Poe Baltimore invites you to darken Poe’s chamber door at the fourth annual International Edgar Allan Poe Festival and Awards, October 2 & 3, 2021. This FREE, two-day outdoor event will feature Poe-themed performances, art, vendors and food, celebrating Poe’s life, works and his influence in the arts.
The festival will take place directly across the street from Poe House at 203 N. Amity Street in Baltimore, in the newly-built “Poe Park” at Center/West. Attendees will learn about Poe’s life and works from some of the United States’ preeminent “Poe Places”, with representatives from The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum (Baltimore), The Poe Museum (Richmond, Virginia), The Poe Cottage (Bronx, NYC), The Poe Studies Association, The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore and Westminster Hall & Burying Ground. The winners of the 2021 Saturday ‘Visiter’ Awards will also be announced festival weekend!
***COVID-19 UPDATE: 2021 will see the return of in-person stage, vendors and tours, all proceeds to benefit The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum in Baltimore. Of course, our soul from out pandemic’s shadow has not yet lifted, so expect both virtual and in-person program announcements as we proceed this year. Our aim is to make this death commemoration as lively (and safe!) as possible.***
October 2 & 3 is “Death Weekend”, commemorating the 172nd anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s death in Baltimore. Visit PoeFestInternational.org for more vendors and program details/schedule.
Admission to Poe Fest International is FREE. Tours inside the Edgar Allan Poe House and additional exhibits at 1840s Plaza are not included as part of the general festival program and require paid tickets. To be sure you get in to see these precious landmarks, check out the ticketed options below–for those who cannot attend in-person, virtual and streaming events are also available:
Death Weekend ‘Poe Places’ Bus Tour
Explore the enduring mystery surrounding Poe’s tragic death on a special Death Weekend Live Virtual Tour of Poe’s Baltimore. The 2-hour tour ticket includes stops at four important Poe Places around Baltimore, including the sites where Poe was found and passed away, Poe’s graves at Westminster Hall & Burial Ground, and scenes from a special re-enactment of Edgar Allan Poe’s first funeral. This ticket also includes access to our NEW “Poe in Film & Fashion” Exhibit at 1840s Plaza and the historic Carroll Mansion! NOTE: Death and funeral imagery (including body in an open casket), may not be suitable for young children. Viewer discretion advised.
The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum
Crowds will gather at the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival October 2 & 3, and Poe House will only be open to visitors for timed-ticket tours. Your ticket entitles you to “express entry” and includes a tour of the historic Edgar Allan Poe House, plus readings by a very special un-dead mystery guest. Additional souvenir brochure with Mobile App and Cell Phone guide to “Poe’s Baltimore” available.
The Edgar Allan Poe Film & Fashion Exhibit (NEW for 2021!)
Presented by Poe Baltimore at 1840s Plaza, this NEW “Poe in Film & Fashion” exhibit explores the ways in which Edgar Allan Poe’s life and works continue to inspire and shape popular culture. Learn of the mysterious circumstances of Poe’s death in Baltimore in 1849 and how the very clothes in which he was found are a tantalizing clue to the mystery of his final days. Next, explore the living arts of fashion and costume in recent films that adapt Poe’s life or works, and the aesthetics at play in how Poe is interpreted for modern audiences. A mobile app and live guide are included to answer your questions!
This exhibit includes costumes from recent film & television programs, including Altered Carbon starring Chris Conner as Poe on Netflix/ Skydance, and a special sneak peek at production and costume details from 3 Days Rising, a new movie adaptation of Poe’s “Fall of the House of Usher,” starring Peter Greene, Ice-T, Mickey Rourke and Frank Whaley.
NOTE: Death and funeral imagery (including body in an open casket), may not be suitable for young children. Viewer discretion advised. This exhibit takes place at location away from Festival Grounds; limited street parking and garage parking is available. This is a ticketed event; timed entry guarantees admission.
Exhibits by:
Poe Baltimore, The Poe Museum (Richmond VA), The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore, Charles Wissinger, Craig Cukrowski & Derek Cukrowski, Eric Stange & Spy Pond Productions, Thad & Season Ciechanowski, Poe Movies, Christopher Schafer Clothier, Jason Strutz Illustration, Jericho Vinegar Works, Roger Miller, Kenny Epps & The Baltimore Camera Club.
NOTE TO POE FESTIVAL ATTENDEES: The exhibit is staged at a location away from festival grounds. 1840s Plaza is at 29 S. Front Street, roughly three miles from Poe House. Paid parking available at Inner Harbor Park Garage, 751 E. Lombard Street, or 815 E. Pratt St. Garage.
