The Poe Museum

Tell-Tale Talks Featuring: Emily Ogden
2026-10-01 17:30 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Poe Museum’s Enchanted Garden, 1914 E Main St, Richmond VA, Virginia, 23223, United States
Join us at The Poe Museum on Thursday, October 1st for a Tell-Tale Talk with author and professor Emily Ogden, who will discuss her newest work, Darkness Becomes Bright: On the Brief Life and Immortal Art of Edgar Allan Poe.

About Darkness Becomes Bright:

A fascinating and intimate inquiry into the shadowy life and horrifyingly compelling work of Edgar Allan Poe, and why we are drawn to darkness in art

Since Edgar Allan Poe’s mysterious death in 1849, his stories and poems have captivated millions of readers around the world. One hundred seventy-five years later, why do we continue to descend into the darkness of his imagination—and of the genres, from horror to crime, that he pioneered?

In these spellbinding and singular book, Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant winner Emily Ogden plumbs the darkness within Poe and enters it alongside him. She interweaves stories from his mysterious and tragic life—from his strange disappearances and tortured romances to his nearly fatal use of opium—with those of his most famous readers and translators, including poet Charles Baudelaire, writer Julio Cortázar, and psychoanalyst Marie Bonaparte, a descendant of Napoleon and a patient of Sigmund Freud.

Tracing their passionate attachments to Poe and Ogden’s own—unexpectedly sparked when she taught an introductory Poe course at the University of Virginia, where Poe himself was once a student—Darkness Becomes Bright makes a different case for literature from the one we most often hear (that it engenders empathy). This exquisite volume shows how Poe’s vision and its echoes across the generations allows us to make peace with our own flawed humanity.

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Emily Ogden is the author of On Not Knowing: How to Love and Other Essays (2022) and Credulity: A Cultural History of US Mesmerism (2018). Her writing has appeared in The Yale Review, Critical Inquiry, The New York Times, American Literature, the LA Review of Books Quarterly Journal, The Point, and Berfrois, among other publications. The recipient of a Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant and a Mellon Fellowship in the Columbia Society of Fellows, she is Professor of English at the University of Virginia.

General Event Information:

SCHEDULE:

5:30 PM – Doors open

5:45 PM – Zoom meeting opens

6:00 PM – Talk begins

VIRTUAL LIVESTREAMS:

Virtual ticket holders will be sent a Zoom webinar link for the livestream the day of the event. The Zoom invitation is also included in the confirmation email received upon purchase.

WEATHER:This event takes place outdoors. Please dress according to the weather forecast. In case of inclement weather, an alternate location may be announced.

FOOD & DRINK:One glass of wine included in in-person admission. Complimentary snacks and refreshments available.

PARKING:The Poe Museum has a small gravel lot attached on 20th and Main Streets. If the lot is full, there is street parking available on surrounding streets.

OTHER:

Chairs provided. Exhibits remain open to explore before or after the talk.

Reserve your tickets below!

Can’t make it in person? The talk can be streamed virtually! Select the Livestream ticket option at check out. Virtual ticket holders will be sent a Zoom webinar link for the livestream the day of the event.

September 2026 Cabaret UnHappy Hour
2026-09-24 18:00 - 21:00 | Poe Museum’s Enchanted Garden, 1914 E Main St, Richmond VA, Virginia, 23223, United States
Join us for the September UnHappy Hour on Thursday, September 24th.

Please check back in early September for more details and to reserve tickets.

Tell-Tale Talks Featuring: Lyndsay Faye
2026-09-17 17:30 - 19:00 | Poe Museum’s Enchanted Garden, 1914 E Main St, Richmond VA, Virginia, 23223, United States
Join us at The Poe Museum on Thursday, September 17th for a Tell-Tale Talk with author Lyndsay Faye, who will discuss her upcoming novel, RAVEN, to be released in October.

About RAVEN:

An orphaned young woman in antebellum Maryland is pulled into a maelstrom of passion, pain, and occult power in this Gothic homage to the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe.

I died a fortnight ago this coming Thursday. It was a terrifically unpleasant experience—being murdered, I mean to say.

Raven Helen Allan has always been haunted by witchcraft. Since the death of her beloved mother, she has soothed herself by speaking words into spells—a proclivity enhanced by time spent with her aunt’s library of occult books. She also finds a self-destructive solace in transmuting the pain in her heart onto her flesh.

