Visitors pack Voigt House one last time

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Visitors lined up to tour the Voigt house one last time on Sunday before the museum closes its doors to the public.

On July 1, tours of the museum will be cancelled and all staff positions eliminated. Voigt House volunteers will be asked to continue their support of the organization through the care and keeping of the Voigt House gardens, or by transferring their time and talents to volunteer positions at one of the museum's other locations.

"As guardian of this historic cultural artifact, we need to strike the right balance between pure preservation and open accessibility to the viewing public," said Dale Robertson, president and CEO of the Public Museum.

Instead of daily tours, the Voigt House Victorian Museum will now be a place for special events and camps such as Grandma's Kitchen, Victorian Girls and Miss Manners.

The German Fest is still scheduled for the first weekend in October, coinciding with the annual Heritage Hill Tour of Homes.

For years, people have been able to tour The Voigt House Victorian Museum at 115 College Ave. and experience what life looked like at the turn of the century.

The three-story home, built in 1895, has been preserved with its original furniture, carpets, silk and Voigt family possessions.

If you couldn't see the Voigt house on Sunday, you'll have one more chance to see it on Tuesday, the 30th. The doors will be open from 11am - 3pm.