And once night descends upon the City, the cats to come out to play:
The Black Cat Ball: Hollywood Gothic at 1840s Plaza
The Black Cat Ball : Hollywood Gothic at 1840s Plaza is the Official Party for The International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards, Saturday, October 2nd. Doors open 7:30 PM (VIP 7:00 PM) Dress to impress and walk our Gothic Red Carpet!
Join us for a Gothic Hollywood-themed masquerade of the senses as we dance into the night, explore a garden of culinary delicacies, then raise a glass to the inimitable Edgar Allan Poe! Guests will enjoy passed hors d’oeuvres and specialty cocktails while they peruse the “Edgar Allan Poe Film & Fashion Exhibit” featuring costumes from the latest and upcoming adaptations of Poe’s works in film & television.
Tickets are all-inclusive for food, beer/ wine/ signature cocktails, and entertainment, including:
Private Viewing & Reception at “The Edgar Allan Poe Film & Fashion” Exhibit
Winners of the 2021 Saturday ‘Visiter’ Awards, presented by author Rafael Alvarez
Cognac toast to Edgar Allan Poe
And of course… stories and poems by Edgar Allan Poe!
This party is 21+ over restricted; 100% ID Check!
LIMITED EXCLUSIVE VIP packages also available; includes early entry, plus a private performance and seance at the historic Carroll Mansion! Featuring the National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre’s Alex Zavistovich, The Undead Edgar, and Evening Crane Theatre.
NOTE TO POE FESTIVAL ATTENDEES: The party takes place at a location away from festival grounds. 1840s Plaza is at 29 S. Front Street, roughly three miles from Poe House. Paid parking available at Inner Harbor Park Garage, 751 E. Lombard Street, or 815 E. Pratt St. Garage.
For those who cannot attend the festival in person, the Poe Fest International Virtual Festival Pass includes all three of our tours and exhibits, presented LIVE online!
Virtual Festival Pass
This is your all-access pass to live virtual events festival weekend! Watch our streaming program on Facebook Live and YouTube Live for FREE. Want more? Purchase a Virtual Festival Pass and join live webinars via Zoom using your own mobile device or computer at home.
The Poe Fest Int’l Virtual Festival Pass includes three virtual tours: Virtual Tour of the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum, the Edgar Allan Poe’s Death in Baltimore Virtual Tour, and the Edgar Allan Poe in Film & Fashion Virtual Exhibit. These interactive webinars are guided tours led by LIVE museum docents. $25 includes ALL virtual tours, all weekend long! Join either or both days.The International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards is made possible by grant funding from Visit Baltimore, Maryland Heritage Areas Authority & The Baltimore National Heritage Area, Maryland Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities #MDHumanities. Sponsorship, programs and volunteers by Poe Baltimore, La Cite LLC & Center/West, The Lord Baltimore Hotel, Poe’s Magic Theater, University of Maryland Carey Law School Westminster Hall & Burying Ground, The Poe Museum (Richmond), The Enoch Pratt Free Library, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre, Other World Theatre, National Cryptologic Museum, Susan Jaffe Tane and RavenBeer.
The historic site that comprises the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum at 203 N. Amity Street is only 620-square feet, and the house (built in 1832) does not have a modern ventilation system. For these reasons, and given the volume of visitors from around the country (and the world) with varying rates of vaccination, Poe House is still implementing the following protocols for the safety of our attendees, staff and volunteers.
Before booking a tour, please read the following:
Poe House is OPEN for tours every Thursday thru Sunday from 11AM to 4PM (please check our events calendar for inclement weather closures or special events.) Reservations are REQUIRED. (See the links above to visit the ticketing site.) Walk-ups are not permitted.
Poe House RECOMMENDS face masks for all attendees entering the historic site for reasons of ventilation and space. Please bring your own, or request one at the front desk.
Upon arriving at Poe House, guests must line up outside to await entry to Poe House. There is no seating or waiting area inside the museum. Please observe expected weather conditions and bring proper cover on days of high heat or precipitation. All members of your party must be present before entry.
Visitors inside Poe House are limited to no more than sixteen (16) people at a time. Larger parties must book additional tour times, with each tour limited to no more than sixteen individuals, including small children. Rotating entry is NOT permitted and will result in your tour being ended without refund.
Re-entry is not permitted.
Staff will break intermittently to re-sanitize handrails, doorknobs, and other surfaces in the House. Guests may experience wait times between entries.
Walk-ups are not permitted, including to individuals who wish to only peruse the gift shop. Please visit our online store for purchases.