After an itinerant childhood spent first with her mother’s traveling theater troupe and then being passed around from relative to relative, Raven is relieved to finally settle down with Aunt Berenice in her Baltimore townhouse—even if her aunt spends most evenings in a laudanum haze. There she finds a long-sought sense of belonging with the family of enslaved workers in her aunt’s household, especially the brilliantly odd youngest daughter Pym. Raven’s infatuation with her friend only grows more intimate as the girls become women together. But when the household is threatened with financial ruin, Raven must set out to earn her own living.

Taking a job as a paid companion, Raven arrives at the crumbling Moldavia Manor. Her charge is a delicate young invalid named Lenore Legrand who haunts the Gothic structure like a phantom. Living with them is Lenore’s devoted older cousin Travanion, who shares Raven’s interest in the occult and devotes his days to searching ancient texts for an Elixir of Life that might cure his cousin. Raven finds herself inexorably drawn to both cousins as well as to the secrets hidden in the shadows of Moldavia Manor. Will she find the answers she seeks in Trevanion’s alchemical texts? What is the meaning of glowing green light emitted from the tower windows? And is Raven truly narrating this story from beyond the grave—if so, who murdered her?

Gothic and atmospheric, Raven is an aching tale of loss, freedom, death, and resurrection by the celebrated author of Jane Steele and Dust and Shadow.

—

Lyndsay Faye is the internationally bestselling author of eight critically acclaimed novels and two short story collections. She has been published in fifteen languages, nominated for two Edgar Awards, and received an American Library Association award for Best Historical Novel. A notable writer of Sherlock Holmes pastiches including Dust and Shadow and Observations by Gaslight, she also particularly enjoys upending classical literature, as in Jane Steele, which transforms Jane Eyre into a feminist serial killer. A true New Yorker in the sense that she was born elsewhere, Faye lives in Queens with her husband Nicholas and her cat Prufrock.

General Event Information:

SCHEDULE:

5:30 PM – Doors open

5:45 PM – Zoom meeting opens

6:00 PM – Talk begins

VIRTUAL LIVESTREAMS:

Virtual ticket holders will be sent a Zoom webinar link for the livestream the day of the event. The Zoom invitation is also included in the confirmation email received upon purchase.

WEATHER:This event takes place outdoors. Please dress according to the weather forecast. In case of inclement weather, an alternate location may be announced.

FOOD & DRINK:One glass of wine included in in-person admission. Complimentary snacks and refreshments available.

PARKING:The Poe Museum has a small gravel lot attached on 20th and Main Streets. If the lot is full, there is street parking available on surrounding streets.

OTHER:

Chairs provided. Exhibits remain open to explore before or after the talk.

—

Reserve your tickets below!

Thank you to Fountain Bookstore, who will sell books after the talk.

Can’t make it in person? The talk can be streamed virtually! Select the Livestream ticket option at check out. Virtual ticket holders will be sent a Zoom webinar link for the livestream the day of the event.

Short Story Club
2026-09-09 18:00 - 18:45, 2026-07-08 18:00 - 18:45, 2026-05-13 18:00 - 18:45
Join the Poe Museum for our virtual Short Story Club, a low-commitment literary gathering designed for the busy reader who may not be able to commit to reading a new book every month. Our Short Story Club meets once a month on Tuesdays on Zoom from 6:00pm-6:45pm–a perfect chance to unwind midweek, connect with fellow literature lovers, and enjoy new reads—all without ever leaving your living room. Each meeting we will explore one Poe short story paired with a complementary piece by another author.

Bring a friend, pour a drink, grab a blanket, and settle in for half-hour of literary discussions!

March

Berenice — Edgar Allan Poe, 1835

The Yellow Wallpaper — Charlotte Perkins Gilman, 1892

May

Island of the Fay — Edgar Allan Poe, 1841

The Five Boons of Life — Mark Twain, 1902

July

Spectacles — Edgar Allan Poe, 1844

The Necklace — Guy de Maupassant, 1884

September

The Imp of the Perverse — Edgar Allan Poe, 1845

The Horla — Guy de Maupassant, 1887

October

The Case of M. Valdemar — Edgar Allan Poe, 1845

The Monkey’s Paw — W.W. Jacobs, 1902

November

Man of the Crowd — Edgar Allan Poe, 1840

The Hanging Stranger — Philip K. Dick, 1953

Registration required.

August 2026 Party Like It's 1996 w/ WNRN UnHappy Hour
2026-08-27 18:00 - 21:00 | Poe Museum’s Enchanted Garden, 1914 E Main St, Richmond VA, Virginia, 23223, United States
Join us for the August UnHappy Hour on Thursday, August 27th.

