Being so near Baltimore, Maryland, I could not pass up the chance to visit the grave of Edgar Allan Poe, the master of the macabre before I move further up north.
Edgar Allan Poe is enshrouded with mystery, not only of his life, his death, but also after death. Purported to have had his remains moved more than once, his life and work continues to intrigue all those students and connoisseurs of the eerie, the creepy, and anyone who has delved into the darker depths of the mysterious and the world of Halloween.
Long have I had a tribute for Poe in my cemetery, adding ravens year to year and including the remnants of a Poe Toaster can be found on Halloween itself at the tombstone I had made for him.
The famous grave stone markers can be found at the Westminster Cemetery, 519 W Fayette St, Baltimore, MD 21201. The cemetery is open to the public from 8 am to dusk.
When you first enter the cemetery, you see the large pillar stone straight away on the right. For most who are unaware, that would be it.
But if you wander deeper into the cemetery, passing many other very old, and famous tombs, you will come upon the second marker for Poe that is more iconic with the Raven carved with the famed 'Nevermore' line from his poem The Raven.
Wander about this cemetery, take your time as there are some very unique tombs and mausoleums there.
A few sad gravestones including several under the church itself as additions were built right over these and many young children's gravestones.
About half a mile away and not to be missed for all Poe fans, is the home where Edgar Allan Poe had lived for a few years. It has become a museum and you can tour through the tiny building for $5.00. They have a few Poe trinkets there for sale as well and several guides who can share quite a lot about the history of the home as well as Edgar himself and those who had lived there as well with him.
Don't forget to check out their Facebook page:
and also this one: Edgar-Allan-Poe-House-and-Museum
They do take donations to help keep the place going and open and looking for volunteers as guides. They also conduct poetry readings and I heard a killer Halloween party!
A tip about going to the house and museum:
This is located on the corner of a street in a more poor area of Baltimore. There are no commercial parking, but when we went, we could have parked right across the street as there were not many cars there at all.
We had parked across from the Westminster Cemetery and then walked the half mile up. Careful when using a GPS to do this as you need to be sure and switch from car to pedestrian, otherwise the route took us on a longer walk, whereas you could walk straight several blocks to Amity and then make a right and the house is just a couple blocks up from there. There are lots of public parking garages and lots to park near the cemetery.
This was well worth the trip if you are near the area.
GP
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