Julius (Jule) Gilmer Körner (pronounced KER-ner) was born in 1851 in Kernersville, which his grandfather founded after immigrating from modern-day Germany in 1785. After his mother’s death, Jule was raised by Clara, known as “Aunt Dealy,” who was born into slavery and purchased by Jule’s father. She played a large role in his upbringing and was later a nanny to Jule’s own children. As a young adult, Jule attended a Quaker school in Indiana, where he discovered his love of art and later studied design and interior decorating in Philadelphia. 

After his father passed in 1875, Jule returned home and began designing Körner’s Folly two years later. The original 11-room house featured a carriageway running through the center and served as a full-scale portfolio for his interior design business, the Reuben Rink Decorating and House Furnishing Company. When Jule married Polly Alice Masten in 1886, she helped re-envision the Folly with more livable spaces. This included enclosing the open carriageway, relocating the stables from the south side of the house, and repurposing the haylofts above. These changes resulted in the 22-room home visitors see today. Together, Jule and Polly Alice also used the home as a community gathering place focused on the arts. They co-founded the Kernersville Orchestra, and Polly Alice created The Juvenile Lyceum, a program that helped children develop their acting skills. 

Jule continued redesigning the home until his death in 1924, when new renovation plans were found on his desk. After Polly Alice’s death in 1934, the house was repurposed a few times before sitting vacant through the 1960s. It was saved from demolition in 1970 by 26 local families who formed the Körner’s Folly Foundation. Today, they continue restoring the home room by room to its 1890–1915 appearance.

Visitors begin at the new John & Bobbie Wolfe Visitors Center, where you’ll find ample parking, house tickets, and a short orientation video which offers helpful background information about Jule and the family. Don’t miss the rotating exhibit here before you head outside and follow the walking path to the front entrance of the house. At the door, staff members explain how the tour works and then let you explore at your own pace. The experience is self-guided, with clear signage in each room highlighting furniture, design elements, and historical details, plus directions to guide you through the house in order. The tour is not handicap accessible as there are many level changes. 

As you move through the rooms, be sure to take your time and soak in the small details. It’s believed that nearly every design element is unique, and 90 percent of the furniture is original to the house, reflecting Jule Körner’s distinctive style. You’ll also see some of his original artwork, from a self-portrait to painted scenes in one of the stairways. A few of the particularly interesting spaces are the children’s playroom with its 5.5-foot ceilings, the ornate Reception Room designed for entertaining, and Cupid’s Park Theatre on the third level, thought to be the first private little theater in America. Most visitors spend about an hour touring, though feel free to stay longer—I spent two hours admiring the various rooms. 

Tip: If you’re visiting with a large group and want to come at a specific time, make sure you purchase tickets online or contact Körner’s Folly directly.

One goal of the Körner’s Folly Foundation is for the house to continue to be used as originally intended—a community gathering place, a space for curious people, and somewhere for them to return again and again. Below are seasonal events that take place here, but there are always new collaborative programs and events happening, so check their events page for a full list. 

Tip: Advanced tickets are highly recommended for seasonal events as they can sell out. 

Folly Flower Show takes place over a weekend in July, when each room is decorated with fresh floral arrangements designed to complement the home’s colors, textures, and architectural details. 

Kernersville Oktoberfest is an annual early-October fundraiser inspired by a traditional German Oktoberfest. The event features local brews, foodie favorites, a commemorative Körner’s Folly tasting glass, and a tour of the house. 

Holiday Tours begin in late November and run through the first days of January, transforming all 22 rooms with Victorian-inspired Christmas decorations. This is one of the most popular times of year to visit. 

Piedmont Wind Symphony Holiday Concert is held in Cupid’s Park Theatre in early December. This small, intimate concert brings seasonal music into one of the Folly’s most unique spaces. 

Christmas by Candlelight is presented in collaboration with Kernersville Little Theatre and takes place on select evenings in December. The event features candlelit tours, Victorian carolers, readings of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, and hot cider and cookies in the Community Room. 

Yuletide Celebration & German Christmas Market is held on a Saturday in December and combines holiday traditions with a festive market atmosphere.

For help finding other things to do in and around Winston-Salem, make sure you request a visitors guide and sign up for our newsletter.