Please check back in early August for more details and to reserve tickets.

July 2026 Westward Poe UnHappy Hour
2026-07-23 18:00 - 21:00 | Poe Museum’s Enchanted Garden, 1914 E Main St, Richmond VA, Virginia, 23223, United States
Join us for the July UnHappy Hour on Thursday, July 23rd.

Please check back in early July for more details and to reserve tickets.

Know Your Poe: Poe and the Presidents
2026-07-01 18:00 - 19:00
Join the Poe Museum for our “Know Your Poe” series, an evening program hosted quarterly that explores Edgar Allan Poe’s life through various thematic lenses. This series offers Poe-enthusiasts across the world to connect with the Poe Museum, literary scholars, and each other in hopes of gaining a deeper understanding of one of America’s most influential literary figures.

This 45-minute evening program is hosted on Zoom. The Zoom link will be sent to your email the day before the scheduled program.

Poe and the Presidents: Explore how Poe’s connections to the presidents who served throughout his lifetime.

RSVP Required.

Anything Prose
2026-06-28 11:00 - 12:00 | Poe Museum’s Enchanted Garden, 1914 E Main St, Richmond VA, Virginia, 23223, United States
Sign up below to read your original poetry or short fiction at The Poe Museum’s open mic hour, Anything Prose! Registration to read is free but required. Spaces limited.

NOTE: Those who wish to attend this event as an audience member only may do so by purchasing museum admission online or in The Poe Museum’s visitor center.

Terms of Participation:

Participants in the Anything Prose event must abide by The Poe Museum’s Code of Conduct:

1. Respect the SpacePlease do not touch any exhibit displays unless otherwise indicated.Keep your voices low while indoors.Leave food and drink in the Gift Shop, or the Enchanted Garden.Keep to the garden paths to avoid trampling plants and flowers.2. Respect OthersBe courteous to other museum visitors who are here to explore Poe’s legacy.Show respect to Poe Museum staff and volunteers, who work to provide a positive experience for all visitors, by following their instructions.Please supervise children.Guests who do not comply with the Poe Museum Code of Conduct may be asked to leave.

Additionally, while we want to encourage creative liberty, we also welcome families and children to the museum. Therefore, we ask that participants select work that falls within a PG-13 rating. Absolutely NO HATE SPEECH allowed.

Each participant will receive 10 minutes maximum to read.

Those who wish to attend this event as an audience member only may do so by purchasing museum admission online or in The Poe Museum’s visitor center.

Please contact Nicole Coppino at nicole@poemuseum.org with any questions.

—

GENERAL EVENT INFORMATION:

PARKINGThe Poe Museum has a small gravel lot that fills up quickly. Street parking on surrounding streets may be necessary.

WEATHERThis event takes place outdoors in the Poe Musuem’s Enchanted Garden.

ACCESSIBILITYThe Poe Museum is dedicated to creating an accessible space for all. The Poe Museum can provide wheelchair ramps upon request. Seating is limited, however The Poe Museum can provide additional seating upon request. The Poe Museum’s courtyard is laid with cobblestone, which may be difficult to navigate for individuals with wheelchairs or other mobility devices. For more information on accessibility at the Poe Museum, please visit poemuseum.org/visit-us.

June 2026 Pride UnHappy Hour
2026-06-25 18:00 - 21:00 | Poe Museum’s Enchanted Garden, 1914 E Main St, Richmond VA, Virginia, 23223, United States
Join us for a special Pride UnHappy Hour on Thursday, June 25th.

CALLING ALL DOLLS, DIVAS, GAYS AND THEYS…

Celebrate Pride Month at The Poe Museum with our annual Pride UnHappy Hour, presented by The Veil Brewing Co:

Dance to live music by Flora & The Fauna and Pleco! Show love for our amazing drag performers, Melanin Monroe and Jocito (don’t forget to bring cash)! Enjoy traditional or plant-based southern cuisine from 1115 Mobile Kitchen, beer from The Veil Brewing Co., plus a curated assortment of wines or N/A options!

___

GENERAL EVENT INFORMATION:

PARKINGThe Poe Museum has a small gravel lot that fills up quickly. Free overflow parking is available at the Holocaust Museum’s parking lot, located one block away from the Poe Museum, accessible by 21st or Dock St.

