The Haunted Edgar Allan Poe Museum

Posted: 03.06.2021 | Updated: 07.03.2025

Located just blocks from one of author Edgar Allan Poe’s childhood homes, the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond is home to a stunning number of historic artifacts from Poe’s life. In fact, some believe that Poe’s ghost haunts the museum, despite never having lived there. Even if Poe’s spirit hasn’t graced the museum, there are plenty of other spirits lurking about, making the Edgar Allan Poe Museum one of the most haunted buildings in Richmond, VA.

Planning a trip to Richmond and want to make it spooky? You can learn all about the capital of Virginia’s haunted history by booking a ghost tour with Richmond Ghosts today.

Is the Edgar Allan Poe Museum Haunted?

The most famous ghost to haunt the Edgar Allan Poe Museum is Poe himself. Some debate this haunting since Poe’s spirit has been documented in at least five other locations. However, spirits may very well exist beyond the confines of space and time.

In addition to Poe’s ghost, a shadowy man has been seen in the backyard, as well as two children who may have met untimely demises. Supernatural phenomena have been documented by staff and guests throughout the museum, with some ghosts being friendly and others having an intimidating presence.

History of the Edgar Allan Poe Museum & The Old Stone House

Built sometime in the mid-1700s, the Old Stone House is the oldest residential building in the city of Richmond. In 1906, the Poe Memorial Foundation was created to build a memorial in Richmond to Edgar Allan Poe. 

The foundation was unsuccessful, but its key supporters soldiered on. In 1923, they purchased the Old Stone House in Richmond and transformed it into the Poe Shrine. Notable guests of the time included writers H.P. Lovecraft, Gertrude Stein, and Henry Miller, as well as artist Salvador Dali. 

By the 1930s, three additional buildings had been purchased to create the Edgar Allan Poe Museum. A man named James H. Whitty is responsible for acquiring many of the items still on display at the museum today. The items include manuscripts, personal items, and important historical artifacts related to Poe and his life. Some of the most impressive items include:

• Manuscripts handwritten by Poe
• Poe’s walking stick
• Poe’s sister’s beloved piano
• The staircase from Poe’s childhood home

Poe’s Connection To Richmond

Edgar Allan Poe moved to Richmond with his foster parents, Frances and John Allan, in 1820 when Poe was 11 years old. When Poe was 15, he served as a lieutenant in the Richmond youth honor guard when the Marquis de Lafayette came to town. 

This historic event featured Poe and the honor guard escorting Lafayette to the Old Stone House, which was owned by a family that had provided Lafayette with ammunition during the Revolutionary War. Poe likely “stood guard” outside while the Marquis met with the family who lived there, but no records definitively answer this question. 

Poe would visit Richmond a few times after becoming an adult, but he suffered from a tense relationship with his foster father, who severely disciplined Poe. Alternatively, Poe’s foster mother was extremely affectionate. 

Both died before Poe’s work became famous. Poe himself would die mysteriously in 1840 after being found in a Baltimore ditch. There are multiple theories about how Poe ended up there, but Poe’s death provided readers and historians with a final, unsolvable mystery.

Hauntings at the Edgar Allan Poe Museum

Two of the most often-reported ghosts are two young boys with blond hair who appear in the Enchanted Garden. These ghost boys have shown up in wedding photos and have been seen playing with the museum’s resident black cats, Edgar and Pluto. 

The boys are also blamed for certain forms of mischief at the museum. For example, one woman on a tour claimed a nail hit her in the back of the head. What was strange is that she was standing with her back to the wall when the phantom nail was flung at her. Multiple guests in a separate part of the museum claimed to have been pinched by an unseen force.

On a separate occasion, the museum gift shop had received a shipment of Poe bobbleheads. They were left in their boxes to be unpacked the next morning, but when staff showed up, they discovered something bizarre. 

All of the bobbleheads had been unpacked and were perfectly lined up. No one had been in the building since closing, and the security alarm never went off. Staff still blame the boys.

In the Gold Bug Garden, witnesses have seen the ghostly figure of a man in 1920s clothing. Some say he’s wearing a bowler hat, while others describe it as a top hat. Employees speculate that this could be the ghost of James H Whitty, who was responsible for acquiring much of the Poe collection. 

Poe’s Ghost?

There are reports that the shadowy figure of a man appears near an antique walking stick owned by Poe himself. This shadow figure has also turned up in photos taken during tours of the museum. 

It’s a bit comical to see the phantom man show up as if he’s taking part in the tour. While no definitive identification has been made, many believe this is Poe’s ghost haunting the museum.

Poe may also haunt the staircase that was taken out of the home he lived in with John and Frances Allan. One woman felt someone try to push her down the stairs, while another tripped and felt an unseen force grab her. 

Given the negative relationship between Poe and his foster father, this could be a manifestation tied to the staircase Poe would have walked up and down countless times during his boyhood.

Haunted Richmond

Although Edgar Allan Poe never lived in the Old Stone House, he has left an indelible mark on it thanks to the Edgar Allan Poe Museum. In addition to being the perfect place to learn intimate details of Poe’s life, there’s also a chance of meeting a ghost up close.

Want to add some spooky excitement to your Richmond vacation? Don’t forget to book a ghost tour with Richmond Ghosts today! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real Virginia hauntings.

Sources:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46jNdeeav3Y

• https://www.railstotrails.org/trailblog/trailside-richmonds-haunted-poe-museum-and-the-legacy-of-a-gothic-literary-master/

• https://www.virginiahauntedhouses.com/real-haunt/edgar-allan-poe-museum.html

• https://poemuseum.org/

• https://poemuseum.org/about-the-poe-museum/