Baltimore, Maryland: Edgar Allan Poe's House
Tour the unfurnished but preserved house where the young writer lived with some relatives. Plaque on its outside wall calls attention to its importance.
- Address:
- 203 N. Amity St., Baltimore, MD
- Directions:
- Poe house and museum is five blocks west and two blocks north of the graves, a brick row house on the east side of Amity St. just north of Lexington St.
- Hours:
- Late May-Dec Sa-Su 11-4. (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 410-462-1763
- Admission:
- Adults $5, under 12 free.
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Funding for Edgar Allan Poe's House was cut out of the city budget, so a nonprofit organization was created to keep it open. There is now a gift shop and furnishings in the house. The docents were very knowledgeable.
While the neighborhood is still a bit sketchy, it appears to be in a positive transition. A city block has been cleared and a new multi-story retail, apartment and condo building is going up right across the street!
[Mike Gassmann, 12/20/2017]
The Poe House is open for visitation, though only in the middle of the day. You have to knock and be admitted. The hostess was very nice and gave a 10 minute talk on the house and Poe.
This was a low-income residence, even in the 1830s, and the rooms (and ceilings) are incredibly small. The stairs are spiral, narrow, and steep. We visited on a HOT August day, and the grandmother's room in the attic was blazing hot. I cannot believe anyone could possibly stay there in the summer. The house is not air-conditioned.
Upstairs there is a short dramatized interview with Poe that is actually quite good (though low-resolution VHS), and a glass-case exhibit. Poe was definitely given an undeserved bad rap by a competitor after his mysterious trauma and subsequent death.
No museum store, just some academic publications for sale. This is worth a visit, but is a dicey neighborhood several blocks from the boundary of the University of Maryland Medical Campus.
[Fiskie, 10/06/2011]The last time I was in that area, a friend and I left our hotel and headed in that direction. The valets at the hotel stopped us and said, "You are NOT going into that neighborhood!" I'm glad they were looking out for our safety, but disappointed because I still haven't gotten there.
[Kristin, 07/18/2011]Nearby Offbeat Places
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The Poe House closed to the public on September 28, 2012. It reopened under new ownership during weekends in Oct. 2013, and seems to have regular weekend hours late May through December.