FOOD & DRINKBeer, wine and non-alcoholic refreshments will be for sale at a cash bar. While we accept cash or card, we may not be accept to Apple Pay. If you plan on purchasing alcohol during the event, please bring a valid form of identification. To comply with our ABC license, we will check the IDs of ANYONE who plans to purchase alcohol – no exceptions. 1115 Mobile Kitchen will be for sale in the Poe Museum parking lot during the event. No outside food or drinks are permitted. No food or drinks are permitted inside the museum buildings.

WEATHERThis event is outdoors, rain or shine.

ACCESSIBILITYThe Poe Museum is dedicated to creating an accessible space for all. The Poe Museum can provide wheelchair ramps upon request. Seating is limited, however The Poe Museum can provide additional seating upon request. The Poe Museum’s courtyard is laid with cobblestone, which may be difficult to navigate for individuals with wheelchairs or other mobility devices. For more information on accessibility at the Poe Museum, please visit poemuseum.org/visit-us.

CODE OF CONDUCTTo ensure a positive experience for all visitors, we ask guests to abide by our Poe Museum Code of Conduct:1. Respect the SpacePlease do not touch any exhibit displays unless otherwise indicated.Keep your voices low while indoors.Leave food and drink in the Gift Shop, or the Enchanted Garden.Keep to the garden paths to avoid trampling plants and flowers.2. Respect OthersBe courteous to other guests who are here to enjoy the event.Show respect to Poe Museum staff and volunteers, who work to provide a positive experience for all visitors, by following their instructions.Please supervise children.Guests who do not comply with the Poe Museum Code of Conduct may be asked to leave.

___

For additional information or other inquiries please contact nicole@poemuseum.org.

May 2026 Poe Stock UnHappy Hour
2026-05-28 18:00 - 21:00 | Poe Museum’s Enchanted Garden, 1914 E Main St, Richmond VA, Virginia, 23223, United States
☮ PEACE, LOVE, AND POE ☮

Join us for 3 hours of peace and music at the Poe Stock UnHappy Hour on Thursday, May 28th from 6-9PM. Let the psychedelic sounds of Prabir and Sravani Kamaswari bring you to a higher vibrational plane where you can groove the night away. Chill out and sip some brewskis from Benchtop Brewing, or choose from an assortment of wines. Keep the good times rolling with traditional or plant-based southern cuisine from 1115 Mobile Kitchen. Bring your flower crowns and your sunglasses, leave your worries behind.

___

GENERAL EVENT INFORMATION:

PARKINGThe Poe Museum has a small gravel lot that fills up quickly. Free overflow parking is available at the Holocaust Museum’s parking lot, located one block away from the Poe Museum, accessible by 21st or Dock St.

FOOD & DRINKBeer, wine and non-alcoholic refreshments will be for sale at a cash bar. While we accept cash or card, we may not be accept to Apple Pay. If you plan on purchasing alcohol during the event, please bring a valid form of identification. To comply with our ABC license, we will check the IDs of ANYONE who plans to purchase alcohol – no exceptions. 1115 Mobile Kitchen will be for sale in the Poe Museum parking lot during the event. No outside food or drinks are permitted. No food or drinks are permitted inside the museum buildings.

WEATHERThis event is rain or shine. Event will be cancelled in the case of severe weather such as thunderstorms.

ACCESSIBILITYThe Poe Museum is dedicated to creating an accessible space for all. The Poe Museum can provide wheelchair ramps upon request. Seating is limited, however The Poe Museum can provide additional seating upon request. The Poe Museum’s courtyard is laid with cobblestone, which may be difficult to navigate for individuals with wheelchairs or other mobility devices. For more information on accessibility at the Poe Museum, please visit poemuseum.org/visit-us.

CODE OF CONDUCTTo ensure a positive experience for all visitors, we ask guests to abide by our Poe Museum Code of Conduct:1. Respect the SpacePlease do not touch any exhibit displays unless otherwise indicated.Keep your voices low while indoors.Leave food and drink in the Gift Shop, or the Enchanted Garden.Keep to the garden paths to avoid trampling plants and flowers.2. Respect OthersBe courteous to other museum visitors who are here to explore Poe’s legacy.Show respect to Poe Museum staff and volunteers, who work to provide a positive experience for all visitors, by following their instructions.Please supervise children.Guests who do not comply with the Poe Museum Code of Conduct may be asked to leave.

___

For additional information or other inquiries please contact nicole@poemuseum.org.

