If the phrase “Victorian House Museum” doesn’t get you leaping out of your skin with excitement, we feel you. But Körner’s Folly in Kernersville, NC, is different. The historic home of furniture designer and interior decorator Jule Gilmer Körner was built in 1880 and still features its original furnishings. The 22 rooms are spread across three floors and seven levels; most have not been restored but you can tour them anyway. Walking through, you’ll notice that the design varies wildly from room to room; that’s because Körner used his personal home to showcase his work to wealthy clients—almost like a living catalog.

As fads came and went in the Victorian era, so too did the interior and architectural details at Körner’s Folly. Ceilings range in height from 5.5 feet to 25 feet. There are trap doors and two-foot-wide hidden staircases, 15 different fireplaces, and an ingenious pre-A/C cooling system. Other highlights include a once-lavish community theater in the attic and an opulent reception room with velvet-curtained corners where courting couples could kiss in private. Look up for gloriously faded ceiling murals, look down for hand-laid tile, and look all around for unique wood carvings and cast-plaster moldings.

Self-guided tours are available Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm, and Sunday 1-4pm, but you must arrive one hour before close; admission is $10 for adults.

413 S. Main St., Kernersville, NC; 336-996-7922.