a lot to the already beautiful house. There were carolers and Mrs. Claus even read Twas the Night Before Christmas. It was an amazing experience.

Response from the owner: Albert, we are so happy to hear you enjoyed visiting Körner's Folly at Christmas! It's our favorite time of the year!

Dall Wilson

Unique world-class 1880s mansion of decorative artist, his showplace for gilded age clients. Worth a revisit, and always worth a visit. Top floor is theatre. Essential Americana, fully furnished and extensively decorated by the artist.My NC Symphonic Film of a visit.https://youtu.be/cH6VDNEZp7M?si=NJPCix2pXRAvtJuV

Response from the owner: Wow! This review is so awesome!! We love the Symphonic Film - great work! Thank you, Dall!

Robin Riner

We loved visiting this very interesting home.The girls that worked in the gift shop and the tour guide were extremely nice. Definitely worth the price.My 13 yr old son is already asking to go back.

Response from the owner: Robin, thank you for the great review! We can't wait to see you all again soon!

Judy K.

Response from the owner: Thank you, Judy!

Bobby Wahrenburg

This was on my bucket list! It did not disappoint. We arrived at 10:30on a Saturday and spent more than 2 hours. The Christmas decorations were beautiful! The staff were very informative and upbeat. I loved the history of the home. What a wonderful learning experience! A must!

Response from the owner: Bobby, we appreciate the review and your kind words so much! We look forward to seeing you again sometime soon, and are so happy that you enjoyed our Christmas decorations!

Julie Nash

Response from the owner: Thank you, Julie!

Pam McClure

Lovely to visit all decorated for Christmas.

Response from the owner: Thank you Pam! We are already dreaming up ways to top the decorations for Christmas 2024!

Diane Zielaznicki

Decorated lovely for Christmas

Response from the owner: Thank you Diane! We appreciate the great review and your kind words!

Jessica W. Smith

Beautiful and unique home. Truly a historical treasure!

Response from the owner: Thank you Jessica! We appreciate your visit so much!

Tim Carter

Beautifully decorated for Christmas. A real gem of a wonderfully restored historic mansion. Thank you to the local citizens who had the passion and vision to save this place from the wrecking 50+ years ago.

Response from the owner: Tim - thank you so much for your visit and kind words! We very much agree - the "Original 26" families who saved the Folly from demolition were visionaries who saw the importance of saving this amazing place for future generations. We hope to see you again soon!

Peter Nowosielski

This place is really nice and not expensive.

Response from the owner: Thank you, Peter! We hope to see you again soon!

Kathy Jenkins

Very organized self tour. Scavenger hunt was fun.

Response from the owner: Thank you Kathy! We hope to see you again soon - we are always updating our scavenger hunts for the season!

Robin Deen

Nice craft fair.

Response from the owner: Thank you Robin!

Patricia Shegas

This is an amazing place to go. I am looking forward to go back for the different events.

Response from the owner: Patricia, thank you for your visit and your kind words! We have some great events and programs lined up for this year, and we hope to see you again soon!

Grace Gross

Response from the owner: Thank you, Grace!

Gary Smithwick

Must see historic home decorated for Christmas.

Response from the owner: Thank you, Gary! We appreciate the great review and your kind words!

ALL REVIEWS

Recent News

Körner’s Folly is Now Hiring!

Körner’s Folly Foundation is seeking candidates for a new position within the organization. Position Title:…

Applications Now Open for Fall Vintage Market

Körner’s Folly is seeking vendors for the Fall Vintage Market on Saturday, September 21, 2024…

The Körner’s Folly Foundation is Now Hiring!

Körner’s Folly is seeking friendly, curious, and dependable people to join our team as Visitor…

Public & Private Tours

Self-Guided Tours allow the opportunity to explore at your own pace, a great option for inter-generational groups! Guided Tours are also available for groups of 10+.

Children's Activities

Scavenger Hunts, Photo Adventures, Please Touch Baskets, and more help families connect with history – hands-ON!

Victorian Parlor Series

While sipping, snacking, and socializing, explore a variety of exciting topics related to Historic Körner’s Folly and popular art and culture of the late 1880s – 1910s, for visitors 21+

Spectacular Holidays

Each year, Körner’s Folly transforms into a winter wonderland with traditional Victorian decorations in every room. From Black Friday to New Years, visitors can delight in an extra-magical tour experience.

Discover Körner's Folly

Discover Körner's Folly

Upcoming Events

Fall Vintage Market 2024

Homeschool Day: Art and Architecture

14th Annual Kernersville Oktoberfest

Girl Scout Day: Playing the Past

What Our Visitors Are Saying

Recent News

Körner’s Folly is Now Hiring!

Applications Now Open for Fall Vintage Market

The Körner’s Folly Foundation is Now Hiring!

Experiences for Everyone at Körner's Folly

Public & Private Tours

Children's Activities

Victorian Parlor Series

Spectacular Holidays