Tell-Tale Talks Featuring: Emily Carpenter
2026-05-14 17:30 - 19:00 | Poe Museum’s Enchanted Garden, 1914 E Main St, Richmond VA, Virginia, 23223, United States
Join us at The Poe Museum on Thursday, May 14th for a Tell-Tale Talk with author Emily Carpenter, who will discuss her newest novel, A Spell For Saints And Sinners.

About A Spell For Saints And Sinners:

In front of an elegantly shabby townhouse on a Savannah side street sits a hand-painted sign: Miss Edie, Psychic. Ingrid White inherited the house and business from her beloved grandmother, a local celebrity in town. But unless Ingrid can find a way to pay for crushing property taxes and mounting repairs, she’s going to lose them both. Then Sailor Loeffler’s bachelorette party arrives at her door. Sailor is local royalty—part of the vast “Savannah Sauce” empire, beautiful and wealthy beyond imagining—and Ingrid’s reading is so accurate that she’s welcomed in as the bride-to-be’s confidante. To keep that access and all the privileges it brings, Ingrid relies more and more on hexes and dark spells—using the baneful magic Edie always warned her against. As Ingrid works even riskier spells, she is drawn further into the Loefflers’ inner circle and the obstacles in her path melt away. But is it witchcraft or other, more earthbound forces? Ingrid can feel the lines blurring even as her powers seem to grow, until she must confront the truth about just how far some people, including herself, will go to keep the life they’ve always wanted…

About Emily Carpenter:

Emily Carpenter is a bestselling author of novels of suspense. Her previous novels include Gothictown (A Southern Living Best Book of 2025…so far), Burying the Honeysuckle Girls, The Weight of Lies, Every Single Secret, Until the Day I Die, and Reviving the Hawthorn Sisters, which Publishers Weekly called a “refreshingly modern gothic tale” and Kirkus called “an exciting, gothic-tinged quest.” After graduating from Auburn University in Alabama with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication, Emily moved to New York City. She’s worked as an actor, producer, screenwriter, and behind-the-scenes soap opera assistant for the CBS shows, As the World Turns and Guiding Light. Emily is a member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America. Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, she now lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her family. Savannah is the city she dreams about moving to one day.

Website: www.emilycarpenterauthor.comInstagram: @emily.d.cThreads: @emily.d.cFacebook: @ecarpenterauthor

Copies of Emily’s book will be available for purchase during the event.

Reserve your tickets below!

Thank you to Fountain Bookstore, who will sell books after the talk.

Can’t make it in person? The talk can be streamed virtually! Select the Livestream ticket option at check out. Virtual ticket holders will be sent a Zoom webinar link for the livestream the day of the event.

April 2026 Space Age UnHappy Hour
2026-04-23 18:00 - 21:00 | Poe Museum’s Enchanted Garden, 1914 E Main St, Richmond VA, Virginia, 23223, United States
Presented by Stone Brewing, join us on Thursday, April 23rd for a Space Age UnHappy Hour at The Poe Museum.

WELCOME, EARTHLINGS…

For the first UnHappy Hour of 2026, we’re leaving the stratosphere for a SPACE AGE themed dance party, presented by Stone Brewing. Out of this world drinks and eats from Stone Brewing and 1115 Mobile Kitchen. Ethereal sound waves from Rikki Rakki and Shera Shi. Exhibits remain open, so feel free to explore the Poe galaxy!

Outer-space inspired costumes are encouraged, but not required.

We hope to see you there, for a miserable time from six to nine…

—

GENERAL EVENT INFORMATION:

PARKINGThe Poe Museum has a small gravel lot that fills up quickly. Free overflow parking is available at the Holocaust Museum’s parking lot, located one block away from the Poe Museum, accessible by 21st or Dock St.

FOOD & DRINKBeer, wine and non-alcoholic refreshments will be for sale at a cash bar. While we accept cash or card, we may not be accept to Apple Pay. If you plan on purchasing alcohol during the event, please bring a valid form of identification. To comply with our ABC license, we will check the IDs of ANYONE who plans to purchase alcohol – no exceptions. 1115 Mobile Kitchen will be for sale in the Poe Museum parking lot during the event. No outside food or drinks are permitted. No food or drinks are permitted inside the museum buildings.

WEATHERThis event is rain or shine. Event will be cancelled in the case of severe weather such as thunderstorms.