House staff and volunteers have been advised to follow all health protocols provided by the Centers for Disease Control, the State of Maryland and the City of Baltimore, and to stay at home if they have any flu-like symptoms. In the event of emergency absence of key personnel, Poe House may be closed without prior warning. We will update the website and social media as soon as we learn of pending closure; all reserved tours will be notified as soon as possible before their visit.
We continue to monitor www.cdc.gov, www.maryland.gov, and baltimorecity.gov for guidance. Poe Baltimore programming continues and there are no other schedule changes or canceled events at this time. Thank you for supporting Poe Baltimore/ The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum.
Enrica Jang
Director, Poe Baltimore
The 2020 International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards is streaming LIVE the weekend of October 3 & 4th, commemorating the 171st anniversary of Poe’s Death in Baltimore. Watch for FREE on Facebook & YouTube Live.
Streaming program for Saturday & Sunday has posted! A coffin-building workshop. A POE-vid mask tutorial. A Tell-Tale Heart Interactive mock trial. Art demos, theatrical performances, secret codes, even a special Sunday Brunch with Edgar Allan Poe’s mother (the woman is dead, but that shouldn’t spoil brunch.) See our list of events right here. More details added as we get closer to DEATH WEEKEND.
Add-on experiences also available, including the Poe in Film & Fashion Virtual Exhibit, NEW this year in addition to Virtual Tours of the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum, and the Death Weekend Poe Places Virtual Tour of Poe’s Baltimore.
Due to the COVID-19 Health Emergency, The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum suffered closure for several months earlier in the year. Like many other organization, Poe suffered a devastating loss in operating and programming funds due to this loss of revenue. For this reason, Poe Baltimore is grateful to be one of 100 recipients of Maryland Humanities CARES Act Emergency Grants. The purpose of the grants, from their site:
“As part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which became law on March 27, 2020, the National Endowment for the Humanities received $75 million to protect at-risk humanities positions and projects at museums, libraries and archives, historic sites, colleges and universities, and other cultural nonprofits that have been financially impacted by the coronavirus. Of that total, $30 million was distributed to Maryland Humanities and our 55 sister state and territorial councils for emergency grantmaking to the public humanities community.
The goal of this new fund—our $515,000 CARES Act Emergency Relief Grants Fund—is to help sustain Maryland’s infrastructure to ensure that organizations can continue to provide opportunities for public humanities programming and civic learning in Maryland’s diverse communities during this unprecedented time. Grants will support nonprofit general operating expenses. Eligible nonprofit organizations include: museums, historic sites, preservation and historical societies, and community and cultural organizations with a significant humanities focus.
We accepted applications to the Fund from May 1 through May 11, which were then screened for eligibility. Ultimately 119 applications were reviewed by members of our Grants Committee with a focus on both need and geographic location in an effort to disperse funds to all regions of the state. One hundred awards of $5,150 each were approved, and all applicants were notified on May 29.
As part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which became law on March 27, 2020, the National Endowment for the Humanities received $75 million to protect at-risk humanities positions and projects at museums, libraries and archives, historic sites, colleges and universities, and other cultural nonprofits that have been financially impacted by the coronavirus. Of that total, $30 million was distributed to Maryland Humanities and our 55 sister state and territorial councils for emergency grantmaking to the public humanities community.
The goal of this new fund—our $515,000 CARES Act Emergency Relief Grants Fund—is to help sustain Maryland’s infrastructure to ensure that organizations can continue to provide opportunities for public humanities programming and civic learning in Maryland’s diverse communities during this unprecedented time. Grants will support nonprofit general operating expenses. Eligible nonprofit organizations include: museums, historic sites, preservation and historical societies, and community and cultural organizations with a significant humanities focus.
https://www.mdhumanities.org/grants/cares/
The Emergency CARES Act grant gave us much-needed funding to continue virtual programming to keep Poe’s chamber door open online and augment loss from closure. We thank the Maryland Humanities council and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and look forward to presenting more virtual programs through the rest of this year.
Poe Baltimore’s mission is to celebrate Edgar Allan Poe’s legacy, a man at times unfairly maligned, at other times fairly taken to task for his faults. As good stewards of history, we must be uncompromising about the truth: about Poe, about ourselves, and about our American story.
203 N. Amity Street was established as a house museum and shrine to Edgar Allan Poe in 1949. We are an active and important cultural highlight in the Poppleton neighborhood of West Baltimore. And while we are a federally designated National Historic Landmark, the raw physical truth remains that Poe House is a small 620 square-foot remnant of a house that was built in the 1800s. The museum could not have survived for nearly 75 years without the care and regard for history that the members of this predominantly Black community have shown. Neighbors see wandering tourists and lead them to our door. Children playing with their friends outdoors helpfully point people our way. Black and minority individuals are the majority corps of Urban Rangers who lead tours at Poe House.
