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THE POE MUSEUM

Richmond, Va
Edgar Allen Poe Portrait - The Poe Museum's Collections

Who Is Edgar Allan Poe?

Edgar Poe was born on January 19th, 1809 to traveling actors Eliza and David Poe. When Edgar was a baby, David abandoned the family, leaving Eliza to support three young children. In a devastating turn, Eliza contracted tuberculosis and spent the last few months of her life in Richmond. She died on December 8th, 1811 at the age of 24, leaving behind her three children.  Two-year-old Edgar was taken in by Richmond couple John and Frances Allan. Edgar was never officially adopted, a cause and result of constant tensions between him and his foster father. He did not take their last name, but instead he became Edgar Allan Poe.

Our Collection

Our Events

Tell-Tale Talks featuring: SJ Sindu

Poe Museum's Enchanted Garden 1914 E Main St, Richmond VA, Virginia, United States

About SJ Sindu: SJ Sindu is a Tamil diaspora author of two literary novels (Marriage of a Thousand Lies, which won the Publishing Triangle Edmund White Award; and Blue-Skinned Gods, which was an Indie Next Pick and a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award), two hybrid chapbooks (I Once Met You But You Were Dead, […]

$10

Silent Music Revival at The Poe Museum

The Poe Museum 1914 E Main Street, Richmond, Virginia, United States

Welcome the autumn season...Presented by James River Film Society, join us on Friday, September 19th at 7:00 PM for Silent Music Revival, Richmond’s enduring live music silent cinema series, live at the Poe Museum. Featuring silent era films based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, with a live score by GULL. Schedule: Doors - 7:00 PM […]

Free

Tell-Tale Talks featuring: Stephen Smith

Poe Museum's Enchanted Garden 1914 E Main St, Richmond VA, Virginia, United States

About Stephen Smith: Stephen Smith is an actor and theatre producer from Watford, UK. He trained at the National Youth Theatre and LIPA (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts). He is the Artistic Director of Threedumb Theatre, a four-time OFFIE award-winning theatre company. Under which, he has self-produced many of his own opportunities as a self-represented […]

$10

Edgar’s Enchanted Garden Family Day

The Poe Museum 1914 E Main Street, Richmond, Virginia, United States

Join us on Saturday, October 11th from 10:00am-2:00pm for an enchanted free family day! Enjoy spooky arts, crafts, and programming brought to you by The Poe Museum, Richmond Public Library, and St. John's Church. We will be joined by London actor Stephen Smith who will be performing one man performances of "The Tell-Tale Heart" and […]

Free

October 2025 UnHappy Hour: Halloween

Poe Museum's Enchanted Garden 1914 E Main St, Richmond VA, Virginia, United States

Check back soon for more details!

$5 – $15

Our Blog

2025 Student Poetry Contest Winners

The Poe Museum celebrated National Poetry Month this spring by hosting its annual student poetry contest. Middle and high school students across the U.S. were encouraged to write poems based

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