Paramus Fritz Behnke Historical Museum

About

Visiting The Fritz Behnke Historical Museum is like taking a walk through Paramus' past.

Story

The Paramus Fritz Behnke Historical Museum is named after Fritz Behnke, who was born in Paramus in 1919. His family has lived in Paramus since 1886. Fritz grew up on his father’s vegetable farm until it was sold in 1951. At that time, Fritz and his two brothers, Walter and Donald, started “Behnke’s Paramus Building Supply” on Route 17 and Century Road.

Although Fritz passed away in April 2012 at the age of 93, his memory and passion for this museum lives on. Today, Fritz’s son, Fred, along with many other dedicated volunteers, proudly give tours and share their personal experiences about the way things used to be.

Visiting The Fritz Behnke Historical Museum is like taking a walk through the past. As you reminisce with us, we hope you will get a glimpse of how life was lived in yesteryear.

Mission

For many years, Fritz Behnke enjoyed being the official Historian of Paramus, and was the driving force behind the creation of the museum. His goal was to preserve the memories of the past by showing people the way life was lived many years ago.