Edgar Allan Poe Museum

The Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia is the world's foremost museum dedicated to the life and work of the American writer Edgar Allan Poe, who grew up in Richmond and spent much of his professional life connected to the city. The museum is housed in the Old Stone House on East Main Street — one of the oldest surviving structures in Richmond, built around 1737 — and extends through four additional buildings arranged around a walled garden courtyard. The collections include the largest assemblage of Poe memorabilia in existence, with artifacts including the author's personal writing desk, a lock of hair cut from his head after his death in 1849, first-edition manuscripts, rare prints, and period furnishings. The centerpiece of the galleries is the Raven Room, displaying one of the most important surviving illustrations from the 1884 Harper's edition of 'The Raven,' illustrated by Gustave Doré. Rotating exhibitions explore individual Poe stories, his editorial career in Richmond at the Southern Literary Messenger, and the cultural legacy of his gothic fiction. The garden courtyard features resident cats, long-standing keepers of the premises. The museum's periodically held 'Unhappy Hour' cocktail nights invite adult visitors to explore the collection after hours with drinks inspired by Poe's works. Admission is modest and covers access to all five buildings and the garden. Tours are largely self-guided with interpretive panels, though staff are available for group explanations.