ACCESSIBILITYThe Poe Museum is dedicated to creating an accessible space for all. The Poe Museum can provide wheelchair ramps upon request. Seating is limited, however The Poe Museum can provide additional seating upon request. The Poe Museum’s courtyard is laid with cobblestone, which may be difficult to navigate for individuals with wheelchairs or other mobility devices. For more information on accessibility at the Poe Museum, please visit poemuseum.org/visit-us.

CODE OF CONDUCTTo ensure a positive experience for all visitors, we ask guests to abide by our Poe Museum Code of Conduct:1. Respect the SpacePlease do not touch any exhibit displays unless otherwise indicated.Keep your voices low while indoors.Leave food and drink in the Gift Shop, or the Enchanted Garden.Keep to the garden paths to avoid trampling plants and flowers.2. Respect OthersBe courteous to other museum visitors who are here to explore Poe’s legacy.Show respect to Poe Museum staff and volunteers, who work to provide a positive experience for all visitors, by following their instructions.Please supervise children.Guests who do not comply with the Poe Museum Code of Conduct may be asked to leave.

For additional information or other inquiries please contact nicole@poemuseum.org.

Historic Garden Tour
2026-04-22 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-04-19 11:00 - 12:00 | The Poe Museum, 1914 E Main Street, Richmond, Virginia, 23059, United States
Join us for a guided tour of The Poe Museum’s historic Enchanted Garden led by our Executive Director and Curator.

Registration required.

RSVP

Purchase Museum Admission

Poe and Cats Special Focus Tour
2026-04-18 14:00 - 15:00 | Poe Museum, 1914 E MAIN ST, RICHMOND, Virginia, 23223-6964
Join the Poe Museum on Saturday, April 18th for a special focus guided tour on Poe and Cats! This tour highlights Edgar Allan Poe’s connection cats and provides guests with a deeper understanding of Poe’s life, literature, and legacy. While you’re here, get to know our two resident cats, Edgar and Tib!

This tour has a limited capacity of 20 guests. Registration is required.

RSVP

PURCHASE MUSEUM ADMISSION

Cat Adoption Event 2026
2026-04-18 11:00 - 14:00 | The Poe Museum, 1914 E Main Street, Richmond, Virginia, 23059, United States
In partnership with RAL, the Richmond SPCA, and RACC, join us from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM on Saturday, April 18th for the third annual Cat Adoption Event at The Poe Museum!

On April 18th, the Enchanted Garden will once again be full of feline friends — and we’re not just talking about Edgar and Tib…

To make things even sweeter, we’ll be joined by The Exit Plan matcha cart.

Come find your purrfect companion at the Poe Museum on April 18th!

This event is free to attend, but we hope you’ll consider making a donation to one or all of the following organizations: The Poe Museum, RAL, The Richmond SPCA, and RACC.

Adoption fees – $100

Same day adoptions available (must be approved through application process). Please bring a cat carrier if you plan to adopt.

If you wish to tour the museum’s exhibits during your visit, please purchase admission in the shop or online before doing so. Event access is free, but we kindly ask that you keep to the garden and giftshop unless you’ve purchased admission. Thank you!

PARKING

The Poe Museum has a small gravel lot attached on 20th and Main Streets. If the lot is full, there is street parking available on surrounding streets.

ACCESSIBILITY

The Poe Museum is dedicated to creating an accessible space for all. The Poe Museum can provide wheelchair ramps upon request. Seating is limited, however The Poe Museum can provide additional seating upon request. The Poe Museum’s courtyard is laid with cobblestone, which may be difficult to navigate for individuals with wheelchairs. For more information on accessibility at the Poe Museum, please visit poemuseum.org/visit-us.

CODE OF CONDUCT

To ensure a positive experience for all visitors, we ask guests to abide by our Poe Museum Code of Conduct:1. Respect the SpacePlease do not touch any exhibit displays unless otherwise indicated.Keep your voices low while indoors.Leave food and drink in the Gift Shop, or the Enchanted Garden.Keep to the garden paths to avoid trampling plants and flowers.2. Respect OthersBe courteous to other museum visitors who are here to explore Poe’s legacy.Show respect to Poe Museum staff and volunteers, who work to provide a positive experience for all visitors, by following their instructions.Please supervise children.Guests who do not comply with the Poe Museum Code of Conduct may be asked to leave.

Lord Byron Death Day Celebration
2026-04-17 13:00 - 15:00 | The Poe Museum, 1914 E Main Street, Richmond, Virginia, 23059, United States
Celebrate Lord Byron’s 202 death day anniversary at the Poe Museum! Join us Friday, April 17th from 1:00pm-3:00pm for an opportunity to explore Lord Byron’s literature by reading selected poems and participating in self-guided crafts.

