1914 East Main Street
Richmond, VA 23223
Voice: 804-648-5523
Toll Free: 888-21E-APOE
Web Site: www.poemuseum.org
E-mail: info@poemuseum.org

The Edgar Allan Poe Museum has the world's largest collection of Poe artifacts and memorabilia. Consisting of four buildings and the Enchanted Garden there is much to learn about the life and times of the author. They have incorporated building materials and architectural elements from buildings where Poe lived and worked into the museum complex.

The Enchanted Garden was done in 1921 as a memorial to Poe. It was designed to recreate the garden in "To One in Paradise", a love poem by Poe. The bricks and granite used in the garden were salvaged from the Southern Literary Messenger building where Poe worked.

The Old Stone House where you enter the museum complex is a 1737 home that belonged to the Ege family during Poe's lifetime. While Poe never lived in this house, he did visit the home in 1824. The west room has furnishings from one of the homes Poe lived in and a portrait gallery of people he knew in childhood.

The Model Building shows a model of Richmond a it appeared during Poe's lifetime. The buildings that were important to Poe are marked for you to be able to identify. There are also artifacts to view in this building.

The Elizabeth Arnold Poe Memorial Building has an extensive collection of Poe's works. Dr. John Robertson donated his large, extensive collection of first editions and first printings to the museum in 1933. Other objects here have been donated by relatives of Poe and the descendants of Rufus Griswold, Poe's literary executor.

Lastly, in the exhibits building you can peer into the final weeks of Poe's life. Poe's death is still a mystery and you can learn of many of the theories that people have come up with. Edgar Allan Poe was one of the best known and perhaps greatest American writer. This is a wonderful museum showcasing his life.

KAT'S VIEW