As an organization, Poe Baltimore supports our neighbors and fellow citizens as they support the museum in our care. We owe nothing less than an unequivocal statement against racism in any form, and specifically racism against Black people. Black Lives Matter. There is no place for racism or hate in any community. We stand with Poppleton in the beautiful City of Baltimore and commit to work together to turn the page on a new chapter for our city and country.
To preserve public safety in response to COVID-19 (aka Corona Virus), and by order of the State of Maryland, The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum mirrors State and City Government protocols. To that end, Poe House is CLOSED to visitors for the month of April.
We ask for your patience during this time. We will update the website and social media if we learn that circumstances change. Please check PoeBaltimore.org before visiting Poe House.
We continue to monitor www.cdc.gov, www.maryland.gov, and baltimorecity.gov for guidance. Poe Baltimore programming work continues; there are no other schedule changes or canceled events at this time. Thank you for supporting Poe Baltimore/ The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum.
“The death [of] a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world… ”
Edgar Allan Poe
It’s been quite the new year for Poe House already: last month we celebrated the Poe House Literary Landmark Dedication which coincided with Poe’s 211th Birthday weekend. Attendees and reporters from around the world helped ring in this wonderful honor and we thank all of our Poe Baltimore supporters and volunteers, as well as the nominating partners, for their effort. Visitors to Poe House are invited to see the new plaque commemorating this event.
We close the decade with news of a thrilling and prestigious honor celebrating Edgar Allan Poe’s legacy in Baltimore. Upon nomination from partner organizations Citizens for Maryland Libraries, Maryland Humanities, and Maryland Library Association, The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum has been accepted into the United for Libraries national registry of Literary Landmarks (TM). Poe House will be the very first Literary Landmark in the State of Maryland. A dedication ceremony will take place at Poe House, 203 N. Amity Street, in Baltimore, on Sunday, January 19th, 2020… coinciding, of course, with the celebration of Poe’s 211th birthday!
The news is a capstone for what has been another record year for Poe Baltimore: our chamber door closed behind the last visitors of 2019 and official tally of museum visitors and festival attendees came in just under 16,000 people. Download our End-of-Year Review to see highlights from this special year.
Our success depends entirely upon the kindness of Poe devotees, the City of Baltimore, our fellow organizations and Urban Rangers, generous Board Members, house and festival volunteers, sponsors, and patrons around the world. Celebrate with us and consider Poe House for part of your end-of-year giving. Poe Baltimore is a 501c3 non-profit organization, and with your support we fulfill our mission to keep Poe House open and to celebrate Poe’s legacy in Baltimore and beyond.
Thank you, everyone, and we’ll see you at Poe House in 2020!
A wonderful thing happened November 30: The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum welcomed our 13,000th visitor of the year! With one month in 2019 still to go, we look forward to setting a NEW record for visitors to 203 N. Amity Street in a single year. (Even more extraordinary, consider that this number does not even include the thousands who made their way to Poe Fest International this past October.)
Tremendous traffic calls for tremendous support to ensure that this highly popular West Baltimore landmark survives and thrives. Careful historic preservation is ongoing at Poe House. Annual programs preserve Poe’s legacy well beyond the humble 620 square feet where his literary career began. A new decade will bring new challenges but, with your help, we will sustain our “Poe-mentum” as visitor-ship continues to grow.
December marks the return of our Poe-nation Donation Holiday Drive. Please make Poe Baltimore part of your Holiday and end-of-year giving with a paver, purchase or recurring donation before December 31. Stop into the shop (at Poe House or online) to pick up perfect presents for your favorite Poe-head. And don’t miss the final Poe House Presents reading for 2019 with author (and long-serving Poe House volunteer) Mary Tighlman!
Thank you to all our supporters and attendees, as well as volunteers and staff, for making The International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards a tremendous sophomore year success! Photos have posted (see a sampling of favorites here) and then read our newsletter to see the names of our 2019 Saturday ‘Visiter’ Awards Winners.
November has been no less hectic as Poe Baltimore prepares for our end-of-year funding campaign. We need your support if you wish to continue to see Poe House programming and city-wide events, so please consider Poe Baltimore as the year draws down. We also resume our Poe House Presents Maryland author series and ready for an exciting and mysterious new development we won’t unveil just yet… Despair not, as it wouldn’t be Poe House if there wasn’t some sort of mystery at work. Get ready for some fun!