Our Education Coordinator will be providing a brief lecture at 1:30 which will serve as an introduction to Lord Byron’s life and his lasting influence on literature today.

Purchase admission here

Stavna Ballet Performance
2026-04-12 13:00 - 13:15 | Poe Museum’s Enchanted Garden, 1914 E Main St, Richmond VA, Virginia, 23223, United States
Join us for a special performance from Stavna Ballet, inspired by Poe’s poem “To One In Paradise.”

This event is included with admission, but we hope you’ll consider making a donation to one or both of the following nonprofit organizations: The Poe Museum and Stavna Ballet.

Tell-Tale Talks Featuring: Joshua Barton
2026-04-08 17:30 - 19:00 | Poe Museum’s Enchanted Garden, 1914 E Main St, Richmond VA, Virginia, 23223, United States
Join us at The Poe Museum on Wednesday, April 8th for a Tell-Tale Talk featuring Professor Joshua Barton on “How beautiful it is and how easily it can be broken”: The Tarnished Mirror of Southern Gothic Literature.

“How beautiful it is and how easily it can be broken”: The Tarnished Mirror of Southern Gothic Literature

This talk will introduce Southern Gothic fiction as a genre, focusing on how its decaying settings, eccentric characters, and moral tension reveal the cultural anxieties of the postbellum American South. Moving beyond haunted houses and grotesqueries, we will explore how writers like Edgar Allan Poe, Flannery O’Connor, and Tennessee Williams use distortion to expose themes of guilt and social decline. We’ll look at how the uncanny nature of Southern Gothic fiction often serves as a mirror to reflect the cultural and historical pressures of the American South, while also offering a vicious critique of its past. Through this discussion, Barton invite you to examine how the elements of these stories function as tools for social critique and psychological insight.

About Joshua Barton:

Joshua Barton is a professor of writing and literature and a lecturer on horror content of all kinds. He attended George Mason University as an undergraduate, where he completed a BA in English in 2009; for his MA in literature, he attended Southern New Hampshire University. His key area of academic research is horror literature, with a particular focus on Gothic fiction, haunted house stories, and feminist horror. He has taught at American University, George Mason University, and Virginia Commonwealth University, and developed horror literature courses with an emphasis on American monsters and cultural analysis. He is also a frequent collaborator with Profs & Pints, where he has lectured on everything from Victorian ghost stories to folk horror to the link between romance and monsters. Outside of literature, his interests include games (of all kinds), baking, and dogs!

General Event Information:

SCHEDULE:

5:30 PM – Doors open

5:45 PM – Zoom meeting opens

6:00 PM – Talk begins

VIRTUAL LIVESTREAMS:

Virtual ticket holders will be sent a Zoom webinar link for the livestream the day of the event. The Zoom invitation is also included in the confirmation email received upon purchase.

WEATHER:This event takes place outdoors. Please dress according to the weather forecast. In case of inclement weather, an alternate location may be announced.

FOOD & DRINK:One glass of wine included in in-person admission. Complimentary snacks and refreshments available.

PARKING:The Poe Museum has a small gravel lot attached on 20th and Main Streets. If the lot is full, there is street parking available on surrounding streets.

OTHER:

Chairs provided. Exhibits remain open to explore before or after the talk.

Reserve your tickets below!

Can’t make it in person? The talk can be streamed virtually! Select the Livestream ticket option at check out. Virtual ticket holders will be sent a Zoom webinar link for the livestream the day of the event.

For questions or media inquiries, please email Nicole Coppino at nicole@poemuseum.org.

Edgar's Enchanted Garden Family Day
2026-04-04 10:00 - 12:00 | The Poe Museum, 1914 E Main Street, Richmond, Virginia, 23059, United States
Celebrate National Poetry Month! Join us on Saturday, April 4th from 10:00am-12:00pm for an enchanted morning of nature poetry, crafts, and programming brought to you by The Poe Museum.

We will be joined by our community partner, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Check out their website for your child to receive free books!

Our next Enchanted Garden will be on October 11th from 10:00am-1:00pm.

RSVP

Guided Tour: The Women in Poe's Life
2026-03-31 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-03-26 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-03-12 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-03-05 11:00 - 12:00 | The Poe Museum, 1914 E Main Street, Richmond, Virginia, 23059, United States
Celebrate Women’s History Month at the Poe Museum!

Join the Poe Museum in a guided tour where we will explore the extraordinary lives of the women who shaped Poe’s life, his literature, and continued his legacy after his death.

Registrations required. Please RSVP below. You must purchase museum admission online or in-person for this guided tour.

RSVP

Tell-Tale Talks Featuring: Levi Lionel Leland
2026-03-25 17:30 - 19:00 | Poe Museum’s Enchanted Garden, 1914 E Main St, Richmond VA, Virginia, 23223, United States
Join us at The Poe Museum on Wednesday, March 25th for our first Tell-Tale Talk of 2026, featuring author Levi Lionel Leland, who will discuss his newest work, Edgar Allan Poe: The Master of the Macabre.

About Edgar Allan Poe:

Edgar Allan Poe dives deep into the life, stories, and legacy of the man who defined gothic fiction in the 19th century. Poe’s works such as The Raven, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Fall of the House of Usher continue to inspire readers, writers, and artists around the globe. This new release offers a fresh perspective and insight on Poe’s contributions to literature, his personal struggles, and the mysteries that shrouded his life and death.

About Levi Lionel Leland:

Levi Lionel Leland is a born and raised Rhode Islander with a new lifelong passion for Poe and his works. After visiting every Poe Museum or house in the country, he focused his attention homeward, learning all that he could about Poe’s time in Providence and creating the Edgar Allan Poe RI website and A Walking Tour of Poe’ Providence, where he shares his research and passion for our favorite gothic poet.

Copies of Levi’s book will be available for purchase during the event.

Reserve your tickets below!

Can’t make it in person? The talk can be streamed virtually! Select the Livestream ticket option at check out. Virtual ticket holders will be sent a Zoom webinar link for the livestream the day of the event.

Literature & Her: A Celebration of Gothic Women Writers
2026-03-13 15:00 - 17:00 | The Poe Museum, 1914 E Main Street, Richmond, Virginia, 23059, United States
Join us for a Friday the 13th celebration of gothic women writers! This event will include a lecture at 3:15pm by our curator on the literary works of the Brontës, Shelley, Radcliffe and other female authors who influenced the gothic genre.

Fountain Bookstore will run a pop-up bookstore where you can buy copies of the works of these prolific woman authors.

The Poe Museum will provide programming in our Enchanted Garden including letter writing and wax sealing.

At 4:00pm, our Education Coordinator will be leading a special focus tour on the lives of the women who surrounded Poe. Registration for this tour is required. Capacity of 20 attendees.

Light refreshments will also be provided.

RSVP for The Guided Tour

Short Story Club
2026-03-11 18:00 - 18:30
Join the Poe Museum for our virtual Short Story Club, a low-commitment literary gathering designed for the busy reader who may not be able to commit to reading a new book every month. Our Short Story Club meets once a month on Tuesdays on Zoom from 6:00pm-6:30pm–a perfect chance to unwind midweek, connect with fellow literature lovers, and enjoy new reads—all without ever leaving your living room. Each meeting we will explore one Poe short story paired with a complementary piece by another author.

Bring a friend, pour a drink, grab a blanket, and settle in for half-hour of literary discussions!

March

Berenice — Edgar Allan Poe, 1835

The Yellow Wallpaper — Charlotte Perkins Gilman, 1892

May

Island of the Fay — Edgar Allan Poe, 1841

The Five Boons of Life — Mark Twain, 1902

July

Spectacles — Edgar Allan Poe, 1844

The Necklace — Guy de Maupassant, 1884

September

The Imp of the Perverse — Edgar Allan Poe, 1845

The Horla — Guy de Maupassant, 1887

October

The Case of M. Valdemar — Edgar Allan Poe, 1845

The Monkey’s Paw — W.W. Jacobs, 1902

November

Man of the Crowd — Edgar Allan Poe, 1840

The Hanging Stranger — Philip K. Dick, 1953

Registration required.

Friday the 13th Valentines
2026-02-13 10:00 - 13:00 | The Poe Museum, 1914 E Main Street, Richmond, Virginia, 23059, United States
“We loved with a love that was more than love”

Celebrate Friday the 13th with your valentine at the Poe Museum! Craft your own gothic valentine’s card in our Poe shrine or read Poe’s romantic poetry with your loved one in our Enchanted Garden.

At 11:00am, join our Education Coordinator, Meg Luffman, for our Women in Poe’s Life focus tour to learn about women who Poe loved. Registrations required for The Women in Poe’s Life tour.

Register Here
